The unfortunate serial bomb blasts in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday has sent a wave of shock and terror across the world. The number of people killed and the countless number of victims speaks volume of the impact of religious fundamentalism. All fingers point to National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) , a radical Islamist group. It’s been suspected that it was backed by international non-state actors. One theory doing the rounds is that LeT of Pakistan was behind the carnage, as part of its larger efforts to encircle India. Apparently, the LeT has been trying for the past decade and a half to penetrate into Sri Lanka. If anything at all, the bombings are a reflection of the ‘success’ of radical Islam. Again, another group claiming responsibility is ISIS. Although people of different faiths were killed, it is no secret that Christians were targeted given the fact that churches were part of the target, that too, on one of the most pious Christian occasions. They have made their intentions well known.
South Asia is a very sensitive and restless region and as such, utmost vigil must be maintained. Regular intelligence sharing is one of the means of doing so. India, among other countries, is ever the targeted entity. Having said that, security of India cannot be secured without taking into consideration the so-called ‘peripheries’ comprising of basically the entire North-east region. Not to demean the efforts of the different security and intelligence agencies overseeing the North-east but I am of the view that more needs to be done especially with regard to Nagaland. Nagaland is a soft spot for future radicalization given the fact that there is uninterrupted and unchecked illegal immigration, especially from Bangladesh. The open borders with Assam are a major concern. There has to be an effective and systematic mechanism of dealing with illegal immigration. Not only are our culture, traditions, land and way of life being threatened by illegal immigration but also our security. Let us not forget that Pakistan has an effective presence in Bangladesh and that it is involved in financing and sponsoring radical Islamist groups which are hostile to India. If they want to strike India, they might choose to target Nagaland by virtue of Nagaland being a Christian majority state, or even Assam, given the fragile communal atmosphere in that state. Again, I’d like to reiterate that this write-up is not an underestimation of the various security and intelligence agencies. This is a rallying call to check illegal immigration from across the border. The government of the day must keep the safety of citizens of Nagaland its top priority and accordingly coordinate with the concerned law-enforcement agencies. This is where strengthening of the ILP mechanism comes in, too. ILP must be applied to Dimapur, too. The ordinary Naga must also do one’s duty of not entertaining any illegal immigrant.
If left unchecked, illegal immigration will be our doomsday. Threats of various kinds are looming over us. Wisdom must be exercised in identifying possible bad roots and extinguishing them. Sooner or later, the periphery will become the main battleground.
