Azath Salley a Security Threat to India Too in the Background of Recent Bangalore Attack by Muslim-Tamil Terrorists
Posted on May 9th, 2013
– Kumar Moses
The day Muslim-Tamil National Alliance leader Azath Salley was taken in for questioning three more Tamil Muslims were arrested in Tamil Nadu over terrorism allegations. With that the total number of arrests in relation to the Bangalore bomb attack rises to nine. They include Valayal Hakeem, Asghar Ali, Rehamatullah, Tenkasi Suleman, Bukhari, Basheer Sunnathi and Basheer Peer Mohiddeen. All of them Muslims from Tamil Nadu. A group of terrorists suspected to be from Al Ummah terrorist group carried out many terrorist attacks in India, the most recent being the Bangalore bombing on 17 April 2013 which wounded 16. It was in this context Azath Salley made the threat of Muslims taking up arms like Tamil Tigers in Tamil Nadu, India, itself!
Those who try to politicise this issue have failed to link the dots. Politically he is insignificant as he is only a member of a local governance body which is the lowest in the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s governance structure. Provincial Councils and the Parliament rank higher. If the action is politically motivated, there are bigger fish for frying. Just imagine him going to New York and making the same statement on 16 September 2001 (a week after 9/11). What would happen? He would be arrested by the US government or the US government will expect the Sri Lankan government to arrest him. As a supporter of UN resolutions against global terrorism, Sri Lanka cannot turn a blind eye to this threat of terrorism. Sri Lankan authorities did the right thing by peace loving people in both Sri Lanka and India.
IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s latest terrorist headache ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Tamil Muslim terrorism
Peace in IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s hitherto peaceful south has been shattered by Tamil-Muslim terrorism recently. They carried out various terrorist attacks the most recent being the Bangalore bombing. The particular attack targeted the BJP (BJP Is aligned to RSS and Shiv Sena) office. Other similar incidents were also reported in the past few years from IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s south. All the suspects were Tamil Nadu Muslims.
Thus far most Islamic terrorist activity occurred in western parts of India. Emergence of Islamic terrorism in India south is therefore very concerning. Add to this are the new strategic initiatives of India concentrating in its south including the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and the Sethusamudram project. Terrorism seriously affects the potential of both.
During the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka, some Tamil terrorists managed to flee to South India. There were many reports of them joining with and providing expertise to other terrorist groups.
ULFA-LTTE nexus has been established by Indian defence authorities. http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/assam/terrorist_outfits/ulfa.htm
LTTE- Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terror links in South India also have been investigated in India.
These developments take place in an even wider context of grave security concerns for India and the region stemming from Islamic extremist groups. Not a month passes in neighbouring Pakistan without Islamic terrorist acts leading to mass murder, bombings and shootings. Peaceful Bangladesh has also turned violent with regular killings of policemen, religious strife and riots by Islamic extremist groups. A little beyond, Maldives has fallen into a quagmire of Islamic fundamentalism following the violent overthrow of its only elected government. Restive Burma is also looming in the background. Amidst all this, NATO and coalition forces plan to leave Afghanistan (leaving only a small number of troops) in less than two years from now. Their unfinished business will affect the entire region as extremism is set to spill over to the region after 2014.
With the third largest Islamic population in India, these are very worrying developments. If it is not sufficient, India has yet another unlikely source of potential unrest. 2011 census data is being withheld from publishing for two years as it may have a violent reception particularly from RSS, SS and elements within BJP as it is known that Hindu population percentage has for the first time fallen below 80%. In contrast, Muslim population percentage has risen to an unprecedentedly high level. Although these natural events make no headlines elsewhere, the politically charged atmosphere in India with increasing popularity of RSS, SS and BJP, things donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t look good.
This is the context of Azath SalleyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s statement, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-there will be no alternative to taking up armsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ made in India just over a week after the Tamil-Muslim terrorist attack. He himself a Tamil-Muslim! If this doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t raise suspicions of defence authorities in both India and Sri Lanka, their defence apparatuses must be in slumber.
Why should Sri Lanka care?
So Azath Salley did say Muslims will take up arms as Tamil tigers, in Tamil Nadu, where Tamil speaking Muslim terrorists had just carried out a devastating bomb attack in neighbouring Karnataka. But why should Sri Lanka care? There are many good reasons to care. Firstly, it is an act of terrorism he has threatened to carry out. It is not an imaginary threat which has no relevance to reality. The threat is very real as current events suggest. Secondly, he is a political activist in Sri Lanka who has a following. Thirdly, his threat has all the ingredients of coordination with fast emerging Tamil Muslim terrorist groups in South India. Fourthly, Sri Lanka is bound to address national, regional and global terrorism issues as the nation is bound by the UN resolutions A/RES/67/99, A/RES/56/88, etc. (Measures to eliminate international terrorism).
If Sri Lanka ignores this possible terrorist threat, the world community, particularly India will act against the nation. USA will also act against the island nation. USA has filled its Guantanamo Bay detention centre with foreign Islamic firebrands which it calls terrorists. Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s inaction gives them legitimacy to intervene with the excuse of squashing the terrorist risk.
USA and India seeking the Islamic terror excuse to interfere in the island
USA and India desperately look for crocodiles in a teacup. They are seeking to find Islamic terrorist groups in Sri Lanka. If they find any, they make it a good excuse to interfere in the island to achieve their geopolitical ends. Their attempts have been innumerable. The only way to deflect their action is to take voluntary action.
In 2003, the following cable was sent from the US embassy in Colombo (SUBJECT: WALK-IN DESCRIBES MUSLIM EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES IN SRI LANKA).
http://wikileaks.org/cable/2003/10/03COLOMBO1810.html.
It identified various terror groups allegedly operating in the island with the blessing of certain politicians and police officers.
USA and India raised concern with the government of Sri Lanka in 2007 for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rising Islamic extremismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in the East of the nation. Beruwala mosque massacre (2009), which is the worst mass murder in any place of religious worship in the island by a group other than a terrorist group, was a blessing for the interferers. USA and India again urged the Lankan government to arrest growing Islamic fundamentalism. However, arrests were made and the matters diffused in no time.
Undeterred, in 2010 Indian reports claimed there are LeT (Lakshe-e-Toiba) Islamic terrorist training centres in the island. An Islamic terrorist by the name Mirza Himayat Baig, the alleged conspirator and co-planter of the bomb placed at Pune’s German bakery, had allegedly said that he had received his terror training in Colombo. It was vehemently denied by the Defence Secretary. A contracted terror operator of a foreign secret agency was arrested in South India last year (2012) for planning to carryout various terror attacks in South India. He was arrested just before boarding a plane to Colombo (Sri Lanka). Indian authorities alleged that Colombo is a hub of anti-Indian Islamic terror activity.
Following the Boston bombing recently, certain US media alleged the suspects may have been trained in Sri Lanka. Out of all countries why Sri Lanka? The answer lies in the intention to interfere in the island with the excuse of fighting Islamic terrorists. This is the same excuse USA made for invading Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Libya. Same excuse was used to force the Maldivian government to agree to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), a military agreement to use the Maldivian territory for US military purposes.
Recently the US ambassador Sison visited Trincomlaee and against all protocol asked locals if they faced any threat from Buddhists. Her real intention was not an answer to the question (to which she knew the answer), but to assess the Muslim response. If the response was what Azath Salley said, that gives USA enough ground to frame a bogus excuse to land in the island to neutralise ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Islamic extremismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
Given the experience in Kashmir by India and Afghanistan and Iraq by USA, their interference in Sri Lanka to neutralise Islamic extremism will be the death knell to local Muslims. Arresting Azath Salley and thereby defusing any US or Indian concerns over an armed struggle by Muslims actually saved local Muslims. At a time of desperate US and Indian attempts to make up an excuse to interfere in the island and when the entire region is volatile with Islamic extremism from Maldives to Burma and across Thailand to Iraq, it is the duty of all to defeat these ploys.
Ethnic harmony was re-established in 2009 with the sacrifices of many. It is everybodyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s responsibility to protect it. There is little sense in locking the stable after the horse has bolted. Proactive investigations must be carried out to deter and prevent threats to harmony and national security. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Everyone must pay that price to retain freedom for all. Azath Salley is no exception.
May 9th, 2013 at 1:41 pm
So this is the REAL reason for his arrest.
Makes PERFECT sense to arrest him.
TAMIL MUSLIM terrorism is so true. Thanks to Premathasa we PIT them against each other in 1990. Otherwise things would have been very difficult.
Now they try to REGROUP. NIP this in the bud.
May 9th, 2013 at 5:26 pm
Perfectly true. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. At the moment our destiny as one country is in the hands of Gotabhya Rajapakse for he alone has the courage to call ” A spade a spade” in present day Sri Lanka. Others are all politicians who will do anything to cling on to power and perks. They do not understand that history looks at how well they looked after Sri Lanka and not how well they looked after themselves!
Solutions remain in Sri Lanka remaining militarily well established and powerful. Sri Lanka won the war now it is the consolidation phase and the future of peace depends on how well the consolidation is successful. This is exactly what our enemies are trying to prevent us from achieving. This is the reason for the pressure we are receiving to move out from the North and East. It is necessary that Sri Lanka remains assertive and do what is necessary by the nation. Then only the world will take notice and take Sri Lanka as an equal partner in overseeing global security – the same way the tiny city state of Singapore is respected and regarded.
For decades on politicians were grumbling that they did not have enough power or the majority in parliament to make necessary changes to the constitution. If the present government while enjoying the necessary majority in Parliament does not attend to this all important duty – they too will can join the Hall of infamy where JR Ranil and Chandrika stand very tall.
The biggest danger to Sri Lanka lies in devolving uncontrollable power to the provinces and this achilles heel is still remaining as a sword of Democlese over Sri Lanka. The whole system of devolving power to the provinces should be done away with for this system of government has not done any good to the citizens of Sri Lanka. This has only enabled to shower power and perks to a few failed politicians as well as government cronies in complete vilification of the ordinary citizenry.
Sri Lanka’s weakness lies in having to depend on individuals, for life is cheap in this world and the way they expose themselves to danger leaves much to be desired. It is the bounden duty of all patriots to put in place now and not later a system that will outlive their life spans. Politicians must remember that they too are mortal and that they cannot be in power for ever. It is their duty to put in place a system of government that will outlive them.
This is what great statesmen of the category of Abraham Lincoln, Josef Stalin, Mao Tse Dong and Ho Chi Ming left in place for their nations and our kings of yore and our forefathers to us Sri Lankans.
May 10th, 2013 at 6:59 am
Thanks Kumar. I wish the JVP donkeys read this. Like part about Sisson.
May 10th, 2013 at 8:18 am
Azath Salley a Security Threat to India Too ! than how come he reased , You modayas !!!
poor Sonis should shut their mouth !!!
May 10th, 2013 at 3:12 pm
“Azath Salley released after sending affidavit to President.”
This is DISGRACE.
Now MR becomes the GOOD MAN and GR becomes the BAD MAN. Why MR always undercut GR? This is SHAMEFUL!!
e.g. Gonzeka, Pissanaigon, Azath, etc.
GR trying to do a PROFESSIONAL JOB but MR doesn’t allow him to.
May 12th, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Kumar,
An interesting analysis but not sure how this sits with a former article
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2011/04/12/allow-maldivians-to-settle-in-sri-lanka-if-rising-sea-levels-threaten-the-atoll/
Thankfully, Mossad only recruit intelligent people
May 13th, 2013 at 8:35 am
GR trying to do a PROFESSIONAL JOB- Gotha did not even complet his army job but run away to USA to run handy shop & security gurd job is professinal ? Thamil Muddal !