Well, no such standard defintion for this thing but as it is, the first thought that springs up would be 'using fear to attain the objective'....However there is one that is compatible:
"Intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians/non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a Govt. or an International Org. to do or abstain from doing an act."
The UN Security Council Resolution, No. 1373 against Terrorism was adopted on 28th Sept. 2001 and it is one of the rarest resolutions that was passed in 3 minutes flat! In this resolution, the resolve was taken to check the movement of terrorists, the funding routes, regulate the losses w.r.t. immigration and refugees and also aimed to defined the word, terrorism but found no such unanimity. This resolution being adopted in Chapter 7 of The U.N. Security Council means that everybody has to adopt it!
Pointers>
- Vilolence is the most common tool of the terrorists
- Psychological impact
- Affecting or destroying National Symbols
- Media attention
- Coercing the system to come to terms
Types:
1. Political Terrorism: where the terrorist org. is aimed at acquiring political authority
2. Non-political Terrorism: Ex: taking responsibility for terror caused etc.
3. Civil Disorder: affecting peace and security for making the Govt. accept demands
4. Quasi Terrorism: Contextual. Ex: fugitives, felon, those people evading arrests and taking shelter elsewhere by threats
5. Limited Political Terrorism: basic aim is to act against the system and create distrust in the minds of the people for the system
6. State Terrorism/Official Terrorism: sponsored by the State system. Ex: ISI, dictators etc.
Characteristics:
1. Random
2. Surprise
3. Against the State and the Community
4. Unlawful
5. Both political and apolitical purposes
6. targets primarily people in position and helpless masses.
Objectives:
1. To make their demands accepted
2. Mobilise mass support
3. Show of strength
4. Elimination of opponents
5. Instablity and creating chaos
6. Moral building of the cadres
Causes of terrorism cannot be pre-defined, i.e., there is no stereotypic explaination since the roots are extremely mobile.
Islamic Terrorism:
Comes from 'Salema', which means 'Peace' (Also, Purity). Another meaning is 'submission to the will of God.'
- By this simple explaination, 'Islamic Terrorism' is self-contradictory.
- It is a term used by the proponents of 'clash of civilisation' - for dividing the society.
- It is also used by the terrorists to ensure mass support.
- The most common word used is, 'Jihad', basically a term which is by all means 'reactive in nature.' It can be used for explaination of pro-active measures. In fact, in all religions of the world, there are similar words but only in the case of Islam, the term has been made popular by a select few in search of support.
- AN-NISA: 4:28 verse of The Quran says that You cannot destroy yourself. This in itself contradicts 'suicide bombing', one of the tools used by the proponents of Islamic terrorism.
Saffron terrorism:
- A relatively newly coined term but it's essence has been there since quite sometime now! Some Hindu Organisations like VHP, Bajrang Dal, Abhinav Bharat, Shiv Sena, Ram Sena have been criticised widely now regarding their aggressive Hindu fundamentalism. There have been allegations against these orgs. regarding funds supply from illegal sources abroad. Known to mobilise the youth by imparting ploitical ideas and spreading communal tension, they are no different from the banned SIMI. Some of these have been indicted with accusations of bombing and spreading violence in various parts of India like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa.
Consequences of terrorism include loss of life, property, peace, development and migration.
Measures to check terrorism:
Short term:
1. Modernisation of the forces
2. Better Intelligence
3. Prompt punishment
4. Protection of the whistle-blowers
Long term:
1. Check communal riots
2. Promotion of family bonds
3. Check on child trafficking and giving a home to the homeless orphans so that they don't fall in the wrong hands
4. Promotion of patriotism
5. Use of media for national integration
6. Promotion of national identity
7. Better rehabilitation fot the surrendered terrorists
8. Economic equality and balanced regional development backed by effective policies
Efforts taken in India:
-Many Preventive Detention Acts under Article 22 like POTA, TADA, COFFEEPOSA, UAPA
- National Intelligence Agency set up in 2008.
- India is also a signatory to various international agreements for control of terrorism. Ex: Tokyo Treaty, 1963, Convention for the suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, The Hague, 1973 and various other Security Council Resolutions.
