Lessons from Delhi Blast

 

Delhi terror attack; On November 10, 2025 at historic red fort-an iconic 17th-century monument, killed fourteen people and several got injured in the explosion, is neither the first terror attack in India nor there is any guaranty that it will be the last. Based on the number of arrests made since the blast, Indian intelligence sources believe that a 'Pakistan-backed Jaishe-Mohammed "white-collar" terror network of medics' were planning six bombings across six cities on 6 December, the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It is worthwhile to point out here that this attack in the national capital took place after more than a decade. According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), India witnessed around 7,217 terrorist incidents between 2004 and 2014, which declined sharply to approximately 2,242 incidents during 2014-2024, reflecting a significant improvement in the internal security situation of the country ever since Modi came to power in Delhi. This attack is different from earlier attacks because it involved a team of highly educated professionalslinked to Pakistan-based terror outfits, and highlights how technical expertise, financial accessand digital networks were exploited. An educated terrorist is more fatal than an illiterate terrorist. The red fort attack in the heart of national capital shook the 20 collective conscience of the society. Those who are trusted as life savers after God, took the life of innocent people. It busted the hypothetical theories propagated in defense of such anti national activities by people with vested interest because those who carried the attack were neither poor nor illiterate but by all standards they were economically well off and highly educated people so the term misguided can be easily ruled out. It has also conveyed about its roots having spread far and wide. A shrill goes down the spine after knowing about the quantity of explosives and other materials seized from the group, which as per reports could have done a big harm to the country. The confidence of the common man has shaken to the extent that he has come to believe the whole episode as just a tip of the iceberg, the roots of this cancer are seemingly too deep. The doubt about the presence of more such groups in the country can't be ruled out. The attack has given birth to a plethora of questions and can lead to new spike in regional tension after Operation Sindoor. People expect befitting answer for this Pakistan sponsored cowardly action from government. The preparations for this attack might have been going on from a few years and why we failed to have an inkling of the menace is a big question in every one's mind? To bury the whole episode under the hatchet of radicalization will yield nothing rather there is a need of complete surgery to treat the disease. Everyone knows about radicalization in certain sections of society butequally important becomes the measures taken to combat this menace. The enemy country will go on with its dirty tricks but why we fail to deter such attacks is a question in the mind of people? Why the system gets activated after an incident takes place? Why we play defensive when things demand to be offensive? why we apply a lacklustre approach? Branding this attack as merely an intelligence lapse would be an institutional avoidance of fact. The truth depicts structural, and systemic governance failure in various spheres. It was no doubt the failure of our security agencies on the one hand but on the other it exposed the education system employment procedures, shielding of terrorism by their political sympathizers, local support and links of terrorists with their foreign handlers by using technology. It has also conveyed a cocktail of corruption, nepotism and negligence of multiple authorities. Everyone wants to know What our intelligence agencies were doing? The failure of intelligence agencies is quite visible at both central and state level especially when such heinous activities at a big level were taking place in the vicinity of the national capital. The seizure of 2600 kilogram of ammonium nitrate, and other explosives, foreign rifles and other gadgets, contact with foreign handlers stunned the whole country and clearly talks of its planning from a long period of time. The pivot of Delhi blast activism has been Al- Falah university as per reports in the press. The university was established by Haryana Legislative Assembly by passing an act 21 of 2014 under Haryana Private University act 2006 amended in 2014 and notified on 2nd May 2014. The AI-Falah University was recognised in 2015 by University Grant Commission. There are plethora of agencies involved in the running of a university and every such regulatory authority can't shirk its responsibilities. The University Grants Commission (UGC) governs broad academic standards, the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) regulates technical education, and the National Medical Commission (NMC) oversees medical programmes. Accreditation bodies such as the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA) evaluate quality benchmarks. It is not only that these institutions have failed to regulate the system properly but it also hints about the bitter fruit of their negligence. The highly qualified people resorting to anti national activities hints at the failure of the system. It talks of misuse of public funds to make antisocial elements. Education has failed to inculcate nationalism or social values in students of any stream. It is laughable that the revenue department post Delhi blast talks of illegal land grabbing by the university. Where was the revenue department when the university was being built. The campus has not sprung overnight. The revelations about university campus have reignited debates on policing, intelligence sharing, and radicalisation, the real story runs much deeper. These revelations clearly hint to the pathetic state of regulatory apparatus, particularly in the higher education sector. Alongside these central bodies, each state runs its own regulatory authority to ensure compliance on infrastructure, faculty, safety norms and academic delivery. For universities running professional courses, yet another layer enters the picture. National Testing Agency (NTA) officials responsible for examinations like JEE and NEET conduct periodic verifications and audits tied to testing infrastructure and academic standards. Income-tax departments, GST authorities and financial intelligence units monitor financial flows, expenditure patterns and tax compliance. India's response to terrorism needs to be coherent, based on long term strategy and guided by national interests rather than being based on episodes or knee jerk attempts. The political attitude towards such incidents should be guided by nation first strategy rather than political interests. why those directly or indirectly supporting terrorism should not be banned from contesting elections? No terror attempt can be successful without support from locals so all those involved in such activities within the country need to be dealt strictly and punished as per law of the land. However, recent efforts, such as the implementation of anti-drone rules and the strengthening of enforcement of existing laws, are noteworthy. Delhi blast can be termed as an offshoot of cross border terrorism. It has plagued India in Jammu and Kashmir because instigating religious sentiments becomes an easy approach with the enemy country to revenge India as it clearly knows that it can't defeat India into a direct combat. In Northeast states it is shaped in the form of illegal immigration. India needs to play its strategy both diplomatically by isolating the known terror sponsoring neighbours from the comity of nations and it has to strengthen its domestic security infrastructure to have a complete vigil on internal supporters of all terror organisations. India with its unwavering commitment to the policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations needs to address the problem of terrorism from various perspectives. The Delhi blast has opened the eyes of people. The government shall thoroughly investigate and punish all those responsible for it and people must denounce such elements boldly and vote for those with country first in their mind.

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Courtesy:  M K Bhat  and Koshur Samachar-2025,December,