A Brief Study on Major Causes and Impact of Terrorism

“How can we have a war on terrorism when war itself is a terrorism” Terrorism is defined as a threat caused to the general public with use of violence by individuals or group of individuals with the aim to obtain a social or political change . It refers to the killing of innocent people in order to create fear in the minds of the public. Terrorism is not new but is an old concept which is being witnessed in the domestic territory of India .Terrorism today has become the latest threat to world which destroys the harmony and peace of the world thereby imposing threat to India‘s National Security.

Motive plays a very important role which defines the intention of people performing acts. Terrorists possess an illegal motive to harm the society with the aim to obtain political or social change and these motives may differ which includes variety of forms like airplane hijackings, threats, bombings and suicide attacks. In order to understand the mindset of terrorists motivation is the important aspect which helps to understand why an individual becomes terrorists.

● Social injustice - An act caused to people which is unjust, unfair and not right and thus results in violation of a right. Studies have shown that social injustice is the strongest reason that motivates people to join terrorist groups because people who have suffered injustices in society often perceive themselves as victims in society and in order to

Terrorism is intended to create massive fear in minds of the people and thus it‘s a criminal activity ● Social impact- Terrorism's societal effect refers to how individuals are affected as a result of terrorism. It has a very dangerous impact on society that negatively influences the behaviour and beliefs of the people which mean the way people view society which terrorists belong to. People feel victimized when it experiences terrorist attacks 42 which as results destroys mental peace and harmony. ● Increase of negative stereotypes- The threat of terrorism increases the negative stereotypes, by members of the targeted society. There have been numerous instances of this such as in Israel during the second Intifada, Israelis held extremely negative stereotypes of Palestinians, viewing them as dishonest, violent, and having little regard for human life. Same is the case of India-Pakistan; Indians have negative stereotypes of Pakistan, who is responsible for cross-border terrorism. ● Ethnocentrism and xenophobia- Terrorist attack leads to rise in xenophobia as a result of which group of citizens of affected nations increases its solidarity . if there is mistrust amongst groups, categories, and classifications of people, the dread caused by terrorism may be intensified. Therefore it is important to recognize that diversity in a population can be an opportunity for unity and strength. ● Education - Education is the most powerful weapon that the countries have which in turn shapes the minds, action and choices of future generations but Terrorist attack not only leads to PTSD in children which in turn disrupts the daily routine but also negatively affects the minds of children that negatively gets reflected in their education. ● Health- Healthy body leads to a healthy lifestyle therefore its very important to take care of health but when a citizens of a country suffers from terrorist attacks it not only disturbs their minds but most significantly it affects the health of the individuals resulting in significant diseases, temporary loss or permanent injury, memory loss, internal bleeding.

Eg- In Assam & Tripura due to failure of government control, Muslims migrated in large scale from ● Economic causes- Poverty , unemployment etc are some of the factors which have given rise to ideological terrorist groups in India such as Maoist groups operating under different names Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa are some of the examples where because of economic causes there was a rise in terrorist groups. ● Ethnic causes - Ethnic causes like feeling of separation etc have given rise to terrorist groups in India like ULFA etc. States like Nagaland , Mizoram are some of its examples . ● Religious Causes- Division in religion is one of the important reasons that led to rise of terrorist groups in India. India has been facing terrorism from neighboring countries like Pakistan. Pakistan has always harboured terrorist activities against India with the purpose to destroy it . India has always faced threat from Bangladesh, Sri lanka . These causes are responsible for various types of terror attacks in India discussed below.

Terrorism is the deliberate use of violence against innocent people, usually in the form of a surprise assault. Political, religious, and even ideological motivations might be at play in this brutal assault. Violent attacks are sometimes staged for political reasons as well. India has also been the target of severe terror acts that have resulted in extensive property damage and the deaths of many people.

LAWS RELATED TO TERRORISM IN INDIA

India has been greatly impacted by terrorism. Terrorism in India may have a wide range of causes, ranging from religious extremism to economic deprivation, unemployment, and a lack of development, for example. According to Kartar Singh v. State of Punjab, the Indian Supreme Court noted that the nation had been locked in a vicious cycle of terrorist violence and was on the verge of a bloodbath. There has always been a lot of debate over India's anti-terrorism legislation. Part III of the Constitution guarantees people' basic rights, which some claim these regulations violate. The legislature has passed and the court has supported anti-terrorist legislation in the past, but it was not without opposition. The goal was to pass these laws and keep them in effect until things got better. Not all of the harsh restrictions that were put in place were meant to be a permanent part of the legislation. In light of recent terrorist attacks, the legislation has been revived, but with certain alterations.

It was created to deal with groups and actions that challenged India's territorial integrity. Only the threat to India's territorial integrity was included in the scope of the Act's application. Lawsuits against separatist organizations were adjudicated in court, and the government had control over their money and workplaces, as well as the penalties for its members. The Act has always been implemented as a whole and

The Terrorist & Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act 1987, which went into effect on the same day as the UAPA, was drafted particularly to address terrorist activities in India. TADA was declared unlawful by the country's Apex Court after it was passed. Kartar Singh vs State of Punjab (1994) 3 SCC 569, the Supreme Court of India affirmed the constitutional legality of this draconian statute by presuming that those entrusted with it would operate honestly and in the best interests of the public. However, there were several cases when authority was used for unintended consequences. As a result, law enforcement officers began abusing the statute's strict requirements. TADA was repealed in 1995.

To cope with cross-border terrorism and Pakistan's continuing offensive strategy to destabilize India after the September 11 attacks, a specific legislation was needed. Since that time, the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA, 2002) was signed into law and made public on March 28 of this year. Section 3 of the POTA, 2002 defines terrorist acts and terrorists, and affords investigators unique powers under the Act. Legally, the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002, was debated in the People's Union for Civil Liberties Vs. Union of India (UOI) case of 2004 (9 SCC 580). The Supreme Court ruled that the Parliament has the authority to pass the Act under Article 248 and article 97 of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This is a question of public policy, and the court has no authority to weigh in on it. As a result, protections have been included into the Act to prevent abuse of these authorities and human rights violations from taking place. The following are only a few of them: 1. The Central Government or the State Government must provide their prior approval before any offense under the Act may be prosecuted by a court. 2. Only Deputy Superintendents of the Police are allowed to investigate crimes under the Act. 3. As long as the individual who confessed before a police officer who is not a superintendent of police is brought before a magistrate within 48 hours, his confessional statement is admissible as evidence. 4. 4. The Act stipulates that any official who misuses his or her authority will be punished. A person who has been unfairly or deliberately punished under the Act is entitled to compensation. and terrorists. Our battle against terrorists is strengthened by this legislation, but it is not designed to be used as a replacement for criminal prosecutions.

Terrorism is an act of cowardice carried out by terrorists in order to achieve their political and social goals. Terrorism in India comes in numerous forms, and it's important to remember that. There have been many instances of terrorism in India from blatant terrorist attack from outside to airplane hijacking, the Pulwama incident is also the greatest example of terrorism. Terrorism has always shaken the pillors of democracy. Terrorism knows no religion; it can be done with and without purpose. In this article we have learnt about terrorism, factors which built motivation in the minds of people to become terrorists and its impact on society. Thus, it‘s very important to eliminate the issue of terrorism from its roots in order to maintain peace and harmony in the country which can be done by preventing radicalization, reducing access to dangerous weapons, cutting the finances of terrorism, proper security control at boarders.

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Research Scholar, Apex School of Law, Apex University, Jaipur-303002 (Rajasthan) Email Id: Pratikshapandey128@gmail.com