Editorial
The training camp jolt
Let's meet the challenge head-on
After a long time, a massive police raid has led to the unearthing of a training camp of suspected Islamic militants at a remote wooded swathe in Chittagong. The police acted promptly and decisively on a tip-off tracking down the hideout, arresting a few, and confiscating training equipment including dummy weapons on Tuesday. The discovery has more significance than meets the eye. For, it cannot fail to remind us of some of the recent trends like hauling up of arm caches and on-going off-going bomb blasts. We also recall newspaper reports on clandestine training activities going a few years back. Now, the question is not whether, but how the government ought to go about meeting the challenge of containing what is surely turning out to be a very potent source of trouble for, and destabilisation in the society. The approach we would like the administration to take should have three elements. First, the incident should be put in a broader perspective rather than seen in an isolated manner. In other words, a truncated approach should be avoided. Secondly, it must not be viewed through a political lens. Political prejudices and partisanship should not be allowed to interfere with the processes of investigation, prosecution and conviction. Last but not least, militancy must not be confused with religion. The reason why we emphasise the point is because extremism, especially of the armed and violent variety, is worse than an aberration of religion; for, it employs religion for sinister political purposes. The government better not have any psychological barrier in dealing with the problem, thinking that some of its allies might be upset. It is also imperative that the real character and content of such militancy is fully uncovered. The matter has acquired such grave import that the government shouldn't turn a blinkered eye to it; instead, it must go all out in plumbing the depths of any ideological connections or extraneous links this may have spelling further dangers of spreading tentacles in our country.
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