Mumbai is in India or in US?
You may be wondering about why I am asking this question? Before beginning let me clear the staus of Mumbai. Mumbai is the biggest city in India, this metro- which is also known as the financial capital of India is also the capital of Indian state Maharashtra.
But recent activities of US government, regarding to the questioning and extradition of David Headley, will force everyone to think that Mumbai is situated somewhere in US. Not only that, we may even wonder whether the blood bath of November 26 by Pakistan based terrorists, which claimed more than 160 lives is happened in India or in US. Otherwise how can you interpret the US denial of Indian request for an independent access to David Headley - one of the main accused in the November 26th Mumbai attacks.
Out of the more than 160 people died only 6 are US citizens; the place of terrorist attack is in India, the properties like Mumbai CST railway station, Taj hotel etc are either owned by Indian government or belong to Indian citizens. Above all India didn’t outsource her justice system to any other country. Even if Indian courts took much time to deliver the verdict, not even the rivals of the nation can accuse partiality or irregularity in Indian court proceedings.
Then why United States is so determined that they will not extradite or provide independent access to Headley? Why they are not allowing Indian officials to question him? The answer to these questions leading us to many other non digestive facts about Headley. Many analysts questions the past of Headley and accuse him as a double, triple and even quadruple agent; who worked for different US agencies as well as Pakistan bound terrorist organizations. It is believed that these US federal agencies used him to penetrate Pakistani terrorist organizations and give valuable data to his handlers. But later he turned out to be a double agent.
In the absence of a justifiable reason for the denial of an independent access and extradition of Headley - How they can justify it at all? The act is equivalent to dening justice to hundreds of Indian's and other foreign nationals died in the attack - it is quite natural that people of India starts to believe these facts and stories.
It will be good for US to turn some pages back in history and how they acted in such situation. Recently in the case of Baradar's arrest by Pakistan authorities ISI was first reluctant to give an independent access. But US forced them and finally attained what they want. In fact if you want to know what happened, you should have an independent access to the accused. Otherwise there will be a person who will decide what to ask and what not to ask.
Headley’s guilty plea before the court and suggested stories about his bargain treaty with FBI almost shut down the door of many facts related to Mumbai attacks. The current statements of various US officials made it clear that India (which is the main victim of terrorist attacks in the past and lost thousands of people over the years) will not get a direct access to Headley. It is natural to suspect that US will follow the same procedure in the case of Rana - another accused in the case. But still we should do all the possible steps to get an independent access and extradition of both Headly and Rana.
It is an established fact that both Headly and Rana came to Indian several times and surveyed the places for a potential target. It is also possible that they may be aware about the currently active sleeper cells of LeT in India. The knowledge of it may help to prevent many other deadly attacks – which may save hundreds of lives. Also the fresh evidences that may arise after the interrogation may force Pakistan to do something against the Indian looking terrorists. After all many foreign nations too lost theirc citiziens, and it is natural to expect taht these nations will force Pakistan to act against terrorists targetting India.
In this situation what we can do? It very sad that after the U turn in the Indo - US relations which started in the last days of Clinton administration and reached an all time high under George Bush is again taking a U turn moving in the downward direction with much greater speed. Whether it is in the case of Afganisatn, Pakistan, climate change or Headley we are in the opposite directions.
This may force many Indians to become more suspicious about the US policies towards counter-terrorism and Pakistan.Instead of silently accepting this humiliation we should protest. India have the full right to get an independent accesss and get these people extradicted. Premier Dr.Manmohan Singh have to think twice - whether to attend or not – in the coming Nuclear summit in Washington. If there is no improvement then it may not be a bad idea to send some other ministers to US for attending the conference.
Sajeev.
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