The recent arrests of some of India’s most wanted terrorists from the Indo-Nepal border indicate the vulnerability of porous frontier between the two neighbors. But most importantly, it reflects the bilateral cooperation in intelligence sharing and joint-operations, which are needed to crack down on the terrorists attempting to take advantage of the open border.
Last month, Delhi Police arrested Abdul Karim Tunda alias Abdul Quddooss, one of India’s most wanted terrorists, and mastermind of over 40 bombings in India, from the Banwasa-Mehendarnagar border with Nepal. The 70-year-old Tunda, an expert bomb-maker of terror outfit LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba), was one of 20 terrorists India had asked the Pakistani government to hand over after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Tunda was wanted in 21 cases in Delhi alone that were committed between 1994 and 1998. To no one’s surprise, he was carrying a Pakistani Passport.[break]
Shortly after, the Indian police also picked up Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, another most wanted terrorist responsible for several bombings that have claimed over 140 lives. The 30-year-old, whose real name is Ahmed Siddibappa, was picked up from Pokhara, a tourist hub in central Nepal where, reportedly, he was living in the guise of a Unani doctor.
The successful operation of the Indian Intelligence Bureau also yielded a bonus in the form of the arrest of Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, an absconding front-ranking member of the Azamgarh module of the IM who had played a crucial role in the 2011 serial blasts in Mumbai.
Existing Problems
The two arrests (made within two weeks) was a major breakthrough for India and were facilitated by Nepali intelligence and police, especially in the case of Bhatkal. Such cooperation can go a long way in strengthening Indo-Nepal ties, which has seen its ups and downs in recent times. While India is criticized within Nepal for meddling in the country’s internal affairs, Nepal’s own political instability and lack of a strong government has prevented it from taking concrete measures to curb illegal activities in the border regions.
India and Nepal share almost 1,800-km open border. The Himalayan nation borders five Indian states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The border areas adjoining these two states are hot beds for illegal trade, trafficking, and for other criminal activities. Given its porous nature, criminals and terrorists use the border to crisscross into the two countries.
Border regulation is made difficult due to huge informal trade and close relationship between the peoples of the two countries. Any attempt to obstruct daily routine is met with local protests on either side. India’s Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) has often been criticized for its high-handedness while patrolling the border region.
The two countries often trade blames for encroachment of each other’s land. In 2011, Indian news channel reports claimed that thousands of villagers in seven border districts of Bihar lost their land and homes to “encroachers from Nepal”. The land grab also “triggered a significant rise in violence and conflict along the Bihar state’s border with Nepal”.
The problem is that although the 600-km long open Indo-Nepal border is patrolled by the SSB, India’s border security force, pillars demarcating the border are regularly uprooted. Indian intelligence reports claim that an estimated 716 international border pillars have disappeared along the Indo-Nepal border; 281 have been uprooted in Madhubani district, 116 in East Champaran district, 61 pillars in West Champaran and three in Araria district.
Similarly, Nepali media reports claim that Indian nationals have encroached upon Nepali territories in no-man’s land in Siraha district, which shares border with Bihar. The alleged “Indian encroachment” of Nepali land became evident after border pillars along Nepal-India border in the district were found to be either lost or destroyed. As many as 34 pillars were said to be lost among 231 border pillars in Lagadi-Gadiyani of no-man’s land.
India’s concerns
India has serious security concerns in Nepal, emanating from the open border. Besides illegal and criminal activities, counterfeit currency racket is posing as a big challenge for India. India blames the Pakistani ISI for running a fake currency market and making use of goons to push fake notes into India. It has been revealed through media reports that Indian and Nepali nationals are used in this misdeed.
The other issue is the thriving business of small firearms and weapon purchase in the border towns. There has been large-scale proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the border regions over the years. The burgeoning trade in small arms, mostly illicit, in the Tarai plains in Nepal is a matter of concern for India. Tarai also has a number of armed outfits. The number of weapons in the Tarai region along the border with India has also gradually increased and some of these find their way across the open, porous border into UP and Bihar, often facilitated by Indian criminal groups.
India has for long been urging Nepal to sign an extradition treaty, finalize strip maps and let it fly sky marshals, among its other demands. These demands were put forth to Nepal soon after the IC 814 hijacking from Kathmandu airport in December 1999. But due to political instability and lack of political consensus in Nepal on India, Nepal has not been able to concede these demands. Any attempt by a major political force in Nepal to sign an extradition treaty would invite great domestic backlash.
The demand for an extradition treaty with Nepal is increasing within India. The bordering states too are keen on it. But Nepal is passing through the most unstable times. The country has a bureaucracy-led government and the failure of the first Constituent Assembly to draft a constitution has brought more uncertainties in Nepali politics. Given the strong anti-Indian sentiment, no government is in a position to lobby for such a treaty. There is no doubt that Nepal should address the security concerns of its neighbor, with whom it has deep relationship. Nepal also cannot afford to be a safe haven for terrorists and allow its soil to be used for anti-India activities. But given the fragile nature of Nepali politics at present, it is unlikely that such a treaty would be signed in the immediate future.
Bilateral mechanism
Therefore, the only way to move forward is to strengthen the existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms between the two countries.
Since security related issues are prime concerns for both the countries, in order to deal jointly with each other’s security concerns, the two countries have established the following mechanisms: Meeting of the Home Secretaries, Nepal-India Bilateral Consultative Group on Security Issues (NIBCGSI), Joint Working Group on Border Management (JWG) and Border District Coordination Committee (BDCC). Through these mechanisms the two countries can greatly improve information sharing and coordination amongst the security agencies.
The recent terrorist arrests are a reflection of the success of these initiatives between the two countries. But the frequency of the talks must increase. Regular meetings at local, state and government levels engaging stakeholders from both sides will help curb terrorism in this part of the region.
Lately, five new SSB posts have been created along the Indo-Nepal border and additional manpower has been sanctioned to man them. The SSB has also been given powers to check passports and arrest people under Passports Act. These are done to check infiltration (terrorists using fake passports) through the open India-Nepal border. Proposals are afloat to give the SSB customs powers to check smuggling as well.
In the last home secretary level meeting of the two countries, India’s concerns regarding smuggling of fake Indian currency notes and new routes of infiltration were discussed. Nepal has promised to cooperate with India on this matter. Nepal is also positive on Indian proposal to set-up Indian immigration counters at Kathmandu international airport and at two other major cities.
Given the complex nature of the Indo-Nepal relation, it will also be prudent to engage at institutional levels to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism. India should help strengthen Nepal Police and the Nepal Armed Police Force through training programs, financial assistance and in building the badly needed infrastructure in Nepal.
The author is associate fellow at Observer Research Foundation, a Delhi-based think-tank, and a contributor to Republica
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