NEW DELHI: Is India under pressure from close ally Israel after it designated the Lashkar-e-Toiba a terrorist organisation? Perhaps, but as Ramanathan Kumar, former special secretary R&AW told StratNews Global, such designations are a very political process. It explains why India’s Convention on Terrorism proposed so many years ago remains untouched at the United Nations. In the case of Israel, India may have a fig leaf in the form of the UN no less, that is also yet to designate Hamas a terrorist group. India normally follows the UN in such matters, more so given that Hamas has not engaged in any terror-related activities in India. But as Kumar notes, there’s no doubt Hamas is a terror group. The Lashkar and Hamas once shared the same website and both have ties to the Markaz-Dawa-wal-Irshad, which is Pakistan based. Tune in for more in his chat with Ramanthan Kumar, former special secretary R&AW.
