Conflict Theory

Conflict theory is the idea that conflict between competing interests is the basic, animating
force of social change and society in general.A conflict theorist generally sees that the control
of conflict equals the ability of one group to suppress the group that they are opposing, and
that civil law is a technique of defining and maintaining a social order that benefits some at
the expense of others.1As in the context of communist manifesto in which Marx and Engels
claim that there are basically separate and often conflicting classes in any society i.e.
proletariat and bourgeoisie. In which proletariat class sold their labor and then they did not
get anything and after all occupied by the bourgeoisie classes.
2
C. Wright Mills, sociologist had combined a conflict perception with a tough critique of the
social order. According to him there is threat in future, believe that that there is immorality in
political and economic systems of U.S., in consideration of political parties are manipulative
and craziness, they put their services themselves and calling it as free research value. For him
the major issue is the relationship between bureaucracy, isolation and the centralization of
power more in a power elite'.
Theorists of Conflict theory said terrorism as only a response to bad form i.e. injustice, which
is most likely created in the brains of terrorist because of misguidance, ignorance, illiteracy
and unrealistic goals, and that violent behaviors by terrorist associations. In this after this
violation from terrorism then the response of people as outcome like frustration, aggression
or showing availability to fight. If the conflict is deeply rooted, and the current ideology
proves unable to deal with the problems, people begin to turn to other ideologies that can
often carry a religious theme to them.
Mainly the terrorists use violence, they also believe that unless we do this violence we will
lose an existent power struggle, therefore it now regarded that terrorism is a tool of the weak.
First they do not have the resources such as money, people and political power to wage an
actual war. Second, terrorist used hostility as a means, not a goal, while the main goal is to
agitate, expose and emphasize the weaknesses and inability of the government and civil
machinery to achieve their direct political objectives. 3Some of the most highly regarded
terrorist profiles are Timothy McVeigh, Theodore Kaczynski, Osama bin Laden and like in
our India Dawd Ibrahim. Thus mainly this conflict formed after the discrimination found in
this society.

1
Matson, Ron The spirit of Sociology, wichita State University, second edition 2008
2
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/general-studies/conflict-theory-terrorism.php visited on 16 april 2016
3
Ibid
Basically now in present scenario this terrorism has affected the no. of states. Terrorist
activities became an integral part of guerrilla warfare, this kind of political violence. This is
considered as a significant and distinct mode of armed conflict. Now the certain situations
has emerged by terrorists group like, indiscriminate Bombings and killings act of disruption
and creating atmospheres of fear and insecurity and Hijacking of planes and taking hostage
became one of the problems into the international prospect.
In order to handle the situation against the terrorist keeping Public policy in mind, the
governments are taking appropriate actions such as killing the terrorists quickly as the best
deterrence available is to kill the terrorist. Then different intelligence agencies established
and helped in collecting information of terrorists and take actions against money launderings,
is also regarded as best means to control supply of money to the terrorist. And then

The decision part will be in the hand of the political leaders here. In hijacking and hostage
operation the decision lies on the political leaders.Then It decision depends on several things
so government should have a proper agenda to face these type of situations.

2.3.3. Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic internationalism is a micro level theory with majority of its focus laying on
individual interpretations of beliefs and meanings in our social lives. Symbolic
internationalism claims that individuals in their lives come across with many subjective.
realities, and they need to form their behaviours according to their own interpretations.
Symbolic interactionism is the sociological theory that is based on the social psychology of
George Herbert Mead. 4Basically mead's work focused on these five points like objects, acts
and social acts, meanings, role taking, and the development of the self. Objects are anything
to which individuals assign meaning. For ex- a rock in which it is used as a tool in the process
of making building. Objects can also be social objects that acquire meaning through
communication, or what mead called a conversation of gestures". When a gestures elicts the
desired response, it is said to have shared meaning and becomes a significant symbol.
Mead depicted actions as having four phases: impulse, perception, manipulation and
consummation. Impulses are our first response to an object; impulses are shaped by
perceptions and past experience. Other element i.e. manipulation in this it is the effort to exert

4
CinoluHseyin, OzerenSleyman Classical Schools of Sociology and Terrorism, police academy
control over the situation or gain information. Consummation, the final phase is the reaction
to the object. Meanings results from this constant interpretation of objects in our
environment. Role taking is that process of looking at one's own actions from the perspective
of the other in order to determine how one should act. Here concept of self emerges.
Basically further the concept of symbolic interactionism emerged by Herbert Blumer a
student of Herbert mead and in which he emphasized his theory how people acquire meaning
through direct observation. 5Here Khun who developed the Who am I as a way of looking
at people of looking at how people define and organize their ideas about themselves.
one of the student of structural school, Sheldon Stryker and Edles, in which he attempted to
explain how the self shapes the roles and expectations of society as well as how society
shapes the self. Here they used these to identify five components of this Symbolic
Interactionism: symbols, the definition of situation, roles, socialization and role taking and
the self.
Here through the concept of terrorism related to this symbolic interactionism in which as how
the definition of the situation, socialization, and role taking. These are the components of
symbolic interactionism in which terrorism concept is applied.
In the defining the situation of terrorists through the context of symbolic interactionism, as
always it is unlikely that terrorists actually see themselves as terrorists. In which here mostly
times that terrorists define their actions as a legitimate way (in lawful manner) of addressing
perceived wrongs and injustices.6 Like for example the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(PIRA). This terrorists group saw that the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland was being
victimized and mistreated i.e. discriminated by the Protestant majority and the British
government. Violence against Catholics was often overlooked or facilitated by the
authorities. This led PIRA to believe that they needed to mobilize to protect the Catholics of
Northern Ireland and work to free the area from British rule. Seen in this light, their terrorist
actions are no worse than the struggles of our own country for independence. Another
example for this as the Sri Lankan group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE,
view themselves as advocating for the rights of the Tamil minority against the majority
Sinhalese population.
In order for a person to become a terrorist, they must internalize a certain definition of the
situation along with the values, attitudes and ideas of the terrorist organization. This happen

5
https://www.academia.edu/208929/Terrorism_in_a_Social_Context_Applications_of_Theory
6
ibid
through the process of socialization.7Socialization as the ways in which individuals learn
skills, knowledge, values, motives and roles appropriate to their position in a group or a
society. This socialization process here socialized into society in general as children, but
socialization into various groups can occur throughout the lifetime.
There are as many agents of socialization as like example in which a person is born in to a
family where that family involves in and participates in terrorists activities. Then certainly
that person will involve in terrorists activities and all. Here in another context like peers
group of that person in which after their peers group involved in terrorists activities then it
might be possible that persons also involved in terrorists activities. Like peers group help in
deviance in this defines as the fact or state of diverging from usual or accepted standards,
especially in social behaviour. After this may be that person involve in that wrong doing and
all means as a terrorists.
8
Education is another source of socialization which can be used to pass on terrorists values
and meanings. Then after internalization it may be chance for involve in terrorisms. Impact of
media and political ideologies has also a major part in their for the involvement of terrorism.
In this may be a liberal family or eager to catch more money may be cause for involvement of
terrorisms. In this basically after communicating and influenced ideologies of terrorist ideas
on media also may be the cause for that. Here Turkish Hizbullahwas the main example
regarding the socialization process of terrorism.
Another example for this socialization and terrorist networks is the work of the Muslim
Brotherhood from which Hamas (it is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist
organization) was founded.
In the 1960s, the Brotherhood embarked on a journey to Islamize Palestine. The nearly
doubled the number of mosques in the country and invested in numerous social institutions.
These venues were then used as a means of socializing a new generation of Islamic
fundamentalists to take on the jihad (Muslim terms for religion). It is possible that this
contributed to the creation of Hamas in the 1980s and to the beginning of the First Intifada
in 1987.
Here through the concept of Role taking is particularly important in understanding and
combating terrorism. As was mentioned earlier, role-taking constitutes looking at ourselves
and our actions from the perspective of the other. However, it can be extremely difficult to
take the position of the other when their attitudes and ideas seem so different from our own.

7
Ibid note 4
8
Ibid note 15
For the most part, we refuse to acknowledge that the people we call terrorists might have
some valid points. If we continue to demonize (fixed as wicked) terrorist and fail to look at
the situation objectively. That is not to say that the methods that are used by terrorists are
good or right, but that in some cases terrorists are attempting to address real issues. In order
to understand those issues, we must be willing to take on the role of the people means to
know who are committing terrorist acts and how they are handling this terrorism. Only by
looking at the factors that have led a person or group of people to violence from their
perspective can we hope to address the root causes of terrorism and try to prevent it.
The interactionist perspective stresses how peoples definitions of situations serve as
mechanisms of social control, shaping their thoughts, desires and behaviors as through the
concept of terrorism.

National Socialist Council of Nagaland:-

The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) is a Naga nationalist Christian

paramilitary group operating mainly in Northeast India, with minor activities in Northwest
Myanmar. The main goal of the organization is to establish a sovereign Christian state,
"Nagalim", which would consist of all the areas inhabited by the Naga people in Northeast
India and Northwest Myanmar.
The NSCN has been declared as a terrorist organization in India under the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) was formed on January 31, 1980 by Isak
Chisi Swu, Thuingaleng Muivah and S.S. Khaplang opposing the Shillong Accord signed
by the then NNC (Naga National Council) with the Indian government. On 30 April 1988,
that time which several of the cadres were killed, the NSCN split into two factions namely
the NSCN (K) led by S S Khaplang, NSCN (IM) the NSCN led by Isak and Muivah. The
split was accompanied by a spate of violence and clashes between the factions. The former
suspected Isak and Muivah of secretly initiating talks with the Indian government. Thats
why NSCN (IM) is dominant group in that. The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland
(NSCN) is also a Christian Naga nationalist Militant group operating in North India. The
main aim of the organization is to establish a sovereign Christian state, "Nagalim" unifying
all the areas inhabited by the Naga people in Northeast India and Burma. The organization's
slogan is "Nagaland for Christ". Its manifesto is based on the principle of Socialism for
economic development and a Baptist Christian religious outlook Nagaland for Christ.
Basically this organisation is aimed at achieving three alternate objectives. The first
alternative is about establishing an independent Nagaland comprising of the present territory
of Nagaland and the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur and Myanmar. The second alternative
aims at integrating the Naga inhabited districts of Manipur into a new state under the Indian
constitution. The last alternative seeks to form a Southern Nagaland comprising the districts
of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong within the Indian Union.

NSCN (IM) tries to use the growing discontent among the different ethnic groups of the
northeast region against the Indian state. This, it believes, will accelerate the disintegration of
the latter and help the cause of Naga independence. With this objective in mind, it provides
logistic support to other ethnic insurgent groups in the region like ULFA( Assam), NDFB,
NLFT( Tripura) and PLA. It supports the militancy in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

In addition to providing logistic support, NSCN (IM) has been instrumental in propping up
new insurgent organizations among different ethnic groups in the region. For example, the
formation of the Garo insurgent organisation ALMA (Achik Liberation Matgrik Army) was a
handiwork of the NSCN (IM). The same is the case with HNLC (Hynniewtrep National
Liberation Council) and ANVC (A-Chik National Volunteers Council) in Meghalaya, NLFT
(National Liberation Front of Tripura) in Tripura and HPCD (Hmar People's Convention
[Democrat] ) in Mizoram. NSCN (IM) coordinates the activities of these organisations. Its
aim is, thus, to turn its war against the Indian state into a war of the nationalities of the
region. Keeping this aim in mind NSCN (IM) formed the ULFSS (United Liberation Front of
Seven Sisters) in 1993 and SDUFSEHR (Self-Defence United front of the South-East
Himalayan Region) in November 1994.The overall strategy of the National Socialist Council
of Nagalim led by Thuingaleng Muivah and Isak Chisi Swu-NSCN (IM) presents a mixed
picture, viewed through the prism of seven dimensions of organization and leadership,
mobilization strategy, time, support, terrain, technology, and the issue of legitimacy. While
the NSCN (IM)'s mobilization strategy, internal support base and legitimacy have been
dented in recent years because of fratricidal killings and increasing criminalization of its
activities, the outfit has benefited from the dimensions of time, terrain, technology and
external support upon the extended duration of the conflict. That time NSCN had too many
sources and then due to the Globalisation this groups easily achieved arms and many armours
like guns (AK-47, 5.56, .22 rifle deluxe etc.)
The NSCN (IM) has been passing its annual budget to the tune of Rs 200 million to Rs 250
million each year. Drug trafficking from Myanmar is reported to be a major source of income
for the NSCN-IM, and it also reportedly engages in extortion, bank robberies and other
criminal pursuits to obtain finance. In addition, the outfit generates funds through
international mobilization. Both the NSCN-IM and the NSCN-K run parallel structures of
taxation (extortion) throughout the regions that they dominate.

Over the years, the NSCN-IM has tried to develop extensive linkages both within and outside
India. It is alleged that Pakistan and China are providing finance as well as arms and
ammunition to NSCN in their fight for independence against the Indian Government. China is
also instrumental in providing training and arms, which was established after the arrest of the
top NSCN IM leader Anthony Shimray. After his arrest by the Indian intelligence agencies he
also revealed that he was tasked by Chinese intelligence agencies to collect and gather
intelligence on Indian troop deployments in north eastern states of India. Internationally, it
has opened up contacts with organisations like the UN Human Rights Organisation in
Geneva, Unrepresented Nations People's Organisation (UNPO) at the Hague and the UN
Working Group on Indigenous People (UNWGIP). NSCN (IM) mostly consists of Tangkhul
Nagas who are in a majority in the hills of Manipur. Its influence inside Manipur is restricted
to the four districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong. Towards the end of World
War II, the retreating Japanese army left behind dumps of arms and ammunition in Nagaland,
which at a later period was used by the insurgents against the security forces. Weapons are
widely available in the region in the black markets.

On 6 April 2015 a new faction NSCN (Reformation) was formed. Y. Wangtin Konyak and P.
Tikhak officially announced the formation of a new Naga political group going by the name
'National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Reformation)' or NSCN (R). Lastly On 3 August
2015 NSCN leader T Muivah signed a peace accord with the Government of India in
presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and NSA Ajit
Doval.
Al-Qaida

Al-Qaeda, a complex distributed and resilient enterprise, has challenged our Nations
intelligence and national security apparatus for at least the last eleven years. Its founding
leader and financier, Osama bin Laden (OBL), with its chief ideologue, Ayman alZawahiri,
established al Qaeda. Despite Osama bin Laden's being eliminated in May of 2011, al-Qaeda
remains actively at large with Ayman al-Zawahiri installed as its new leader. Al Qaedas
leaders have explained that Al Qaeda attacks those it considers enemies of Islam (BinLaden,
alZawahiri, Taha, Hamzah, & Rahman, 1998). Jihad is one of the most important credentials
of Islam. Talal Asad, a renowned anthropologist in his book On Suicide Bombing benefits
from Roxanne Euben and writes that Jihad is neither simply a blind and bloody-minded
scrabble for temporal power nor solely a door through which to pass into the hereafter.
Rather, it is a form of political action in which the pursuit of immortality is inextricably
linked to a profoundly this-worldly endeavor the founding or recreating of a just community
on earth9. The tradition of Jihad came under the limelight when it was used as a mobilization
strategy by various Islamist groups across the world. It emerged after the war between the
Soviet Union and antigovernment mujahideen in Afghanistan, and has since carried
numerous attacks. At the same time, it has trained, organized, funded, and inspired Islamic
militants worldwide. Many of us first became aware of Al-Qaeda after the attacks of
September 11, 2001, however, Osama bin Laden, his followers, and their actions can be
traced back to the 1996 bombings of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, the 1998 attacks on
US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the 2000 assault on the USS Cole in Yemen10. Al
Qaeda traces its ideology to Salafist teachings of the Sunni branch of Islam: our ideology is
to fight a holy war (jihad) with full adherence to the Sharia (Islamic law) according to the
Koran and the Sunna (al Qaeda Bylaws).

Al Qaedas Constitutional Charter, Rules and Regulations describe the organization as: An
Islamic Group, its only mission is Jihad, because Jihad is one of the basic purposes for which
Al Qaeda personnel come together with the goals of the establishment of an Islamic
Regime and the restoration of the Islamic Caliphate11.

9
https://www.academia.edu/5143384/Terror in the name of Islam a case study of Al-Qaeda Accessed on 1st
May 2016
10
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/09/29/al-qaeda-911-truth-case-studies-in-controlled-opposition/ accessed
on 1st May 2016
11
https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/evnts/media//Drozdova_Al_Qaeda_Case_Methods.pdf
Accessed on 1st May 2016
Its formation coincides with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In fact, it was meant to
provide logistical support to the Afghan Jihadists against the Soviet Union. Patronage of the
US and strategic alliance with Pakistan were also contributory factors and thus everything
seemed to be in place. Pakistan along with the wider Islamic world provided the human
capital, Al-Qaeda provided the logistical support and the US provided material support for
weaponry and training. On the top of it, Zia-ul-Haq, already an Islamic enthusiast and
military dictator of Pakistan at that time, added Islamic favor to this war and provided every
support possible to the Afghan Jihad. For instance, Mahmood Mamdani, in his book titled
Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and The Roots of Terror argues that
The real damage the CIA did was not the providing of arms and money but the privatization
of information about how to produce and spread violence-the formation of private militias
capable of creating terror.
Al-Qaeda, in early 1990's, was based in Sudan and later on came to the original place
where it started, that is, Afghanistan. Taliban government was formed in Afghanistan in 1996
and Al-Qaeda found a favorable environment from the Taliban Militia in Afghanistan, They
also set up their headquarters in Afghanistan and violence came to be institutionalized under
state patronage. On the top of it, Pakistan also supported the Taliban regime. Further, Al-
Qaeda joined hands with other Islamist groups from Egypt, for instance, Egypts Islamic
Jihad. They waged Jihad against allegedly malicious agenda of the West12. And this holy
war against the West and especially the US, in the form of Jihad, manifested itself in a
number of Al-Qaeda offensive adventures in late 1990s. For instance, it carried out attack in
1998 on the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dares Salaam, Tanzania. Then in 2000, a
suicide attack was carried outagainst a US warship in Yemen. Like it was not enough to
clearly send a message to the US, 2001 brought the attacks on World Trade Centre complex
and the Pentagon. The then president of the US, George W. Bush came down hard on Al-
Qaeda this time. He successfully attracted the support of other counties too. So not just the
US, the whole world came to be responsive this time. For example, the UK declared the
attack as an act of evil, Germany considered it as a war against civilization and above all,
France sympathized to such extent as to say We are all Americans. And finally the Al-
Qaeda came to be regarded as the global militant organization. Al-Qaeda appeared on the
FBIs (Federal Bureau of Investigation) hit list and Osama Bin laden secured first position on
the FBI wanted list.

12
http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB343/osama_bin_laden_file04. accessed on 1st May 2016
A book titled by Krueger What makes a terrorist: Economics and roots of terrorism, he
argues that A number of world leaders and prominent thinkers have drawn a connection
running from poor economic conditions and lack of education to the outbreak of terrorism.
He mentions various instances where President George W. Bush, Laura Bush, James
Wolfensohn, Tony Blair and several other notables of international stature harp on the same
string of a positive correlation between poor educational and economic conditions and
resultant terrorism. But now however basic realities suggest otherwise where we have seen
highly educated and economically sound individuals and groups at the helm of terrorist
activities like for example Al-Qaida and Osama Bin Laden. Further he says that Marc
Sageman- former Central Intelligence Agency officer studied that the educational and
occupational backgrounds of members of Al-Qaeda where found that a high percentage of
them were college educated and drawn from skilled professions. He issued two fatwas
(religious decree) and waged virtual jihad against the US and then he manifested it in 9/11.

Al-Qaeda's global network showed that globalization makes it possible for everyone,
especially for terrorist organizations to operate as a global, flexible, asymmetrical and
horizontal network. While it maintains, strengthen and spread its traditional beliefs
throughout the world. Therefore, on one hand globalization has provided so many changes
and also many facilities in which the terrorism can use them to improve and developed their
own action and make them more effective. Today terrorists also use the positive points of
globalization for their actions. For example, they can easily spread the fear around the world
through media. They use globalization of transformation, communication, information,
technology and financial.

Now understanding the relation to know Laden as how came in terrorism, it traces evolution
of the relation between Osama Bin Laden and the Saudi Royal family. First deals as Osama
Bin Laden was born in 1957 in Riyadh into one of the richest family of the kingdom. His
father name was Muhammad Bin Awad Laden who was a perfect business tycoon of oil
reserves. Osama Bin Laden was Mohammads and Syrians tenth son. Osama, in his
formative years, was influenced by the Wahabi Islam. He attended King Abdul Aziz
University in Jeddah and was taught by Mohammad Qutb, brother of Syed Qutb. He was also
influenced by political events like the Syrian conflict and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
However, the key event in which Osama himself actively took part was the Afghan jihad
against the Soviet invasion. To save Islam, they struggled to overthrow Najibullah regime
and remained unsuccessful13. Then Osama came back to Saudi Arabia and became busy in
looking after his Bin Laden construction business. On August 2, 1990 Iraq under Saddam
Hussain invaded Kuwait14. Osamas problematic relations with the Royal Family were now
going to be bitter than ever. Osama again offered his services to the Royal family in order to
defend the kingdom from potentially threatening adventure of Saddams Republican Guard.
Gilles Kepel remembers that Prince Sultan, the minister of defence, refused to assign him
(Osama) the mission of liberating Kuwait, Saudi Arabia chose instead to call on western
armed forces under the US leadership. Then Osama fled to Sudan and it provided a safe
haven to him. However, Kuwait was liberated from Iraqi invasion later on.

9/11 commission alleges that, at this stage, Osama developed relations with Hassan turabi,
Hezbolha group, Iranian and Iraqi intelligence officers in while staying in Sudan15. And also
that he was contributing to the insurgency in Somalia and was behind the hunting down of
American Blackhawk helicopters in Somalia. Now the open letter by Laden to Bin Baaz-
Wahabi cleric( Saudian), Osama alleges Saudis for corruption, for inviting Americans, for
not being sufficiently anti-communist. And the Saudi government replied by taking away his
Saudi citizenship and disowning him totally16. Later on, attacks on US embassies, hotels,
suicide bombing and the culmination of it all in 9/11 helps one understand. The episode of
Osama Bin Laden closed on May 2, 2011 when he was killed in Abottabad, Pakistan.

13
http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Al-Qaeda-in-the-USAbridged-version-
LOWRES-Final.pdf accessed on 1st May 2016
14
ibid
15
Ibid note.1
16
http://college.cengage.com/polisci/duncan/world_politics_sce/1e/assets/students/case/duncan_1e_case_c
h08.pdf accessed on 1st May 2016