The recent hostage drama at the Moscow theatre and the manner in which the Russian establishment handled the crisis is very pertinent to countries facing the menace of terrorism. The stand taken by Russian President, Vladimir Putin, during the hostage crisis and the techniques adopted to defuse it are equally significant. Putin was firm on not negotiating with the Chechen rebels or compromising on the Russian position in Chechnya. He boldly went ahead with his plan to rescue the hostages without compromising Russian national security. 

  India needs to draw some lessons from this case. Whether to negotiate with terrorists by giving in to their demands or take a tough stand is the issue. India has faced similar situations in the past, like the IC 814 high jacking to Kandahar, when it released three militants from Indian jails in exchange for the release of hostages. It was an embarrassing situation for India. The crucial question is whether India has or is likely to have a policy on handling such problems to prevent and discourage terrorist or militant organisations from hostage taking.

  The hostage drama witnessed a suicide squad of around fifty Chechen rebels, led by Movsar Barayev entering the Moscow theatre when a show was on. The audience consisted of around seven hundred spectators and a hundred artistes. Immediately after taking over the theatre, Chechen hostage takers demanded:

• Cessation of the war in Chechnya.

•  Withdrawal of the Russian troops from Chechnya.

    Otherwise, their threat was they would kill the hostages.

    It is pertinent to look at the background to the Russian-Chechen conflict. The Chechens are an indigenous people in the North Caucasus. They speak a distinct Caucasic language, closely related to the language of the neighbouring Ingush. According to the 1989 census, the population of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Republic numbered 1,270,000. The Russian Constitution (Article 65) lists the Chechen Republic as part of the Russian Federation. Russia has geo-political and geo-strategic interests in the Chechan region:

•   It has rich oil resources and has remained a major centre for refining activity. 

•   Russian oil pipelines pass through Chechen territory. 

•   Important communication routes pass through it.

•  Besides, Russia has a moral imperative to maintain the diverse ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural identity of the Russian Federation.

  Vladimir Putin’s response was tough, making it clear that he would not give in to the rebels’ demands. His statement: "Russia will make no deals with terrorists and will not give in to any blackmail”  is very pertinent. It made clear that Putin was not ready to offer the militants anything more than safe exit from the site. In a lightning pre-dawn assault, Russian commandos stormed the theatre premises and killed all the heavily armed militants, including their leader, Movsar Barayev. In fact, their success was that they could arrest two rebels alive. The commandos used sleeping gas to neutralise the terrorists and prevented them from detonating the numerous explosives they had set up inside the theatre building. There were no casualties among the security forces. 

  Inspite of the death toll reaching nearly 120 among the hostages, anti-terror agencies have described the Russian operation as unique and highly successful, the reasons being:

• The hostage siege ended with no demands of the captors being conceded.

•  Less than 30 percent of the captives killed is considered a success. 

•  It has to be looked at not in terms of the number of people who were killed, but in terms of the numbers saved.

  To conclude, even as Russia mourns the victims of its worst hostage crisis, Vladimir Putin announced a hardening of his anti-terrorist policy, vowing to conduct pre-emptive strikes on other countries where terrorists find shelter or support. India is also concerned about the theatre hostage drama and the safety of hostages. It is time for India to learn the appropriate lessons from this episode: 

• The techniques adopted for ending the hostage crisis. 

•  Kremlin’s firm position not to negotiate with the terrorists under any circumstances. 

  In the long run, India could also benefit by adopting stern measures to tackle the menace of terrorism.