One of the main tasks that Professor Paul Wilkinson, a pioneer of a systemic study of terrorism, faces is to convince people that theory is as important as practice when it comes to tackling terrorism.
Academics have to stop pretending that the study of terrorism is a discipline.
Prof. Wilkinson, the director of the UK-based Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, is in India to attend a seminar on terrorism hosted by the Indian Council of Social Science Research. He pointed out that despite many serious difficulties, India should look into the possibilities of setting up a criminal justice system to deal with potential and actual terrorists. Prof. Wilkinson also underlined the need for India to utilise science and technology in its efforts to tackle terrorism. For this purpose, Prof. Wilkinson suggested that for a region as volatile as South Asia, serious efforts must be made through agreements between the concerned countries. One must educate both the international and domestic public that terrorism is inherently a violation of human rights.