1. Violence or threats of violence

2. Psychological impact and fear.

3. Perpetrated for a political goal.

4. Deliberated targeting of non-combatants.

5. Disguise

6. Unlawfulness or illegitimacy.

The types of terrorism are as follows:

The US Task Force classified terrorism into six categories.

• Civil Disorders – A form of collective violence interfering with the peace, security, and normal functioning of the community.
• Political Terrorism – Violent criminal behaviour designed primarily to generate fear in the community, or substantial segment of it, for political purposes.
• Non-Political Terrorism – Terrorism that is not aimed at political purposes but which exhibits “conscious design to create and maintain high degree of fear for coercive purposes, but the end is individual or collective gain rather than the achievement of a political objective.”
• Quasi-Terrorism – The activities incidental to the commission of crimes of violence that are similar in form and method to genuine terrorism but which nevertheless lack its essential ingredient. It is not the main purpose of the quasi-terrorists to induce terror in the immediate victim as in the case of genuine terrorism, but the quasi-terrorist uses the modalities and techniques of the genuine terrorist and produces similar consequences and reaction. For example, the fleeing  felon who takes hostages is a quasi-terrorist, whose methods are similar to those of the genuine terrorist but whose purposes are quite different.
• Limited Political Terrorism – Genuine political terrorism is characterized by a revolutionay approach; limited political terrorism refers to “acts of terrorism which are committed for ideological or political motives but which are not part of a concerted campaign to capture control of the  State.
• Official or State Terrorism –"referring to nations whose rule is based upon fear and oppression that reach similar to terrorism or such proportions.” It may also be referred to asStructural Terrorism defined broadly as terrorist acts carried out by governments in pursuit of political objectives, often as part of their foreign policy.

In an analysis prepared for U.S. Intelligence four typologies are mentioned.

• Nationalist-Separatist
• Religious Fundamentalist
• New Religious
• Social Revolutionary

Unless justice is done in India, irrespective of political status, or religious beliefs; terrorism will never be controlled. The rule of the law has to be followed for low-grade terrorists in States attacking minorities, people from other states, etc. 

The Communal Political parties who are fueling Civil disturbances in India are distracting the security forces from outside invaders.

We need more debates on terrorism and we need leaders with steel wills, not mukhotas (masks) or Pakistanis within us--discriminating and alienating us within our own country. 

References:

1. Terrorism