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| Going after Patil won’t make terror disappear | | | Arun Nehru
Security considerations require urgent intervention and it is good to see senior political leaders in the UPA talking of "new tough laws". Security issues are not a subject for discussion in the media. Political direction is crucial and we do not want our intelligence agencies, like the JIC (Joint Intelligence Committee) RAW and IB to compete with news agencies like PTI and UNI in providing routine information. India clearly needs a think tank approach to security. We must leave such topics to the wisdom of those with access to security information and threat perceptions for the present and the future.
Security issues, like economic reforms, must cut across party lines.
Winning debating points is not going to help any political group. I have some knowledge of security issues and, as things stand, we have to prepare a short-term plan and then temper it with a medium and long term policy.
Besides new laws, we need a special Central intelligence agency to deal with threat perceptions.
Bomb blasts in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and now Delhi reveal a distinct trend of small "sleeper" units operating in Indian cities. Following the Ahmedabad arrests, the involvement of Simi is evident.
The Congress needs to review its future associations. Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir is trying to gain the political space held by the separatists. At the same time, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan have come out in support of Simi after the high court gave a decision in its favour. The Congress has correctly taken the issue to the Supreme Court and thus the Simi ban continues. Clearly, secular and non-secular arguments have little relevance when vote-bank politics collide with issues of national security.
Terror is a global threat. Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and others have laws tougher than our Pota. In all these countries, the "review system" is less than perfect and many innocents suffer. This is sad and regrettable, but inevitable in the short term. We have seen the unfortunate treatment meted out to Dr Haneef in Australia, but happily the "review system" prevailed and, besides an apology, the Australian government has taken punitive action against those who were responsible for this unfortunate situation. In India too harsh punitive steps against terrorists and those who give them sanctuary will act as a deterrent and have a positive impact on curbing terrorism.
We have a difficult task on hand. No intelligence system can predict with certainty where the sleeper units will strike next. There are no simplistic solutions. The situation continues to be chaotic and tense along the borders and India must keep an eye on developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Army and the security forces must remain on full alert as "infiltration" continues.
Internal security is not restricted to acts of terror alone. We have seen the impact of Naxalism on states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa. Also, communal issues and extremist units of many communities, determined to enforce their religious beliefs upon others, can pose a threat.
Moreover, in some states like Bihar (where the Nitish Kumar government is taking corrective steps) there are problems of controlling the mafia. In rural areas, mafia dons even win elections from jails.
In the case of the recent bomb blasts in Delhi, political leaders and the media want to pin responsibility on individuals for what is clearly a collective failure of the system that cuts across party lines. Home minister Shivraj Patil is in the eye of the storm and can be held responsible, but this will not solve the problem. The home minister is not the only one responsible for complicated security issues, especially since the Prime Minister, CCPA and intelligence agencies together determine policy. We desperately need short-term success to restore public’s confidence, but at the same time we must look at the future. We need our best political talents to man these sensitive posts at all levels. There are some leaders who dare the elements, and there are others who try to understand the situation and it is time for them to surface and take political responsibility. It is time for the next generation of leaders to take charge and deliver.
Arun Nehru is a former Union minister |
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