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| It's no time for negative politicking | | | Sunita Vakil | 2/27/2012 11:29:12 PM |
| The terror attack in broad daylight in a high security zone in the capital just down the road from the Prime Minister's residence bears a sad testimony to our poor state of preparedness to fight terror. The blast has yet again exposed the soft underbelly of the Indian State and its vulnerability to international terrorism. Indeed, the country is increasingly becoming a soft target where terrorists can strike at will. It is ironical that despite being a nuclear power and aspiring to having a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, we are looking pathetic and clueless in the face of recurring terrorist attacks in our cities, including the national capital. Today, non state actors are using India as the theatre of terrorist activities to settle their political scores with their enemies. But do we learn from these repeated strikes? Even as we go ballistic about "stamping out" terrorism, we need to ask ourselves, are we even prepared for the next strike?
The latest terrorist strike in Delhi proves that terrorists continue to exploit the various loopholes in our security apparatus. It has exposed the failure of our intelligence network and lack of emergency response infrastructure. The truth is that our security agencies do not seem to have learnt anything from 26/11. Between 26/11 and now, there have been several terrorist attacks. But it is pathetic to note that the government's response to every one of them has been skewed. Our security agencies remain unable to cope as always. The preparedness of our coastal security was glaringly exposed when two ships which could have been carrying terrorist assault teams to chemical and nuclear weapons were washed up undetected off Mumbai. Our police forces which are politicized by state satraps remain unmotivated and improperly trained. It was only a few weeks back that Maha-rashtra's elite special weapons and tactics units watched as mute spectators for over 45 minutes while a crazed bus driver rampaged through Pune. Is anyone serious about combating terror?
The root of these failures lies in the government's anti terror approach that has lacked sincerity. The UPA has all along adopted a responsive instead of a preventive approach to terror despite so many attacks. The recurrence of serial bomb blasts in India's premier cities and the government's reactions to them do little to inspire confidence among the people. The government's intentions to tackle the issue, spelt out every time such incidents occur, are not matched by strategy. Although security is toned up immediately after an attack, nothing is done to ensure that heightened vigil is maintained at all times. Vote bank politics and parochial prudery upstage the national interests. The double speak on Batla encounter, the hasty revocation of the prevention of Terrorism Act and other such attempts by the UPA government to exploit the situation for parochial gains are pointers in this direction. Regrettably, the response of our governments and the sheer incompetence of our security mechanism has only served as an incentive to continuing attacks.
The nature of the attack, the first in India where the terrorists have used latest technology of attaching the bomb to the target, has underlined the need to make counter-terrorism capabilities perennial rather than reactive. Even though India has been the earliest victim of terrorism, our security apparatus has remained largely unchanged. But today, with terrorism becoming a globally networked phenomenon, standard methods to club it may not be effective. Therefore there has to be more emphasis on new security doctrine that is in tune with the new face of terror. A comprehensive effort to stem terrorism that has ravaged the nation for over two decades needs to be worked out. And the time for it is now.
Are we capable of facing the threat of terror? The answer is an emphatic yes provided we show the political will and decide that national security shall take precedence over all other considerations. Attitude of fighting terrorism needs an overhaul. Holding Cabinet meetings and issuing banal statements after every attack will not help. But above all, we need to rise above petty parochial considerations. While there can be no two opinions on the urgent need to form a nodal anti-terror agency aimed at keeping handy the data base of terrorist related intelligence, the strong dissent by the states is not in the interest of the country. The national intelligence grid would be a strong umbrella body quick and effective to negotiate probable terror strikes. And it would be folly to stall such a move for relatively minor issues which can be sorted out. Those opposing the move should keep national interest above petty party politics and support the Centre.
That tackling terror is being considered seriously by the Centre is welcome. But the establishment of National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), set to be launched on March 1 , is being objected to by nine Chief Ministers and a former minister on the ground of federalism. The contention of several of them that the Centre is out to violate the federal structure of state is ill founded. It can not be denied that unless such drastic measures are instituted to curb terror, we will continue to grope in the dark after every terror attack. When terrorism has vastly endangered the entire country, attempts to halt its moves are needed. Moreover, the govt. has clearly assured that the NCTC will not take away the state's powers. How then will it encroach on the powers of states or violate the federal structure? Right now, politicians barring a few, seem to take terrorism casually unfortunately, even some of them don't hesitate to exploit the situation for personal gains. It is the politically influenced maladministration that emboldens terrorists to strike at will. All the politicians opposing anti-terror policy on flimsy grounds should extend their co-operation to Centre so that the country can be secured against terrorists. They should desist from using the terror platform for political grandstanding. Rather than fighting over petty issues, all leaders should work together to make the NCTC an effective mechanism to curb terror.
There can be no denying that terrorism will continue to haunt the nation so long as the ideology from which it springs up is alive and there are state and non state agencies to support it. This is all the more reason that the states and Centre work together so that the terrorists are defeated every time they make an attempt. This is no time for the intelligence agencies, police and the Army to blame each other. This is no time for the ruling and opposition parties to play negative politics. This is the time to co-ordinate counter terrorism operations throughout the country. The one thing that the nation wants today is for all political parties to rise above their own interest and unite on this issue for the country's sake. This will surely be a test in the months ahead. |
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