The Mumbai Horrors

Mumbai. The 26th and the 27th of November, 2008.

10 locations. 12 terrorists.

The spoils of the day: 200 innocent people dead, 20 of them brave policemen and NSG commandos. And a deciding low delivered. To a nation’s faith in itself.

This is not the worst terror strike in Mumbai, at least not if the casualties are anything to go by. The Train Bombings killed almost as many and the 1993 Revenge Attacks killed at least 257. Then what is it that sets apart this attack? Makes it rise above the well…mundane terrorist attacks?

There was something eerie in those television visuals of the Taj Mahal Hotel on fire. There was something bone chillingly frightening in the smoke rising from the Trident Oberoi. There was something menacing in waking up in the morning and finding that the atrocities had still not ended.

For some reason, the Common Man in India has a decidedly fatalistic approach to life. Perhaps it has got to do with the belief in  the Karma theory that has its roots in India. Therefore when terror strikes became the order of the day, the ordinary Indian came to accept it as a part of the reality of life. Something as unavoidable as say, the overcrowded buses, the perennially late trains and monsoon road blocks. The bomb blasts always provoked shock, but by the next day a “ho gaya to ho gaya” attitude takes over and people resume their daily schedule. Contrast this to the US or the UK, where for a week following 9/11 or 26/7, ordinary life came to a halt.

Even the most Karmic chap would now think twice before staying at the Taj or Trident (if he can afford it of course!). The visual impact these attacks have made is unprecedented. Something that probably only 9/11 can rival. Even foreign news channels suspended their preset schedule and switched over to ‘Bombay’ for the live drama. The terrorists have indeed succeeded for once. They have managed to strike terror into our hearts. A terror that when these hotels, the favoured haunts of India’s rich and mighty, are so vulnerable, what defence does the common man have? A bomb blast in GK or an FC coach in Bhayander appeared rather disconnected from normal life. Ek baar ho gaya yaar! Apne saath nahi hoga. Not this time. Ye hoga! Kabhi bhi ho sakta hai. The England Cricket Team was no exception and one hears of large scale cancellations by foreign tourists, fearful that they might indeed reach a rather unwanted moksha a bit too soon.

Speaking from a strategic point of view, it is rather simplistic to say that “Itne terrorist attacks ho rahe hain! Whats the Govt. doing? Look at America! Not one attack post 9-11!” It is time that we stop comparing ourselves with America. The only reason that America is today safe from terror attacks is because of its geographical position. Natural sea defences on two sides. One of the world’s most tightly guarded borders on the South and a country in the north that can hardly act as a terror base. Al Qaida may be powerful. But then even it cannot transport explosives across the Pacific, smuggle them through strenuos checks and then transport them across a vast nation. Not so with India. A porous border with Bangladesh, an even porous one with Nepal, a non existent one with Bhutan and a barely guarded one with Myanmar. The sea here is not a defensive factor. The presence of a Pakistan or a Sri Lanka barely a 100 kms away makes the sea one of the easiest ways to smuggle in explosives. Something that was being done by smugglers since Haji Mastan and terrorists since 1993. It is humanly IMPOSSIBLE to guard from so many fronts at ALL the times. The intruders are too many, from too many sides and have ample support in India, which may be ideological or financial.

Then what can be done? Is there no way to guard against them? There is! And unfortunately THAT is the one way we never bothered taking. Intelligence.

All over the world, counter terrorist agencies rely on intelligence as a tool to pre empt terrorist strikes. Israel being a case in point (though it differs from India in the sense that the terror levels there are directly proportional to the level of oppression in the Occupied Palestine). However we in India have an intelligence apparatus that is probably the worst in the terror-threatened world. Our IB and RAW are peopled by IPS officers. None of them are given any specific training to inflitrate terror groups and find out their plans before they are executed. The ideal way to go about stopping terror attacks would be:

a) Hiring people from the community the terrorists claim to represent (i.e the Muslims). These people can then infiltrate the terrorist groups and provide necessary info. It was done by almost all countries that have successfully managed to check terror strikes (Spain-Basques, UK-The Irish). However we in India prefer to cast doubts on the loyalty of the minorities (sample Home Ministry circulars saying that Muslims should not be hired for critical tasks). By alienating such an important source of support, we are compromising all our efforts.

b) Increasing the role of the Coast Guard. There is no use keeping it as an under-financed, non specialised entity. The Coast Guard must be given the same amount of funding as is done for the other three wings of the Armed Forces. Their importance in safeguarding our coasts cannot be overstated.

c) Transparent, quick trials for terror accused. No indefinite detentions or so that will only make them present themselves as martyrs! (Sample Sadhvi Thakur)

d) Increasing general citizen awareness. Perhaps the simplest means to weed out shady characters.

These measures are not simple, but they are not short term either. Once implemented, they will go a long way in checking the growth of terror. All said and done, the individual bravery of a Hemant Karkare or Ashok Kamte is no excuse for the dickheadedness of the South Block mandarins!

~ by abdaal on November 27, 2008.