Indians woke up to the news of a hostage crisis at Sydney’s busy Martin Place in the central business district. Around 40 hostages were held up at Lindt Chocolate Shop and Café by a likely IS terrorist. It sent shock waves in the region making countries like India a little nervous. The Home Minister tried to reassure the nation stating that we are prepared for any contingency. National televisions all over were trying to get answers to some insecurities that people had over the issue throughout the day.
…what worries is the threat from IS sympathisers. They have issued a warning and pledged to take revenge of the arrest of their twitter handler, Mehdi Masroor Biswas at Bangalore recently.
Many In disagreement with the concept of clash of civilisations, however the emergence of ISIS and they targeting the western ideals, their journalists, Christians and other minorities in the middle east, clearly is nothing but a manifestation of the disliked idea.
As an Indian analyst what worries is the threat from IS sympathisers. They have issued a warning and pledged to take revenge of the arrest of their twitter handler, Mehdi Masroor Biswas at Bangalore recently.
In India where coordination between various intelligence agencies is merely a paper concept as it appears, there is an ongoing turf war amongst themselves sometimes not hidden from public. All this tussle has relegated national security imperatives to a lower precedence. At the national level the concept of NCTC failed to see the light of the day, all due to apprehensions of the states and their dubious concerns for the federal structure within the union. Law and order being a state subject they feared NCTC and associated provisions may give undue powers to the centre to interfere in a state. This can be termed as a classic case of zealously guarding their turf.
Worst though are the much needed reforms with the NSG, the necessity of which was felt after the Mumbai terrorist strike of 26 / 11. Even this important subject has succumbed to a turf war, this time between the Army and the Home Ministry. While the Army wants this elite force to be lean mean and lethal having its full operational, training and administrative control. The later wants the dominance and control of the civilians.
Even at the risk of dilution of the professional elitism associated with this force, Home Ministry is increasing the strength of the police and paramilitary personnel in NSG. As a result the strength of the Special Rangers Group (SRG) has increased far beyond what it was initially planned. Slowly and gradually they have been sucked into VIP protection duties overwhelmingly, leaving the primary task neglected.
The harsh reality of terrorism in India now packaged under the brand name of IS brings with it enormous challenge to the security apparatus.
SRG has its role well cut out during a contingency created by the terrorists. SRG is trained in cordoning the area under terrorist attack or the scene of a hostage crisis or a high jacking. In case of a hostage crisis they trained to handle the negotiations. They liaise with the civil administration for local law and order, crowd control, media management, casualty evacuation and other related issues and the Special Action Group (SAG) carries out punitive action free from any encumbrances.
Unfortunately dilution of this elite force over the yearshad led to a crucial three hours delay at Delhi itself during the 26 / 11 crisis. The support of SRG was missing at Mumbai. Cordoning was done by the local army unit along with the civil police and we all witnessed the confusion arising out of lack of coordination on our television sets. Unregulated media came handy with the Pakistani commanders controlling the terrorists.
In any case the country is just no priority as it appears. Despite the identified problems there seems reluctance in honestly streamlining the issues for the fear of loss of the turf. The turf issues and aspiration of empire building is at the end of the day going to be detrimental to the overall internal security.
The harsh reality of terrorism in India now packaged under the brand name of IS brings with it enormous challenge to the security apparatus. India can ill afford to lag behind in its preparations in dealing with the threat looming large. Be it the NCTC or some other agency like the USA’s Joint Special Operations Command equipped and organised to handle such internal and external crisis needs to be evolved and put in place before it is too late.
Please wait...
they coudnt do in India. India is not only facing jihadi bigots but also red terror
AFTER THE MUMBAI ATTACK , THE IB OPERATIONAL TECHNICAL STRENGTH SHOULD HAVE INCREASED 4 FOLD . RAW OPERATIONAL TECHNICAL LANGUAGE SPECIALISTS THREE FOLD , STRIKE TEAMS AND COUNTER STRIKE TEAMS IN AFGHNIASTAN , PAKISTAN AND EX SOVIET REPUBLICS . THE NSG STREANGTH INCREASED AND TEAMS IN ALL STATES CAPITALS AND RETIRING NSG SRG TROOPERS FORMED AND SECONDED INTO THESE TEAMS . SAG SOLDERS ON COMPLETION OF DEPUTETION SECONDED TO TEAMS IN BIG CITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY . THE NIA , AND NCTC CENTRES AT NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL OPERATIONALISED . THE ARMIES SPECIAL FORCES BATTALLIONS RAISED TO 25 TO 30BATTALLIONS AND EQUIPPED TO AMERICAN / EUROPEON STANDARDS , THE PARA BRIGADE STRENGTH SLOWLY RAISED TO OVER 150000 TO 200000 THOUSAND WITH MAJORITY OF THE INFANTRY BATTALLIONS CONVERTED FOR AIR MOBILE PARA OPS . ALL 14000 POLICE STATIONS INTERLINKED AND NETWORKED . A NATIONAL SUPERCOMPUTER NETWORK FOR ALL CRIMES AND CRIMNAL DATABASE INCLUDING A SPECIAL TERROR NETWORK DATABASE . LITTLE OR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE . THE ARGUMENTATATIVE INDIANS ARE STILL DISCUSSING IT ON FILE . THE PLAINS OF HINDUSTAN ARE AS NAKED AS THEY HAVE BEEN BEEN FROM THE TIMES OF MUSLIM INVASIONS SINCE 7TH CENTURY AD . THE MODERN DAY BANIA BRAHMIN BUSINESSMEN COMBINE HAVE FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY AT THE HANDS OF SPG , NSG DENUDED THE SECURITY COVER OF 125 CRORES INDIAN MEN WOEMEN AND CHILDREN .THE DEFUNCT IAS AND IPS STILL ARE NOT REFORMED DESPITE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AND BRILLANT MINDS . THE ARMED FORCES AND VETRANS SHOVED DOWN THE DUSTBIN DESPITE PROMISES GALORE . WHO WILL PROTECT THE TIMID INDIANS WHEN THE SWORD OF THF THE ISIS , ALQUEDA , TALIBAN CROSSES THE MOUNTAIN PASSES FROM KASHMIR , THE NATIONALIST PARTY MORE BUSY WITH MANDIR , MASJID , CONVERSIONS AND SWACH ABHIYAN WHEN PREPERATIONS FOR THE JIHADI ATTACKS TO COME SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT INDIANS AND INDIA SLEEPS IN PARLIAMENT OR ACCUSE EACH OTHER OF IRRELEVANT FRIVLOUS THINGS . THE ATTACKS IN KASHMIR BY PAKISTANIS TRAINED AND EQUIPPED TO SPECIAL FO
India cant be prepared like that of sydney. unlike australia which hace 4-5 lakh mussies india has millions and each one can be a potential terrorist but we cant scan each and every one of them just because they are muslims. Further more india is not only facing jihadi bigots but also red terror, Christian terrorists in the north east and many many regional terrorist all have different agenda in mind that can be equally problematic as the jihadi ones. In a way, indian problem is indian solution- since india has a vast majority of muslims and the terrorists will fear a backlash by majority upon innocent muslims and that fear for their family may some what discourage them to create noise more often.
indian muslims even educated ones are radicalising , that has to be checked. and the notion that educated muslims are not going to be terrorists is wrong.
most of the biggest terrorist attacks are contribution of educated terrorists. remember 9/11? all of them were graduates in chemistry or engineers. so indian govt should see these educated terrorists than the others.