It is often criticized that armed forces lack intelligence gathering mechanism. Though armed forces are the major users of the intelligence, in our set up, during peace times, primarily our armed forces depend on Research and Analysis Wing for the external intelligence and the Intelligence Bureau for the internal and peripheral countries intelligence. The armed forces own intelligence organizations are only capable of localized combat intelligence when contact with enemy is made during hostilities. Therefore, it is inappropriate to criticize them for intelligence failure. There is also need to coordinate sharing of intelligence inputs generated by anti- narcotics, customs, revenue, finance and economic departments of centre and states, space, atomic energy, industry, states police, all Para Military Forces, various NGOs and other agencies / organizations of the country.
Our armed forces do not have basic equipment like stun grenades, smoke grenades and rubberized bullets. Use of these in built up areas paralyses target ensuring his capture.
National Security Guard & Special Forces Response
The NSG is located at Manesar; a good one hour drive from Indira Gandhi Airport at Delhi during non-peak hours. The IAF aircraft earmarked for their lift to Mumbai was located at Chandigarh that took time to refuel and come to Delhi wasting valuable time. Our Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) should lay down procedures and drills for such crisis management. It would have been worthwhile to do emergent requisitioning of suitable aircraft from private airlines /Air India for quicker transportation of the NSG commandos for swifter response.
It is desirable that the Special Forces like Para commandos and subunits of the NSG are located at nodal cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati and Chennai for quicker response to cover vast country of ours. Where ever they are located, they must be close to an airport, railway station and communication centre for quick real time response. In grave emergency all national resources both in public and private domains should be mustard for quickest optimized response. It is mandatory to place helicopters with landing and refueling facilities for their quickest response from their bases and airports to their operational sites.
Our armed forces do not have basic equipment like stun grenades, smoke grenades and rubberized bullets. Use of these in built up areas paralyses target ensuring his capture. A captured terrorist would not only be effective source of intelligence but credible evidence to support our claim against Pakistani support to such dastardly acts. Needless to say, our troops also need good communication and global positioning systems.
The NSG was raised in 1984 for anti-hijacking and anti-terrorist operations with two wings- Special Action Group (SAG) comprising crack army personnel on deputation and Special Rangers Group (SAG) from Para Military Forces (PMF).It is a matter of grave concern that more than half the resources of the SAG are being wasted in protecting politicians like Deve Gowda, Amar Singh, Ram Vilas Paswan, Sajjan Kumar, RL Bhatia, Sharad Yadav, Murli Manohar Joshi and so on. While some of them may have genuine threats, on others this highly trained resource is being misused more as status symbols.
It was pity seeing NSG DG, a police officer during Mumbai attacks moving about and giving press statements when he had perhaps no role in planning a military operation launched by the military element of the Armed forces.
Its time NSG is placed under command of a three star Army General. It was pity seeing NSG DG, a police officer during Mumbai attacks moving about and giving press statements when he had perhaps no role in planning a military operation launched by the military element of the Armed forces. At best SPG could be rightly under an appropriate rank police officer.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
It is disappointing to note that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) formed under the Ministry of Home Affairs only reacts during natural disasters like floods, fires, famines and earthquakes. I am not sure how effectively the NDMA is operating as during recent Bihar floods its response was sluggish. In fact various NGOs and voluntary organizations responded much faster. Its time we revamp and co-opt NDMA in all types of disasters. It can be very effective in post disaster activities of rehabilitation and succor to traumatized victims who beside medical and financial relief need psychiatric and psychological treatment to restart living normal lives fast, so often badly neglected.
The NDMA constituted in 2005 is part of the home ministry but functions directly under the Prime Minister. Its Executive Committee has maximum 9 members who are nominated by the PM and assisted by the Secretaries of the relevant ministries and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) as Armed Forces representative who takes all decisions on behalf of the Armed Forces.
Each State is required to establish State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) under its chief minister. The SDMA is to be assisted by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The NDMA and SDMAs in each State were required to establish state of the art control rooms (Emergency Operation Centers) which were to be manned round the clock during emergency. Indian Metrological Department (IMD) was made its part to disseminate all early warnings to these Control Rooms. I am not too sure this infrastructure and SOPS have been created in each state and district levels as these were no where visible in the recent Bihar floods or Mumbai attacks. Effective workable plans for natural and man made disasters need to be formulated from village, panchayat, taluka, district, state and upwards to national level with details worked out for each level. Selection of suitable professionals, communications, rehearsals and resource allocation on need basis should naturally be taken care off.
Our police force is under staffed, ill equipped, ill trained and physically and mentally unfit. The pot bellied police man carries colonial stigmas of Daroga Raj, bribes, corruption and fear psychosis amongst masses.
Are We Prepared Against Nuclear Disasters?
Technology for making atom bomb is ready available. Impulsion ‘Nuclear Bomb’ can be made from just 9-12 kgs of enriched uranium (90% purity) but ‘Dirty Bomb’ can be made with much lesser. Numbers of thefts of ‘Cobalt 60’ have been reported having taken place in various cancer hospitals world over. Cobalt 60 can be used for making ‘Dirty Bomb’ easily. Similarly, there are reports that number of suitcase sized nuclear bombs were missing after breaking away of the Soviet Union. Possibility of these falling in the hands of terrorists & rogue states exists.
Protection Against Nuclear Detonation
Presently we are neither prepared nor steps have been taken in educating the masses on nuclear disasters. Disaster Management should be included in under graduate courses, IAS & IPS and armed forces academies. Numerous NGOs, media, civil defence & industry need to be co- opted & involved to meet such challenges.
Police Equipment and Reforms
Our police reforms are overdue since ages despite numerous recommendations of various expert committees. Our police force is under staffed, ill equipped, ill trained and physically and mentally unfit. The pot bellied police man carries colonial stigmas of Daroga Raj, bribes, corruption and fear psychosis amongst masses. Hordes of local police were seen during Mumbai operations hanging around with antiquated World War 1 Enfield 303 rifles while terrorists were masquerading with latest AKs, ammunition, explosives, sat phones and global positioning systems. Our entire police force needs rifles and equipment of the day, physical, mental and emotional training, motivation and good professional leadership. Needless to say, police must be people friendly with high professional integrity.
It is also matter of grave concern that a few terrorists could hijack police car with its top ATS cops sitting inside and killing them. It intrigues any professional mind as to where be protection staff of the top cops back up vehicle(s) and loaded personal arms of the occupants! Quick intuitive action of the trained professionals should have knocked these terrorists at very first instance.
Its time our response against Pakistan is firm. This can only yield results if diplomatic, military and economic pressure from international community of nations and the UNO is exerted against Pakistan and those countries that are funding and supporting terrorism.
Media Management
Media management was shabby as no periodical briefings from ‘Operational Control Room’ were organised. Numerous news channels kept giving conflicting news and visuals. In such situations during nights, lights in areas outside the buildings under terrorists’ siege should be switched off to unable terrorists taking pop shots on people outside. During intervening nights of operations with camera lights on, the electronic media crew attracted fire many a times but mercifully there were no casualties.
Terror Management
Management of violence in urban scenario with huge population and traffic congestion is most hazardous, complex, time consuming and strenuous military operation. The collateral damage to property, casualties of innocent people attract severe attention of the media and human right groups. All this needs specialized training, communications and ability to operate intuitively as security forces would be operating, as was in the instance case, in small groups and sub groups independently.
Isolation of Rouge State(s) and Terrorists
Its time our response against Pakistan is firm. This can only yield results if diplomatic, military and economic pressure from international community of nations and the UNO is exerted against Pakistan and those countries that are funding and supporting terrorism. Unless the US, Russia, China, Japan, Israel, the European Union and the United Nations, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, SAARC etc will not act in firmly in unison isolation of Pakistan and the terrorists would not be possible. India should also deliberate on the option of striking terrorists camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) after taking the US, Russia, China and the European Union in confidence.
Lastly, will somebody answer my last question! An Olympic shooter was given over Rs 3 crores on winning a gold medal. But another shooter dies fighting terrorists and enemy in Mumbai or else where and his family barely gets compensation of Rs5 lakhs. Do we have conscience as a nation..!!
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Hello IDR,
I am really an admirer of your articles with such great depth research.
For past few weeks your RSS feeds aren’t working.
As my job includes travelling some times, so it is better for me load the feeds and save for reading later rather than loading the webpage every time to read the article in free time.
Kindly have a look to matter.
Awaiting a reply from you.
If India hopes to avoid another Mumbai massacre pay heed to Col Bhatia’s premonitions. The 26/11 was no ordinary rag tag Jihadi terrorists action from Pakistan. This was a Pakistani military operation with 15 trained soldiers of the caliber of ‘Navy Seals’ of US, causing death, destruction and mayhem ten times its number in a major commerce center of India. Those responsible for the Indian Security system should hang their heads in shame. The fact of the matter is that “chalta hai Raj” is not doing much considering terrorism acts are happening in India on a regular basis since 26/11. Is there any assurance that ordinary citizens of India can go about their lives without the fear of another ambush? The UP leadership has failed before and most likely will fail again. A change in Delhi Governance is the only answer.
My article ‘The Longest Sixty Hours of The Mumbai Mayhem’ has not been published complete.
T