your dining room and spraying everyone with bullets - even the thought is terrifying.
A week later, everyone including my vegetable vendor (सब्जीवाला ) seems to have become an expert on how terrorists could be contained. Solutions to the present problems are being formulated at paan -kiosks (पानठेला ) in about five minutes. There is "sound" advice for everyone - Obama, Manmohan Singh, Zardari, Osama, Vilasrao, both the Patils and for anyone else who wanted it. Much before it was published, our cook told us how some hidden RDX had still not been located and how 3 or 4 terrorists had still not been accounted for and how the whole drama could be repeated. Reams are of course being written by experts and simpletons alike on how this was a systemic failure and about actions that needed to be taken to prevent a recurrence.
Can any nation stop suicidal terrorists bent upon creating mayhem - I don't think so! In hindsight, it is easy to say that all warnings should have been heeded. Most of us would have protested, had each "red alert" (which probably turned out to be nothing) delayed even as mundane an event as our reaching office or home. Statistically, there are bound to be more false alarms in this business, but even one major event like what happened at Mumbai would throw us back into paroxysms of fear and harsh criticism of those who manage these things. But surely we need to create a system which makes it hell of a lot more difficult for those rogues from holding us at ransom like they did last week.
- I think it should be mandatory for home ministers at the state and central level to be army or police professionals. There is no need to tolerate nincompoops who adorn that chair only because of their loyalty to other nincompoops. In fact, even the finance and defence ministers should compulsorily be professionals. Let the party in power find such persons and get them elected.
- The incumbents for these ministerial posts [home, defence, finance] should face a televised interview from a parliamentary committee comprising of MPs and experts before they are confirmed in their jobs. Come to think of it, we do not select even Managing Directors without a grilling interview but gladly accept these minister - managers [who control hundreds and thousands of times larger assets that those MDs and CEOs] just like that. Let us hear from an incumbent home minister what strategies (other than abiding by whatever 10 , Janpath says) he plans to employ, to keep us safe.
- Let us have compulsory military training (before graduation) for one year for all youth. Mukesh Ambani has hit the nail on the head. Government will get a large resource to deploy for disaster management and / or surveillance and the young ones, a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to discipline themselves. Many of these recruits will surely get attracted towards making a career in the army or police.
- Let us thoroughly modernise our police force. I read somewhere that in the last decade, more policemen have died in course of duty than the number of army - men and that on an average 2/3 policemen die everyday. Let us give them the best equipment, higher salaries, substantial insurance and anti terrorism training. Let not any sanctioned post lie vacant in their organisation structure. Let the money for all this come from less important things like travel subsidies or even a small "terror surcharge" on each commercial transaction (much like the Bangladesh refugee tax). On the flip side let us ease out those pot bellied, good for nothing मुन्सीजी (policemen).
- Let batallions of NSG be stationed at strategic places so that every corner of India is reachable in maximum two hours.
- Let's instill discipline in ourselves. Let us (a) not break red lights; (b) not display our connections to higher ups when caught violating a law; (c) understand the importance of time; (d) improve our concepts of public hygiene; (e) reduce our indifference towards what is publicly good; (f) not curse policemen doing their duty [like implementing naka-bandi (नाकाबंदी) for example]; the list is really endless.
If you think this belt-tightening is uncomfortable, just imagine you are sitting in that restaurant and visualise the "thud" of each bullet as it passes through your body.
3 comments:
Good points. But look at it from a game theory point of view. If terrorists want to play loose-loose strategy then an effective control needs more than the great fundas you have preached that as you very well articulated needs more practice and discipline. No disagreement there on a tactical and practical point of view, but it is less of an organizational restructuring at the govt. level and more of strategic thinking to reach the undercurrents of these irrational actions.
On a strategic front, there are only two basic tools to handle them and play the game to win.
1. Economics: The sources of finances and the tax free haven in the underground economy needs to be demolished. This is where Dawood and others have been listed. Deny paying in black and know your supplier's supply chain of products and services.
2. Psychology: The source for behavioral
control starts at a childhood level. As many good books (& media) with moral science that can be made available to children would be better to help distinguish between rational and irrational, not necessarily between what is right and wrong - which is very subjective.
It may sound odd, but it will take about 20+ years to see the liberation of Iraq. Very similar to it took about 15+ years for Czech Republic to show the progress.
Finally, keep writing and glad to hear FUNDAS all the way across the world. Let us know when you plan to visit Silicon Valley and we can have some healthy discussions & debates.
Prakash,I liked your blog this time a lot.May be we all have gone through our share of depression and insecurity towards our life suddenly.All your points are right but before that i personally feel that each one of us needs to understand our role as a responsible citizen of this country.Most of us feel great to break the rules made for our worth.Especially the region where I am residing presently is a great exmp.In day today life you see people are moving out with guns and etc.Each happy occasion has to be stamped with few gun shots.Sad...Police is standing and viewing it b'cause they are also helpless some where.I don't blame them totally.
Finaly' One comment from my side that Today's need is, people like you need to join active politics.We really need people who are emotionally and dutywise well balanced.Who would put their well defined vision for the upkeep for our society. Thinkseriously about what I am saying
The only positively effective way is the last point that you have mentioned ( let's instill discipline in ourselves). Sounds rather impractical and idealistic. But, lack of discipline is also the birth place of such extreme behaviors, as are suicidal terror attacks.
These extreme behaviors are really only a lateralmost part of the spectrum of our social behavior. They are born within our society. If our average social behavior is shifting towards indiscipline, intolerance and frustration, the extreme parts of the spectrum are more likely to fall into violent, extremist patterns. Which is what is surfacing now.
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