Long coastline but negligible security:
India has a 7,516 km coastline, 1197 islands and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) spanning 2.02 million sq km, which is expected to go up to almost 3 million sq km after the delimitation of the continental shelf. Now what resources do we have to monitor the coasts?
Various agencies monitor the coastal areas in different states but here too there is lack of coordination. Agencies like the Coast Guard severely lacks funds.
If the terrorists entered by sea route, then what was the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy doing? Do we even have a coastal security plan?
Numerous reports of lax security along our coastline have appeared in the media but our incompetent leaders does not seem to have any idea about it.
I remember a special investigative report aired on CNN-IBN channel after the Mumbai train blasts. The report, called Operation Water Rat, made startling revealations about the pathetic state of coastal security in and around Mumbai. But no lessons were learnt after that.
Spineless politicians with no political will:
Indian politicians lack strategic vision and lack political will to take bold actions. Every action needed to tackle challenges like terrorism is viewed through the prism of vote-bank politics. They have taken the people of this country for granted. Media channels, quoting various intelligence sources, clearly stated that prior inputs were given to the state and central government before this attack. And the liar Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deskmukh, said they had no prior information. The chief minister should be booked for treason for his criminal negligence in not taking action on the available information and speaking blatant lies.
Speaking about political will; according to intelligence sources, the route taken by the attackers to enter the country is the same used by Dawood Ibrahim’s gang. The security and intelligence agencies have already hinted at Dawood’s involvement in anti-national activities. What is stopping them to taken action against him. Look at what United States is doing in Pakistan. Their drones are already eliminating terrorists from Pakistan’s volatile NWFP province. Our spineless politicians does not have the guts to get Dawood eliminated in his house in Karachi. Instead of raising the issue of Dawood Ibrahim in Parliament every few months for political gains, the politicians will now have to show some action too. The BJP speaks a lot about tackling terrorism but the nation has not forgotten how shamelessly they gave into the demand of hijackers during the Kandahar hijack crisis.
The terrorists stuck Mumbai at 9.30 pm on November 26, 2008. It took the elite National Security Guards almost nine precious hours to reach the attack sites. The NSG contingent was flown from Delhi to Mumbai after many hurdles. It does not take an expert to tell that many lives, including those of senior police officials, could have been saved had the NSG team reached earlier. Also why NSG is stationed only in Delhi. There have been terror attacks in other metro cities of the country in the past. Why nobody thought of stationing them in important cities like Mumbai, Bangalore or Chennai?
On top of that, the honourable Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil declared before the media that 200 NSG guards were on their way to Mumbai. How foolish can one get? This could have definitely given enough time to the attackers to get ready for the elite commandoes. Even the investigating agencies have pointed towards this glaring faux-pas.
It is about time we elect professionals to handle our country. The current lot of politicians and the political parties are a disgrace to our country.
Click here for (Part 1) Mumbai terror attack: Time for action
Click here for (Part 2) Mumbai terror attack: Time for action