WITHDRAW PERSONAL SECURITY TO LEADERS- SEE RESULTS
It’s the same story all over again. A bomb blast followed by a polity, talking tough and giving us tall stories of being proactive. Only to forget their words the minute they are uttered. The blasts in Delhi and the political-speak thereafter was no different. Our netagan made a beeline for the blast sites, promised the victims money and called for stringent action. The speeches and drama over, they made a beeline for their ‘laal batti gaadis’ and sped away. Leaving the aam janta to rescue the aam aadmi. Importantly, has it ever occurred to our leaders why terrorists continue to blast cities in India and India alone?
There has never been a repeat of 9/11 in the US or a 7/7 in the UK. Why? Because the terrorists know only too well that if they mess with these two countries they will be hit and hit hard. Remember how the Americans ravaged Afghanistan in their war against terror. India on the other hand, is a soft target. It lacks the essentials needed: political will. Afzal Guru is alive, notwithstanding the Supreme Court awarding him death. A top British counter-terrorist expert highlighted three important aspects to counter terror. One, there is no place for holding a candle for human rights in the terror fight. Two, heightened round-the-clock surveillance. Outlining the security measures in London, he disclosed that every person was under watch --- at airports, railway and tube stations, streets, stores, restaurants, hotels and cafes. At any given time, the security agencies could reel out the time a person entered X place, where he went, what he did, ate and shopped, where he boarded a tube, where he got off, which street he walked down, right down to the time when he went to the toilet. All through discrete cameras and “hidden human intelligence.” Three, tough terror laws. The Terrorism Act 2006, drafted in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings has highly controversial terms: capture those planning acts of terrorism, glorification of terrorism or encouraging the emulation of terrorism is a criminal offence and those who give or receives training in terrorist techniques be prosecuted. More. It enables the police to search any property owned or controlled by a terrorist suspect as also detain suspects after arrest for up to 28 days (though periods of more than two days must be approved by a judicial authority). Besides, UK has also dealt with internal threats from terrorism through a secret law enforcement training programme known as Operation Kratos.
In India, we only talk big about terror. But do nothing. And we all know, talk is cheap. Our answer to terrorism goes like this: the Prime Minister calls an emergency Cabinet meeting and avows we need tougher laws, doled out in routine hand-outs. The Home Minister fights terror by changing his clothes three times in three hours. The UPA allies’ counter-terror by demanding that if the ban on SIMI has to continue then the Hindutva outfit Bajrang Dal too should be banned. Arguably, before asking for Patil’s head should not the Prime Minister have sacked Lalu, Mulayam and Paswan for espousing the SIMI cause? Scandalously, they visited Azamgarh to sympathise with arch-terrorist’s Basher’s family! What of them?Faced with a strident Opposition berating the UPA for being ‘soft on terror’ prior to the General & State Assembly polls round the corner, the Central Government suddenly discovered the virtues of putting in place a tough anti-terror law. So out of magician Veerappa Moily’s Administrative Reform Report they waved POTA –II. Only to hastily back-off within 24 hours. Thanks to its allies crying foul. It would pinch their Muslim vote bank. Besides, POTA 1 didn’t halt the attack on Parliament or the Kandahar fiasco. To detract attention they now advocate citizenship for illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Sadly, when our polity paints internal security in religious hues, what can one expect? All stand guilty. For the Congress and its allies Muslim appeasement has become a safe sanctuary for inaction. For the BJP pacification of the Bajrang Dal is to keep its Hindu patron saint image intact. As long as they can remain in power, the country be damned. Let the terrorists kill and maim the billion plus population. It does not matter. Only retaining power by hook or crook matters. None ponder that if there are no people who will vote for them?Yet the security farce continues. To show that it is acting the Union and State Governments have mooted ‘time bound’ police reforms. Sic. No matter we have heard this ad nauseum post all attacks.
The truth is that our netagan really couldn’t care less. For them national security ends with ensuring their Y, Z and Z-plus security. As long as they are secure in their homes, offices and person, the aam aadmi can rot in hell. Has anybody realized that more than 60 per cent of our police force is protecting the netagan from the very janta which votes them in? Why do politicians scramble for security? It is a status symbol as enshrined in the Orwellian principle of being more equal than others. Carried to such absurd heights that besides themselves, their children, samdhis, son-in-law, grand children down to the khansama et al are ‘protected’ by the tax payers hard earned money. And we call ourselves a democracy, feudal is more like it. Think. Delhi’s sprawling area of 1485 sq. kms has only a police force of 57,500 and one helicopter to guard a population of 1,59,26000, wherein each cop works a 16 hours shift. On the other hand, New York’s expanse of 1212 sq kms. has a work force of 37838 to protect a population of 8274527 (half of Delhi’s), 7 helicopters and works only 8 hours shift.
Unless our politicians experience the danger the aam aadmi experiences daily, of not knowing whether he will return home, no solution to fighting terror in India can be found. Take away all the security paraphernalia of our netagan, let them live the daily fear like the aam aadmi and the terror trail will diminish. Suddenly, the laws will get tougher in proportion to the decrease in security they enjoy. Nowhere in the world does any country provide security to anyone else but the highest Constitutional authority. In the US, the President is guarded by a very discrete secret service and in Britain the MI6 takes care of the British Prime Minister.
But why blame the politicians alone? After all the people get the Government they deserve. Why do we vote for them? Knowing full well that they are going to do nothing for us. Yet election after election the story is the same. If its Monday, we will vote for Congress, Tuesday BJP, Wednesday, Mayawati, Thursday, Lalu, etc. etc. Never mind that they are ek hi thaali ke chatte batte. Needless to say till the time the aam aadmi refuses to translate his words into action he will have to continue to suffer. We need to realize that the netagan and terrorist are two sides of the same coin. Both venal and ruthless out to inflict maximum damage in minimum time. For the former it’s the battle of the ballot for the latter a war of the bullet. The recent blasts stand testimony to the fact that when push comes to shove only the people help one another. The time has come to kick these politicians out and lead from the front. We need only one man to change the system. Hitler, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Churchill did it. So also Mahatma Gandhi. Why not us? ----
There has never been a repeat of 9/11 in the US or a 7/7 in the UK. Why? Because the terrorists know only too well that if they mess with these two countries they will be hit and hit hard. Remember how the Americans ravaged Afghanistan in their war against terror. India on the other hand, is a soft target. It lacks the essentials needed: political will. Afzal Guru is alive, notwithstanding the Supreme Court awarding him death. A top British counter-terrorist expert highlighted three important aspects to counter terror. One, there is no place for holding a candle for human rights in the terror fight. Two, heightened round-the-clock surveillance. Outlining the security measures in London, he disclosed that every person was under watch --- at airports, railway and tube stations, streets, stores, restaurants, hotels and cafes. At any given time, the security agencies could reel out the time a person entered X place, where he went, what he did, ate and shopped, where he boarded a tube, where he got off, which street he walked down, right down to the time when he went to the toilet. All through discrete cameras and “hidden human intelligence.” Three, tough terror laws. The Terrorism Act 2006, drafted in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings has highly controversial terms: capture those planning acts of terrorism, glorification of terrorism or encouraging the emulation of terrorism is a criminal offence and those who give or receives training in terrorist techniques be prosecuted. More. It enables the police to search any property owned or controlled by a terrorist suspect as also detain suspects after arrest for up to 28 days (though periods of more than two days must be approved by a judicial authority). Besides, UK has also dealt with internal threats from terrorism through a secret law enforcement training programme known as Operation Kratos.
In India, we only talk big about terror. But do nothing. And we all know, talk is cheap. Our answer to terrorism goes like this: the Prime Minister calls an emergency Cabinet meeting and avows we need tougher laws, doled out in routine hand-outs. The Home Minister fights terror by changing his clothes three times in three hours. The UPA allies’ counter-terror by demanding that if the ban on SIMI has to continue then the Hindutva outfit Bajrang Dal too should be banned. Arguably, before asking for Patil’s head should not the Prime Minister have sacked Lalu, Mulayam and Paswan for espousing the SIMI cause? Scandalously, they visited Azamgarh to sympathise with arch-terrorist’s Basher’s family! What of them?Faced with a strident Opposition berating the UPA for being ‘soft on terror’ prior to the General & State Assembly polls round the corner, the Central Government suddenly discovered the virtues of putting in place a tough anti-terror law. So out of magician Veerappa Moily’s Administrative Reform Report they waved POTA –II. Only to hastily back-off within 24 hours. Thanks to its allies crying foul. It would pinch their Muslim vote bank. Besides, POTA 1 didn’t halt the attack on Parliament or the Kandahar fiasco. To detract attention they now advocate citizenship for illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Sadly, when our polity paints internal security in religious hues, what can one expect? All stand guilty. For the Congress and its allies Muslim appeasement has become a safe sanctuary for inaction. For the BJP pacification of the Bajrang Dal is to keep its Hindu patron saint image intact. As long as they can remain in power, the country be damned. Let the terrorists kill and maim the billion plus population. It does not matter. Only retaining power by hook or crook matters. None ponder that if there are no people who will vote for them?Yet the security farce continues. To show that it is acting the Union and State Governments have mooted ‘time bound’ police reforms. Sic. No matter we have heard this ad nauseum post all attacks.
The truth is that our netagan really couldn’t care less. For them national security ends with ensuring their Y, Z and Z-plus security. As long as they are secure in their homes, offices and person, the aam aadmi can rot in hell. Has anybody realized that more than 60 per cent of our police force is protecting the netagan from the very janta which votes them in? Why do politicians scramble for security? It is a status symbol as enshrined in the Orwellian principle of being more equal than others. Carried to such absurd heights that besides themselves, their children, samdhis, son-in-law, grand children down to the khansama et al are ‘protected’ by the tax payers hard earned money. And we call ourselves a democracy, feudal is more like it. Think. Delhi’s sprawling area of 1485 sq. kms has only a police force of 57,500 and one helicopter to guard a population of 1,59,26000, wherein each cop works a 16 hours shift. On the other hand, New York’s expanse of 1212 sq kms. has a work force of 37838 to protect a population of 8274527 (half of Delhi’s), 7 helicopters and works only 8 hours shift.
Unless our politicians experience the danger the aam aadmi experiences daily, of not knowing whether he will return home, no solution to fighting terror in India can be found. Take away all the security paraphernalia of our netagan, let them live the daily fear like the aam aadmi and the terror trail will diminish. Suddenly, the laws will get tougher in proportion to the decrease in security they enjoy. Nowhere in the world does any country provide security to anyone else but the highest Constitutional authority. In the US, the President is guarded by a very discrete secret service and in Britain the MI6 takes care of the British Prime Minister.
But why blame the politicians alone? After all the people get the Government they deserve. Why do we vote for them? Knowing full well that they are going to do nothing for us. Yet election after election the story is the same. If its Monday, we will vote for Congress, Tuesday BJP, Wednesday, Mayawati, Thursday, Lalu, etc. etc. Never mind that they are ek hi thaali ke chatte batte. Needless to say till the time the aam aadmi refuses to translate his words into action he will have to continue to suffer. We need to realize that the netagan and terrorist are two sides of the same coin. Both venal and ruthless out to inflict maximum damage in minimum time. For the former it’s the battle of the ballot for the latter a war of the bullet. The recent blasts stand testimony to the fact that when push comes to shove only the people help one another. The time has come to kick these politicians out and lead from the front. We need only one man to change the system. Hitler, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Churchill did it. So also Mahatma Gandhi. Why not us? ----
posted by vaneet kundra at
Sunday, September 28, 2008
2 Comments:
yes, i agree. only one or two politicians die, then only they will start finding the terrorists...
Dear Ananymous,
As requesred earlier also, i would have loved, if you had written your name. Its your choice.I dont want anything like this happens, where the poiltician dies. It was just an illustration to tell the politicians of the gravity of the security situation. If they put themselves in the shoes of aam admi, only then they will realise the seriousness of the situation. God knows when they will realise this.
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