FIGHTING TERROR

While Sri P.Chidambaram was burning midnight oil in quickly coming up with an Anti-terror law, Amendments to various central Acts, working out details of the new Federal Investigative Agency, there is another person giving serious thought to the same subject and coming out with his own road map.

This person is no other than Mr.Ratan Tata. Tatas do a good job of everything they touch. I wish him all success.

His incisive mind has come to the conclusion that the failure to deal with such carnage, expedetiously, effeciently and decisively in its initial stage, as due to belated ressponse, deploying force ill-equipped for the magnitude of the situation, lack of coordination amongst various agencies involved and he pin-pointed all these failures to one cause i.e lack of a single leadership.

Local police were ill equipped, fire-fighters were not coordinated, elite forces were deployed late, attacks taking place at various locations simultaneously, which all needed a single control room to assess, monitor and tackle with a single coordinator or Leader.

By hindsight who this Leader could have been? Hon'ble Union Home Minister? Home Minister of Maharashtra? DGP of Maharashtra? Commissioner of Mumbai? With due respect to the memory, bravery and sacrifice of the chief of ATF, he could have been. But it is doubtful whether he had the authority vested in him to command all the agencies involved without consulting political leadership or even its approval.

Federal Investigative Agency may handle preventive intelligence and aftermaths to bring culprits to book. But who will be the sole Commander-in-chief when an operation is on. This needs serious consideration. He must be mandated to summon, deploy and coordinate the activities of all involved agencies unfettered. Political bosses shoud lay their hands off once an operation commences.

Mr.Tata is dejected. He has lost confidence in government's ability to deal with such incidents in future and talks of his hotel having its own anti-terror set up, deterrence, containing and thwarting terrorists' effotrs. This may well mean the willingness to tread on the toes of state players. Mr. Tata should seriously ponder whether he can take take the state's role.

Tatas have enormous respect for human life, welfare of the country, safety of their employees and satisfaction of their clients and rule of law.

I hope his interview to CNN-IBN will propel the Government to realise the dejection, disappointnent and loss of faith of the 'am admi' in Government's ability to deliver goods.

...ponder