Are we more secure today than on 26/11/2008??

You can click here to watch the documentary ‘Terror in Mumbai’

"During the first anniversary of the terror attack, I was on a TV show along with a prominent politician. I asked him what the government was doing to catch the real perpetrators of the attack. He turned around and asked me what I would do about it. If a politician in one of the highest offices can ask an emotionally rattled survivor what he was doing to catch the terrorists, it shows a great deal of distaste for public accountancy," said Bhisham Mansukhani who survived the siege at the Taj.

This was a comment which to me was the proverbial last straw. I lost faith in the government, congress party and the channel. This was on prime time television with a young audience. The host sat there without interjecting or insisting that a more satisfactory reply to the question was needed.

Last year the solemn day was observed more as a celebration than a day for homage. This time round, I have not watched Television since morning. I am not aware if we have again had that ritual of parading the equipment as a scarecrow.

We are aware that it is humanly impossible to guarantee a terror free existence in the environment that is prevailing. However we do not even get the feeling that we are safe. The NSG hub or The Force one.This is the video link to Force or farce one? may have been created but they will only come into action once there is an incident. Our concern is on a daily basis and that area has not been addressed the police at local level is as it was.

Now another year has gone by and I am back to square one. We had submitted a citizens charter soon after 26/11/2008 with much fanfare what happened to that? Below are a few questions which come to mind my answers are mentioned. I am hoping readers would come to their own conclusions as per their perceptions and feelings. Will not be surprised if most would concur with me!

As a citizen have I contributed?...................NO

Has my perception changed?.......................NO

How do I feel today?.................................Betrayed, helpless, vulnerable, and hopeless.

Has the government done anything significant in this regard?...........NO

Have we achieved what we set out?...............................NO

Have new policies, practices been formulated and implemented?.........Unaware.

Is there a perceptible change in policing?....................NO

Have we rearmed and retrained the police force?..............NO

Is the state machinery geared up to face the threat better?...............Unaware

Are we being too critical of our government?.............................NO

Is there a definite policy for terror related issues vis a vis Pakistan?...................NO

Have we identified and punished officials for their ineptitude or dereliction of duty?..........NO

Has the mystery of 26/11 been unraveled in full?.....................NO

Why is the terrorist caught in action still not punished? ………..This is something that the government should answer on an urgent basis. Along with this why the convicted terrorist who is on the death row still there? If the mercy petition is to be allowed then it should be done and if not then that also should be done.

Why has the Ram Pradhan Committee report on 26/11 not been placed in public domain?

To view 26/11as a terror attack would be the biggest travesty. It was a well planned behind the line commando type operation which is an open act of war. Have we responded suitably to that? Unfortunately No is the reply. Tough on terror, coercive diplomacy are all catchy slogan which ensured votes during the 2009 general election, beyond that they have achieved Zilch.

This morning out off curiosity  I used to Google to see what the results would be thrown up with this search “Articles on David Coleman Headley 26/11 Mumbai terror attack links in Indian publication”……………………………………. 51,300…India pages

“Articles on David Coleman Headley 26/11 Mumbai terror attack links in other publication”……………………………………………. 725,000……World pages.

Not surprised at all imagine the quantum of information that is in the public domain, and I cannot even imagine how much more must be with the Government of India and USA. Then why is it that we have still not been able to bring a closure to 26/11? Is it lack of political will power? Geopolitical reasons! Or is it that we just do not want to.

Contrast this with the Times Square failed bombing earlier this year. The suspect was apprehended, interrogated, charged produced before the court of Law and punished. We are still grappling with 1 terrorist caught red handed. It has been turned into a spectacle instead of justice for the victims he has become a sharp knife who pierces the hearts of the kin of victims and martyrs everyday. Two years we have not been able to close this chapter.

We have exchanged dossiers with Pakistan is that how we intend to bring perpetrators to justice? It is not going to happen. Have we exercised all our options? Again the answer is No. We have heard enough and more statements from our Union Home Minister they are repetitive in nature and shall yield no results. People of this country are waiting for past 2 years, and our government instead has tried to enter into a dialogue with Pakistan, as if cross border terror can be eliminated by this process. Government had to beat a hasty retreat from this path in the face of intense public pressure against this approach.

We just seem to be going around in circles with no end in sight. Justice for victims does not seem to be a high priority. Given the levels of corruption that we have unearthed recently in the present setup there is not much hope that we are well protected and safe in our own country from any and every marauding merchant of death.  

I would like to conclude with a wishful thought. I want to see that day in India when our political class is moving around without its accompaniment of Black Cat Commandos or roads being blocked to ensure their unhindered passage. That is the day when I would be able to say yes I am safe in my country. 

This link is for views from People of Pakistan on 26/11

Twitter @ sandybansal This is why I dont support Indo-Pak dialogue.Just look at what people of Pakistan have say regarding 26/11



Other recommended readings from this blogpost:

Is war with Pakistan a viable option?

I would like to share what I wrote on 28th December 2008 in response to debate on NDTV "Why War is not an option?"

Has anything changed after 26/11/2008?

What does America have to hide?

Do we have it in us??

Shah Mehmood Qureshi no lone ranger or loose cannon

Pakistan upto old tricks on Kashmir
by Pankaj Vohra on Wednesday, September 29, 2010
.... http://disq.us/nspdy

“The Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi seems to be determined that the India Pakistan relations do not improve.” This is a hilarious premise, if we are to accept this, it would effectively cast Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the mould of a lone ranger or a loose cannon, which he most definitely is not.

Needless to say a Minister for Foreign affairs enunciates, and propagates the foreign policy of the nation which is the end result of a process of discussions, and debates arrived at after receiving inputs from various quarters, is not necessarily a single individual’s handiwork or thinking.

Yes there is an overt display of machismo, bluster and loudness in the conduct of Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, despite all these qualities he in his personal capacity would not be able to derail or enhance the relationship should the Government of Pakistan desire improvement of ties with India or vice versa. That would be giving him credit far beyond his capabilities. Improvement of relations with Pakistan, are not incumbent on who occupies the office of Foreign Minister in Pakistan.

It would be a fallacy to believe that Kashmir issue has not already been internationalized; it was so done when India took the matter to UN. The resolution if any is to be arrived at on a bilateral basis and not through the intervention or mediation by a third party. It would be far more prudent to look within, rather than look at Pakistan or the personality of the person that we would engage with from Pakistan.

We are guilty of oscillating from one extreme to the other. Either we are thumping are our chests ventilating fire and brimstone or it is all mushy mushy stuff. In all these years we have not developed a pragmatic Pakistan policy. While Pakistan has a very clear and defined policy which is conclusion of 1947 add to that the humiliation of 1971.

We have had our opportunities which were unfortunately frittered away, 1971 is a prime example. This can only be explained by our ambivalence, that is big brother approach, time will heal the wounds or sheer romanticism exemplified by Mr. I.K Gujral and others who held candle light vigils at the Wagha border. We have failed to factor in the realities of what drives Pakistan to base its relation with us. Being unaware would be excusable; ignoring those is the cardinal sin that we have committed.

Militancy unleashed in Kashmir in 1989 onwards was another manifestation of its desire to wrest Kashmir, this was successfully thwarted by our brave soldiers, here again it was treated in isolation and not included in the bigger picture. Events of November 26th 2008 is a paradigm shift, which begged a very robust reaction from India, we let ourselves down as always. Undoubtedly this was under tremendous pressure exerted by USA. The response of our government to events of 26/11 has established for all times to come that we are a meek and a weak nation. The utterance for domestic consumption may have been belligerent yet they lacked conviction and large portions of the civil society resigned itself to the fact that no retribution was on the cards.

The incumbent Prime Minister has not helped matters either by his formulations.

1. Boundaries cannot be redrawn……….But they been done in Europe what makes us so unique? That it cannot be implemented in our region.

2. Talks are the only way forward……….This is perhaps the most disingenuous statement, not talking is also an option and it should be exercised.

3. India cannot achieve superpower status or our growth is being hampered by an unstable relationship with Pakistan. This effectively makes us hostage to Pakistan and this is not a reality. India has made tremendous progress despite a hostile environment that envelopes our region.

The above three points actually feed the aggressive instinct of our neighbour who is acting more like the common street corner bully than a mature nation seeking to co-exist. We cannot be burdening ourselves unnecessarily with responsibility of improving relations with an intransigent Pakistan.

It is time to devise a definite policy for conducting our relations with Pakistan, we need to first address the issue of terrorism and the areas of Kashmir occupied by Pakistan. We cannot be legitimizing its role in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Should we fail to deal with this situation now, the consequences and the attendant costs at a later date may prove to be exorbitant.

We have failed to appreciate the urgent need to resolve the Kashmir issue internally, the longer we take to conclude this amongst ourselves greater are the chances of Pakistan meddling and provoking the locals leading to repeating the events of the past three months. Kashmir is an internal matter and Pakistan has no role what so ever. India needs to be assertive if not aggressive.

Has anything changed after 26/11/2008

One year later! How do I feel? Betrayed, helpless, vulnerable, hopeless! Yes all these emotions are true and part of me. Nothing has changed, the Government is still moving as directionless as it has always been.

The outward calm is deceptive. We are just as angry, hurt and outraged even after one year. The most significant aspect of 26/11/2008 was that the Phantom had come alive amidst us in flesh and blood and was causing mayhem at will.

His choice of route was audacious yet predictable, since this was where he presumed was least likely to be detected and apprehended. Previously IEDs were the favored mode of attack, the political parties, twisted facts, painted them in suitable colors, shades which we were compelled to accept, since there was no counter argument that we could have made to the thesis presented.

The outrage and frustration was that our nation had been attacked in a commando style operation. Our reaction was not in keeping with the gravity of the situation. We were facing systemic shortcoming and comparing those with the large retinue of men clad in black, armed to teeth protecting an elected MP or a MLA. The Aam adami woke up to realize the false hood that he was important in the scheme of things. He did not count for much he was expendable.

The 5 star hotels are not the preserve of the middle class yet this was the class which was most vocal, enhanced sense of betrayal, inability to contribute and an extended siege added to a sense of vulnerability as also an acute awareness that terrorism had been upgraded qualitatively in terms of target selections, man power employed and the duration. If he was fortunate not be a victim this time, he had no guarantee that next time he would be equally lucky. Our previous experience of collecting body parts and ferrying the injured to hospitals for a couple of hours after every explosion, this attack did not follow the set pattern, the future became absolutely uncertain, with nothing on the horizon to occupy ourselves with, which could help us to cover our grief and helplessness.

The system is rotten to the core, disenchantment with the political parties is a fact, the change can only come about, if and when we attack the fiefdoms that have been carved out across the country, urban areas do not and cannot dent the fortunes of the political parties enough to unseat them from power, since the larger share of seats are in the rural areas.

Country with the 3rd largest Army in the world, has been made to surrender its right to retaliate and exact a price for the attack on its sovereignty. The space between war at one end and composite dialogue at the opposite end of the spectrum, offers many other options which have not been explored leave alone being implemented. The overeager and prompt acceptance of the terrorist being “Non State Actors” flies in the face of logic.

The confused state of the government in the immediate aftermath of the attack did nothing to reassure the population of this country. If it was all options open one moment, the next was war is not an option and yet in the following breath we were back to the former.

A nation of vast resource and potential, which has pretensions of marching towards a global power Status, is being perceived as a pygmy state by the neighbors and the world at large.

No purposeful, focused investigation was done, lest it bring forth awkward questions, leading to adverse electoral results in the General Elections which were due in May 2009.

Hurried closer was need of the hour, which was accomplished by projecting the capture of 1 terrorist alive in the course of the attack. This became the symbol of a strong resolute government at the centre, sufficient to ensure victory in the Elections. All lacunae were papered over, having secured the mandate from the people this was a convenient stick to beat anyone and everyone who dared to questioned the failures and the inept handling of the crisis on 26/11/2008.

Nothing has changed on the ground, accountability is still missing! The cry for justice is getting louder by the day. Due heed should be paid to this cry, the society needs it urgently. The framers of laws must also be seen to be within the ambit of the same laws.


Updated on 26th Nov 2013

My Twitter coverage of the 26/11 attacks Sachin Kalbag

I was with Mail Today in Delhi during the November 26, 2008 terror attack on Mumbai. On Nov 27, the editor sent me to Mumbai. While filing stories for the paper, I suddenly remembered my Twitter account (on Nov 28). Twitter was new to us. Some may look abrupt as I was filing stories all the time.