Jul

27

Top 10 ways for India to combat terrorist incidences

July 27, 2008 posted by indiatime |

With multiple succesive serial bomb blasts occuring daily in highly populated Indian metros, India, is now ever so softer target for terrorists as never before. Indian investigative agencies excel in postmortem investigations, but they lack the intelligence arm that would allow them the luxury of a warning signal before anything bad happens. Until then, here are my ten suggestions for the metropolitican public in India that feels vulnerable and defenseless against sudden terrorist strikes.

1. Community watches : No matter how the terrorist build the bomb, they need to deliver it. Major tragedies canbe averted and lives can be saved, if they’re caught or at least seen before delivering it. India’s metros have community groups like Ganesh festival groups in Mumbai or Durga Pooja groups in Kolkata. These civilian groups can take it upon themselves to watch every nook and public corner of their communities for any unusual activity. A million watchful eyes are better than those of a handful of cops.

2. CCTV :Many western metros are now completely under the coverage of closed circuit TV cameras, catching everything that goes on in public. With top priorities like terrorism, financing such measures should not be an issue. As long as the CCTV comnaies are not owned by those in the parliament.

3. Education police :India’s cops are still under-educated about terror watches and activities and need a lot more orienting their minds towards identifying situations. A good watchful cop can save a thousand lives in a big metro before an incidence happens. The cops also need to be trained in emergency measures after such incidences, something that can help reduce or minimize casualties.

4. Educating Public :They say public has a short memory and whoever they are, they are so damn right. Add to that TV media with a short memory and you have a slumber party of sorts going on with people back to their happy-go-lucky weekend. Indian public still does not fuly comprehend the motives of the perpetrators who wish to destroy the Indian way of life.

5. Educating politicians :Within minutes of the blasts, members of the ruling coalition were seen speaking about the Gujarat state government’s law and order capabilities. That’s a dangerous thing to do. These smooth-talking congress-loyalists seemed like they were taking political advantage of a heinous tragedy. That’s just plain wrong. It may be a political issue later, especially during the elections, but this, here and today, is no place and time for that.

6. Quick, forceful and swift justice : Home minister Patil expressed sympathy and support for the victims of the tragedies. The only thing that can bring a semblance of a smile on those faces is if the people who destroyed their lives are brought to face a swift and sharp justice. Words, especially the mumbling ones, from the home minister would mean very little.

7. Border security : India’s threat is not home-grown terrorism but the one that is cross-border, insurgent and supprted by the neighboring rogue nation that the entire planet knows to be the breeding ground of world terrorism. India needs to seal its border with Pakistan, down to a milimeter, literally, no matter how hard that task is.

8. Taking charge :It is often said that offense is the best defense. That adage is true of wars as well. While a big nation might perceive terrorist threats as ‘threats’, the terrorists view these things as their ‘wars’. India needs to adapt itself to that thinking where it starts thinking of these threats as ‘military attacks’. For those who argue that the terrorist do not represent a state nation but a mentality, the only thing I would say is to stop kidding themselves.

9. Economic and cultural isolation :India needs to economically and culturally isolate those who support and fund the tragedies that claim Indian citizens’ lives every day. We play cricket with Pakistan in the morning and a few hours later we tell the world it is a terrorist nation. People’re thinking we’re either foolish or just plain paranoid.

10. Military action : This is the only decisive, final and long-tem solution that will free India of a terrorist issue for generations to come. Doctors will tell you that the best way to address a threatening cancer is most often surgery or nuclear medicine. India can get back to its yogic and meditation techniques for later rehabilitation.


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1 Comment so far

  1. Combating Terrorism | DesiPundit on July 28, 2008 7:47 pm

    [...] the sense of security going for a toss in India with the recent blasts, Indiatime looks at the top 10 ways for the nation to combat such terrorist incidences. I would simply ask for political will and the rest will fall into [...]

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