 |
|
Goof-up, or a lapse? Tax holiday Blasting safety norms |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Maritime counter-terrorism
Happy New Year
Indo-Pak ties need to be warmer Defence notes
|
Goof-up, or a lapse? IT is a shocking slip on the part of the Union Home Ministry to have put out an entirely unfounded alert of another impending tsunami strike. The communication triggered waves of panic in the southern coastal areas and the Andamans and Nicobar Islands, sent a disaster-stricken people fleeing in panic and disrupted rescue and relief efforts. The armed forces, acting on the false alert, started mass evacuation from the Nicobar islands, which is one of the worst hit by the tsunami of December 26. Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa were made to cut short their scheduled visits to the affected areas. The Home Ministry’s goof-up was not just irresponsible. That said, the panic and confusion is replete with lessons, the most important one being the need for better coordination – not just to preclude a repeat of the cruel joke the false alarm turned out to be but also to ensure that rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts are executed with method and thoroughness. The effect of the unwarranted alert, especially amidst a situation of such crisis, should serve as a warning about the vulnerability of the command and control system entrusted with disaster management. The first step is to ensure that the men at the core of the mission are not at the receiving end of multiple messages or confusing signals from more than one ministry. The operational coordination must have clear and unambiguous lines of communication. Any information must be vetted for authenticity as well as plausibility before being circulated down the line to those engaged in rescue and relief. The unfortunate incident, no doubt, underscores the need for a credible warning system, but it suggests much more. It is a wake-up call for acquiring the necessary preparedness to evaluate messages and act with a robust efficacy that inspires confidence and does not spread panic. |
|
Tax holiday WHEN agriculture production reached a plateau in Punjab, it was obvious that the only way out of the stagnation was rapid industrialisation of the agrarian state. Things kicked off promisingly, but soon degeneration set in, so much so that leave alone attracting new industry, the state witnessed the humiliating spectacle of flight of industry. One permanent whipping boy for this failure was the presence of tax-free haven in the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh. Since some of the industries were indeed shifting to the hill state, the grouse seemed to have a genuine tinge. The anger of Punjab on this count was so acute that at one stage it had even threatened to levy entry tax on goods manufactured in Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal Pradesh. Well, Punjab’s strong protests and the Chief Minister’s lobbying with the central leadership have borne fruit and it has managed to obtain a similar incentive. But a lot more needs to be done to attract new industries to the state and also to make the existing ones continue to operate from within its boundaries. A tax holiday is a major attraction no doubt but that alone is not enough to change the industrial atmosphere dramatically. The entrepreneurs also have other items on their compulsory wish-list, the most prominent being infrastructure and freedom from corruption and inspector raj. The Chief Minister and senior officials have been striving to fulfil these mandatory requirements but the message is yet to percolate down to the district level. As far as the target areas are concerned, Punjab has already earmarked its priorities. Information technology is going to be the kingpin. A close second comes the entertainment industry. What must be realised is that in a free economy, a competitor is not an enemy but a running mate that eggs you on to a better performance. The two must now aim to enhance the exports from the entire region. A larger tax-free area will benefit both Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. |
|
Blasting safety norms THREE persons were killed in a steel furnace blast in Ludhiana. At Mandi Gobindgarh, the number was the same, and again a furnace was to blame. Actually, responsibility lies with the owners and supervisors of the industrial units, to ensure that safety norms are
observed. Too many workers are dying because of lack of vigilance on the part of authorities whose sins of omission and commission are legion. It is an open secret that smelters in Punjab have been importing loose scrap from war-stricken areas in Africa and West Asia. Such scrap is cheaper than the rest, as there are fewer takers for it. A primary reason for that is the “explosive remnants of war” that get left behind and are often also exported along with other scrap. Many a time, it has been found that the scrap contained munitions that pose a danger to the public at large. Given the volume involved, it is not practicable to screen every container at ports. However, this should be done before deliveries are made, since once it gets out of the custom warehouse, little can be done to check its use. At times local traders have taken such materials and dumped them in riverbeds or other remote places, thereby endangering the public. The way safety norms and even pollution norms are flouted by these units is simply appalling. The Ludhiana tragedy is apparently because of a gas cylinder burst. Basic safety precautions could have prevented the mishap. There should be an inquiry to investigate this and other recent blasts in smelting units, causes identified and responsibility fixed. Strict action must be taken against the guilty. Industrial units are meant to be means of livelihood, not venues of death and destruction. |
|
In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream — H. Jackson Brown
|
Maritime counter-terrorism
COINCIDING with Navy Day, the Terrorism Watch Project of the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, organised an international workshop on Maritime Counter-Terrorism on November 29-30. Officers from the armed forces (mostly Naval and the Coast Guard) and non-governmental experts from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, the US and the International Maritime Bureau of London attended the workshop. The question that has been addressed here is: “Does the Army have a role in maritime counter-terrorism?” India has a 7,683 km coastline and about 630 small and big islands, mostly part of the Andaman and Nicobar group in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep group in the Arabian Sea. A large number of these islands are uninhabited. Our Exclusive Economic Zone comprises 2.01 million sq km, 97 per cent of our overseas trade and 80 per cent of oil (including off-shore Indian production) is sea-borne. Strategically, the Indian Ocean is vital to India’s security. It is important to most of the world due to heavy traffic of merchant and naval ships through its sea-lanes. Maritime terrorist activity in this part of the world has been on the increase for the last two decades. To name just a few, these have been gun-running activities of the LTTE since the 1980s and, more recently, of terrorist groups of Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh and India through the Malacca Straits, the attempted coup in the Maldives in 1988, hijacking of a Japanese boat in the Bay of Bengal (later rescued by the Indian Navy) and drug smuggling from the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle areas. With increased networking of terrorist groups and capabilities that are more devastating, this threat has now become a major security issue. It is for this reason that during Operation Enduring Freedom, the US sought, and was provided, Indian Naval assistance to escort its high-value ships passing through this area. Having been closely involved in the planning and conduct of Operation Pawan (Sri Lanka) and Operation Cactus (Maldives) and aware of gun-running activities along the Bay of Bengal coastline to the East, I have learnt four major lessons. One, terrorism and counter-terrorism, like other low-intensity conflicts, must be considered as a part of total conflict spectrum, which implies the following: You may not know exactly what types of weapons and equipment are likely to be used by terrorists. These days everything is available and can be procured from the market or other such sources. Such events and situations are prone to escalation in time and space. Operational planning, therefore, must be seamless and cater for all contingencies. Two, in any conflict situation, one must apply optimal and the most effective system or combination of systems which can get the best and fastest results. It does not matter whether they are part of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard or a para-military force. There must be a holistic, multi-disciplinary and integrated approach, not only with regard to the security forces but also on political, legal, diplomatic, and media issues. That is the only way one can conduct a seamless operation. Three, intelligence is the key to any operational success. But getting impeccable intelligence in counter-terrorist operations is about the most difficult thing in intelligence operations. Nine/eleven need not be the only example to be cited. One can cite scores of examples from not just India but all over the world. Therefore, one must be more prepared for surprises and flexibility in all counter-terrorist operations. Intelligence has to be gathered from the maximum possible resources and then collated and assessed. All civil and military intelligence resources have a role in that. Four, in most counter-terrorist operations, whether on land, sea or in air, the special forces of the armed forces or para-military forces are in the vanguard. This is unlikely to change. In India, there is a plethora of special forces with overlapping roles and capabilities. The Army has special forces battalions, well equipped and well trained to undertake conventional and unconventional operations. In the latter role, they can launch intelligence operations; infiltrate into terrorist operations, target enemy or terrorist headquarters, commanders, missile sites, ammunition or fuel dumps, communication centres and so on. The Navy has the Marine Commando Force (MARCOS). Their role includes reconnaissance, raids, and counter-terrorist operations in a maritime environment; protection of offshore oil platforms, anti-hijacking/ piracy operations, conducting swift amphibious raids, attack on harbour facilities, and any sabotage task. The National Security Guard has the Special Action Group (SAG) comprising Army personnel on deputation. They are trained to neutralise specific terrorist threats, handle hijack situations in the air and on land, and rescue kidnapped hostages. They have state of the art surveillance gadgetry and other equipment. The Air Force raised the Garud Commando Force recently. It is essential that these forces belonging to separate services are maintained at a very high level of alertness and be capable of inter- operability. They must be able to communicate with each other at different levels and also carry out joint/combined training periodically. Counter-terrorist operations on the high seas may not require immediate Army support, particularly when the Navy has got its own Marine Commando Force. But when maritime terrorists are on the run, they will invariably move towards hideouts on land. This could be an island, or anywhere along the main coastline. As you get closer to the seashores, the chances of taking assistance of the Army (Special Forces) or asking it to conduct larger operations will tend to increase. Similarly, while on the high seas, near the coastline or on the mainland, there could be a requirement of aerial surveillance with fighter aircraft or Unarmed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) of the Air Force. A seamless planning is, therefore, necessary to cater for such an eventuality. A few situations when the Special Forces or other Army contingents may have to participate in maritime counter-terrorist operations could be like this: Eliminate terrorists who may have taken over remote, un-inhabited or weakly-held island(s). Eliminate terrorists involved in gun-running and drug traffic. Protect vital coastal or offshore installations — airport, radar or satellite stations. Holding key points on the shore on a bottleneck like the Malacca Straits. Intelligence gathering and keeping a watch on criminal-terrorist networks. In all counter-terrorist operations, whether on land, sea or in the air, we must utilise our resources optimally. It is essential to build inter-operability among all forces who may be required to carry out such tasks. n The writer is a former Chief of Army Staff. |
Happy New Year
I
have been known as a pull-back artiste all my life and I quite like the description. It fits me like a tight lycra jumpsuit which reveals the contours tantalisingly but never exposes them fully. Frankly, it is true that through these years (which now add up to a nice round figure), I have pulled back many times from the jaws of victory to savour the success of defeat. I have pulled back so that I don’t get ahead of others. And, I have avoided distinction so that I could be common. In fact, I have gone to the brink repeatedly and then pulled back in the nick of time. I won’t (can’t?) go the whole hog. I have also built up plenty of excitement in my life, and around it, too, but then clamped the lid before the dramatic climax can take place. In sum, it has been a long story of pull-backs at the eleventh second of the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour. It requires the flourish of a superb artiste to go to the water and not drink. I have the flourish. Pull-backs require roll-overs. Now, there is a subtle connection between the two. Simply put it means daring to undo what you have painstakingly done, and then being happy about it. It means rolling over from one position to another or from one moment of time to another and then doing the back flip. It is a continual state of back and forward movement that entails activity that doesn’t take you anywhere. Not going anywhere is a state of bliss. I have been in this state of bliss. I suppose the affliction is congenital, and, possibly, terminal too. And if it is, I am happy to be doubly blessed. The boon has given me gain. One of my long-standing girlfriends was all ready to take the final step with me but I quit at the altar. She quietly pulled back her plans of holy matrimony and rolled over to being a “good friend.” It has been years but she says that she loves me more for it. My pull-back got her a good friend instead of a bad husband. I still romance her but the roll-over to loving her is a far cry for me. Whatever my condition then or now, I have been very happy with it. Every time it is January 1, it is pull-back time. I just pull-back from the misery part of it and roll over to happy one. Dates, months and old and new years are for those who like to keep count and divide the flow of time statistically. I let it go on uninterrupted. After all, how does it matter if the year is new or old, if it is not happy? |
Indo-Pak ties need to be warmer Frantically leafing through the pages of his well-travelled passport the former World Bank official pauses to scrutinise his recently acquired Indian visa. “It doesn’t say exempt from police registration,” he worries aloud. A Pakistani American who has spent over four decades living in the United States, Mr Memon has volunteered to be part of a delegation of Indian and Pakistani expatriates which will be travelling to India and Pakistan this week on a “peace and goodwill mission”. “When the immigration people (in India) see my place of birth they’re going to bother me,” the Pakistan-born Mr Memon predicts. “I suspect the Indians have the same concerns about travelling to Pakistan. The first step should be to break this barrier of fear.” Despite a publicised thaw in relations between the two neighbours the prospect of planning a visit to India for people of Pakistani origin, and to Pakistan for people of Indian origin, sends shivers down most South Asian spines. Born in Tamil Nadu, John Prabhudoss is executive director of the Washington-based Policy Institute for Religion and State and a part of the mission. “We had to pull all kinds of strings to get our visas,” he says. While a former Pakistani Prime Minister helped fast-track visas to his country, Mr Prabhudoss says the Indian government dragged its heels when it came to issuing visas to Pakistani expatriates in the peace delegation. The two-week visit will include stops in Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Wagah, Amritsar, Delhi, Calcutta, Jammu, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The delegation has members from the US, Britain and Canada. The purpose of the visit is to “help create understanding among the people in the region… to meet with them and their leaders,” says Mr Prabhudoss. “People of Indian and Pakistani origin living away from their home countries have an inalienable right and obligation to actively promote peace, mutual trust and understanding between the two South Asian neighbours.” Indians and Pakistanis, divided by a physical border and politics at home, invariably shed their differences once out of the subcontinent. From sharing rooms at university dormitories to sharing ideas at successful business partnerships the expatriate communities have shown that peaceful co-existence is possible. Over a recent lunch of chicken curry, karahi paneer, daal and rice a group of Indian and Pakistani peace delegates animatedly discussed their mission. “We get along so well here… we want people back home to see that,” says Samuel Parvez Mall, formerly with Pakistan Television. Mr Tufail Ahmed, a resident of Potomac, Maryland, agrees. Born in Allahabad, he migrated to Pakistan in 1958 and then to the US in 1973. “When I travel in India and Pakistan the young people always ask me: ‘Uncle, why can’t Indians and Pakistanis come together here like you do in America,’” he says. Besides meeting with the political leadership, the delegation will interact with various NGOs, peace activists, women’s groups and academics and student leaders. The mission is entirely financed by the delegates. “We wanted to remain neutral and non-partisan,” Mr Prabhudoss explains. Mr Mall says he was willing to shell out his share of over $4,000 for the trip “because I think each of us here had an advantage over the average India or Pakistani — and sitting here in America, we can be more objective. I feel we can make a difference.” India is the focus of another delegation from the US — a high-level group of Indian Americans travelling under the aegis of the American India Foundation. The group, which will visit from January 6-12, will include AIF co-chair Victor Menezes, senior vice chairman Citigroup, and will be visiting a variety of non-profit organisations that are working in the fields of primary education and women’s economic empowerment. The trip will include stops in Mumbai, Bagli (close to Indore), Hyderabad and Delhi. The AIF has raised over $18 million for its grants and programmes and has partnered with over 40 NGOs in India working in the areas of education and livelihood. “It is vital that our US leadership gets a direct sense of the work we are doing in India,” says Pradeep Kashyap, executive director of AIF in New York City. “What’s more important, it will give an opportunity for the AIF’s senior supporters in India and the US to meet and discuss how AIF can most effectively work to accelerate social and economic change in India.” While in the subcontinent, the “peace and goodwill” delegation intends to steer clear of contentious issues that afflict the relationship between India and Pakistan. “We’re not going there to provide solutions,” said Mr Prabhudoss. “We want to vitalise a track two level of interaction between the people. If they ask us about Kashmir, we can give our personal opinion.” |
|
Defence notes by Girja Shankar Kaura THE recent decision of the US Government to supply over $ 1.2 billion worth of arms and defence equipment to Pakistan has not only irked the Indian Government but has also prompted it to take additional security measures. On November 16 the US Government informed the US Congress of its intentions to finalise an arms sale totalling $ 1.2 billion to Pakistan. Among the equipment that is to be sold to Pakistan are the Orion PC-3 surveillance aircraft and TOW missiles, which would to some extent reduce the gap that India had widened recently with its purchases. The US administration has notified the US Congress of the proposed sale of 8 PC-3C aircraft and 2000 TOW-2A missiles, 14 TOW-2A missiles as well as associated equipment and services at a combined cost of $ 1052 million. Although the Indian defence forces are fully prepared to take on the enhanced capability of Pakistan but the government proposes to take some additional security measures, which would include not only purchasing more defence equipment to counter Pakistan’s new acquisitions but also start the manufacture of the same within the country. Officials at the MoD said that the government was already working on this front and would take appropriate steps soon.
Shortage of officers Shortage of officers has always been a problem with the armed forces, specially the Army. But this shortage has been steadily increasing and at present there is a shortage of as many as 11709 officers in the Army with the Navy following suit with 1060 and the Air Force with 470. Although vacancies have been existent in varying degrees in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force since 1950, 1953 and 1985, respectively, but the shortage has been felt more now with more avenues opening up for the youth of the country. The problem is particularly severe in the Army with the majority of shortage being at the level of Major and below. Several steps have been taken by the three services to fill up the vacant posts. The image projection campaign by the Army had been launched in 1997 and currently phase-IV of the campaign is being finalised. In addition, seminars, lectures and presentations are organised by the recruiting officers at schools and colleges in order to motivate the youth to join the Army. The training capacity of the Army has been increased to facilitate increased intake. Sustained publicity efforts are being undertaken by the Air Force to attract talented and qualified youth into the officers cadre. Almost 3,000 schools and colleges are on the mailing list for sending publicity material. Campus interviews are undertaken by qualified assessors from selection boards so as to interact directly with potential candidates and answer their queries about the service. Schools and colleges are visited regularly for motivational talks. But it will still take time for all the shortages to be filled in all the three services. |
Truth, patience, power to contemplate, mixed with the nectar of name supreme, they make a sweet of high esteem, which serves as creatures’ tonic food to keep them healthy, strong, and good. — The Sikhism There is something common to all living beings from the highest to the lowest, irrespective of species, caste or creed. We have all been created by God and this must never be forgotten. In His eyes, we are all equal. Our human facilities create differences among us. — The Bhagvad Gita  |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
WASHINGTON: Ali Nawaz Memon is worried about visiting India.