The Sunday Tribune

Petri-dish terrorism
Jayanti Roy

Bio-Weapons: The Genie in the Bottle
by Ajey Lele.
Lancer Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi.
Pages 190. Rs 595.

The threat of using biological organisms to cause casualties to the enemy or bio warfare burst upon the world as a terrorising reality with the anthrax attacks in the US immediately after 9/11. A whole series of anthrax events shockingly highlighted the unpreparedness of the most advanced country in the world in curbing a bio-weapon attack and the 1ack of know1edge of the general masses about bio-terrorism. It can be due to the fact that the bio-defence programme has always been dominated by the nuclear and chemical defence projects.

Bio-weapons have several advantages over other traditional weapons. These are relatively inexpensive, self-producing and can inflict a large number of casualties over a wide area with minimum effort. Above all, its perpetrators can never be detected until they wish to disclose their secret themselves. It is for these facts that ignorance about bio-weapons and not giving them due importance can only aggravate the vulnerability of a population to any such disaster.

This book covers the lacunae of general ignorance in a relevant manner and successfully brings about a greater awareness about the dicey problem of bio-terrorism.

The book ensures a well researched and organised reading and, above all, gives due consideration to the reader’s convenience. The format of the book is reader friendly. Each chapter neatly fits into the larger theme.

The references are quoted in a flawless, professional manner. The appendices are relevant and thoughtfully included. The author has liberally picked up inputs from various websites. However, he has acknowledged this and has taken pains to quote each of them as footnotes or separately. The Indian point of view, perspective and Indian case studies are discussed along with the worldview, thus giving a holistic picture.

The style of the book is lucid and a person without training in biology or defence issues can not only comprehend it easily but also enjoy reading it. Ajey Lele’s background as defence analyst working on issues related to weapons of mass destruction has helped him. However, his competency in presenting and linking the information in a simple way needs to be appreciated.

Certain facts and ideas have been included in the book, which adds to the knowledge of a common reader and makes him or her interested in the subject. The first documented case of bio-warfare happened in France in 1340 when some attackers catapulted dead animals into a castle. The defenders could not endure the abominable stink and negotiated a truce.

The author expresses an apprehension that the recent plague at Surat might have been an act of bio-terrorism. The government’s defence science adviser’s report on this issue has not yet been made public. Even in case of SARS, bio-terrorism could be a plausible cause. The author brings up another thought that the worst bio-terrorist is actually "Nature" endlessly assaulting life with novel bio-weapons.