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It’s Pak responsibility
Anger and democracy
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Disabled deserve dignity
Prevent repeat of Mumbai
Remembering Taj
Sovereignty can’t be excuse
Iran launches economic restructuring
Delhi Durbar
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It’s Pak responsibility
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, it seems, is unable to realise the gravity of the situation that has arisen after the November 26 terrorist attack on India’s commercial capital. That is why he is not taking seriously India’s demand to hand over to it the 20 most wanted terrorists roaming around in Pakistan.
Denying Pakistan’s involvement in the Mumbai mayhem, he said during his appearance in the CNN’s “Lary King Live” programme on Tuesday that he would try them in Pakistani courts if he had proof against their involvement in terrorist violence in India. Hafiz Sayeed of the Lashkar-e-Taiyaba, Masood Azhar of the Jaish-e-Mohammed and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, whose names appear in India’s list of the Most Wanted, have earned enough notoriety for their destructive activities. India has provided sufficient proof to establish their crimes. Yet Pakistan is not prepared to act against them. This is the height of irresponsibility on the part of a neighbour. These and other such “non-state actors”, as Mr Zardari prefers to describe them, have put Pakistan is in the dock. He is mistaken if he thinks that Pakistan can escape the responsibility of eliminating the terrorist menace from its soil. These elements cannot be allowed to hold the world as hostage. Contrary to what Islamabad has promised many times in the past, these “non-state actors” continue to use Pakistan’s territory to indulge in terrorism. Islamabad has to be held accountable for not honouring its commitment. The Mumbai carnage, in which many countries other than India have lost innocent lives, has hopefully awakened the world to find a collective answer to the terrorist problem with its epicentre in Pakistan. If Pakistan is incapable of properly governing any area under its control, the international community has to intervene to bring the “non-state actors” to justice. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has pointed out that the time has come for a “robust response” from Pakistan. Nothing less than transparent, effective, “direct and tough” action can satisfy the global community. Pakistan so far has been fooling the world by not tackling the terrorist outfits effectively. This can no longer be allowed by India, or the world. |
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Anger and democracy
On Wednesday, exactly a week after the day of the terror attack on Mumbai, Indians poured their hearts out in an unprecedented show of solidarity and support. Mumbaikars rallied to the cause, in thousands, at the Gateway of India while people in other cities – Lucknow, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and Delhi – also gathered for peace marches. The spontaneous outpouring of people turned the proposed candlelight vigils for peace into a massive expression of protest against the politicians. The depth of feelings aroused by the attack on Mumbai is understandable and has served to bring together people across divisions of caste, community, creed, language, culture and class. This is, indeed, positive. Yet the mobilisation of people, especially the young, on such a scale would be wasted if it does not result in greater awareness of the climate and conditions in which terrorism takes root.
Terrorism is not new to either India or Mumbai. However, never before has it brought out anger of this nature. Reasons for anger coming out on to the streets are many and valid. Also, protest is essential in a democracy. While there are certainly limits to protest, the issues against which people protest should not be limited. The attack on Mumbai has drawn a resounding affirmation that ‘India is with Mumbai’. In reciprocation, Mumbai can harness the energy and motivation stirred by the protest to spread greater awareness of the many terrors and forms of terrorism that stalk large parts of India and to which a majority of the population has been hostage to. That would be redemptive, and a purposeful way to channel the protests. With the focus on Mumbai, Mumbaikars can now lead the way to draw attention to the many perils manifest elsewhere -- from the unending siege in Kashmir and the October blasts in Assam which killed over 86 people to the exclusion of Muslims in Gujarat and the onslaught on Christians in Orissa. No one doubts that Mumbai’s heart beats for India. But it is important for Mumbai to also demonstrate this, at critical times, to the India that is with Mumbai. That is a test of political leadership. for which the financial capital should prepare by building on the upsurge of feelings it has created. If the anger of Mumbaikars stirs the governments at the Centre and in the states and politicians of all hues to direct their plans and energies to tackle one of the most serious threats to the country, it will have served its purpose. |
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Disabled deserve dignity
As a host of functions across the country marked World Disability Day, let the nation also remember that in its race to move ahead, it has clearly left a vast chunk of its people behind for no fault of theirs. By conservative estimates, 6 per cent of the Indian population is disabled and most of them are virtually consigned to their fate.
The needs of the disabled, be it in the shrinking urban space or policy planning, are completely ignored. Governmental apathy and societal neglect have led to their exclusion and getting them pushed to a marginalised existence, placing them at the sufferance of others. Laws like the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995 were framed to enable the disabled to lead a life of dignity. Two years ago, the Central Government adopted the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, which recognises the value of people with disabilities. But the ground reality reveals gaping holes. While a shortage of money and manpower plagues many programmes meant for the rehabilitation of the disabled, education and employment -- both key factors in empowerment -- are still denied to the majority of those who are challenged for one reason or another. Though huge sums have been earmarked as incentives for the private sector for providing regular employment to the disabled, the corporate sector is oblivious of its social responsibility. According to a World Bank report, in the decade 1991-2002, there has been a 5 per cent drop in the employment of the disabled in India. There is an urgent need to delink the disability issue from charity and ensure the integration of the disabled as productive members of society. Apart from giving them vocational training, modern-day technology must be put to use to educate them. Individual efforts and NGOs can also play a constructive role. However, the defining part can only be essayed by a socially conscious society, which must stop looking down on those who need to be embraced. |
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Punctuality is the virtue of the bored. — Evelyn Waugh
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Prevent repeat of Mumbai
With sickening and alarming regularity, terrorism has struck once again India’s commercial capital and its modern-day pride, Mumbai, leaving nearly 200 dead and many injured. It was a very deliberate and highly organised terrorist operation executed with military-like precision.
Combined action by our security forces — the Army, the Navy, the National Security Guards (NSG), the Air Force and the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad — was launched speedily and professionally with adequate synergy to eliminate or nab the perpetrators of this heinous crime. India’s worst terrorist strike was brought to an end with the intensive counter-terrorism operations, which lasted nearly 60 agonising hours with the attention of the entire world focused on India’s 9/11. However, the frequent occurrence of such incidents across the length and breadth of the country makes the otherwise hard-pressed intelligence agencies and police forces look like rank amateurs, near-helpless and predominantly reactive (it pains me immensely to state this as I was also involved somewhat in the security business as the first head of India’s Defence Intelligence Agency). We must appreciate that the phenomenon of terrorism is an inalienable part of our security scenario. The lethality coupled with the surprise element rests with terrorists, who have been inspired, trained, equipped and funded by certain countries inimical to India’s growing stature, both political and economic. They will continue to perpetuate such dastardly acts against Indian. We need to also understand that the war on terror has to be exclusively fought by us utilising our own genius and resources, and with no conscientious dissenters or political brownie-point scorers among us in this national endeavour. The utterances of some of our politicians even during these tragedy-driven days were nothing short of being despicable. With India’s growing linkages with the US, Israel and Afghanistan, we now will have to contend with increasingly greater threats from Al-Qaeda whose international footprint and terrorist innovativeness, including operational audacity, are growing by the day. Surprisingly, it has managed to win many converts in several countries, including governments and their security forces in the Islamic world. It will be, perhaps, premature to comment, in a definite manner, on the antecedents of the perpetrators of Mumbai’s latest terrorist strike, but the foreign hand is distinctly evident. The tactics employed and the equipment used smack of a classic operation by special forces and naval commandos, or forces suitably trained by these organisations, inspired by Pakistan-based Lashkar elements in concert with Al-Qaeda, which has many sanctuaries inside Pakistan to plot and execute its nefarious missions. The first images, as shown by one of the TV channels, of the terrorists in their flak jackets brandishing their automatic weapons clearly made them look like members of a special services group or those converts who have been specially trained by old professionals for such lightning raids. Stealthily moving in a mother ship across the Arabian Sea and then in trawlers or speed boats and subsequently getting into small inflatable motor-powered boats of the Gemini variety, after earlier possible reconnaissance missions, could not be the handiwork of some misguided youth or SIMI enthusiasts by any stretch of the imagination. No matter what Pakistan says this time, there was no indigenous local militant in this raid. The ever-pervasive hand of the old Mumbai underworld led by Pakistan’s main terrorist accomplice Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen can never be ruled out. Nevertheless, conjecture must never replace professional analysis. It appears that for once, with so many leads, including the bodies and weapons of dead terrorists available, our security agencies will be able to speedily unravel the details of this evil deed. It is the normal practice of sinister intelligence agencies like Pakistan’s infamous ISI and its proxy, Bangladesh’s Directorate of Forces Intelligence (the chief culprit in our North East), to cover their evil acts using innocuous-sounding names like the Indian Mujahideen or the Deccan Mujahideen, which has since owned responsibility for the Mumbai terrorist strike. They know and we know that it is all hogwash! Pakistan, which is widely acknowledged the world over, including by its US mentors, as the fountainhead of global terrorism and with its own existence as a stable nation now at stake, has much to ponder over if the ISI’s involvement gets proven by the many leads which will emerge in a few days from now. Even though the new Pakistan government under President Asif Zardari has been speaking the language of peace, but it lacks the ability to rein in the ISI and cut its connections with the Taliban-Al-Qaeda elements in Pakistan. Some semblance of improvement in our relations and peace and stability in the region are possible only when Islamabad is bale to tame the ISI. The reversal in the Pakistan government’s decision of sending the ISI chief to India to share information with our intelligence agencies shows its lack of control over the notorious agency, which still appears to be all powerful. Nevertheless, it will be rather naïve for India to expect Pakistan’s cooperation in the fight against terror. They are well on the path of self-destruction and let us leave them to their own fate as we have to ensure our security preparedness with great deliberation and sincerity. We need to send out a very strong message to Pakistan that “enough is enough” and the Government of India may consider taking some stern diplomatic steps. Meanwhile, the government has to carry out a totally holistic review of our security preparedness as regards internal security, and formulate a strategy to minimise such recurrences as the one in Mumbai on November 26. The fight against terror unquestionably lies along an arduous and a long road. It will only succeed if India determinedly implements a “ zero tolerance” policy towards it, enacts tough anti-terror laws and both the state governments and the Centre embark on this mission in a united and cohesive manner. Prophylactic and preventive measures against terrorist strikes must be given the maximum resources and attention at all levels, from the macro to the grassroots. Vigilance adopting all modern tools of surveillance, monitoring and interception covering the land, sea and aerial frontiers need to be put into place. Importantly, all security organs and intelligence agencies of the country must adopt an innovative and well-coordinated synergetic professional approach to combat this evil. Accountability must be given its due importance, for the country’s prestige and honour is at stake. The Americans after 9/11 have not had any recurrence of terrorist strikes and we need to thus replicate some of the measures (even if some of our civil liberties protagonists disapprove of these) they have adopted to ensure a safe environment. India must take the lead to get not only willing South Asian countries but the rest of the world also together to wage a successful battle against the scourge of terrorism. We owe it to ourselves and to humanity at
large. The writer was the first Chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency. |
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Remembering Taj
Last days of November have been highly disturbing. I have received messages regarding sudden death of two close friends in Mumbai which rattled me completely.
One of them, Ripudaman Singh, lived in Pall Hill Khar and used to visit me in my flat in Dhanraj Mahal close to the Taj Heritage Hotel. I lived in Dhanraj Mahal for about 11 years covering two service assignments during the days when Queen Elizabeth visited the hotel and was entertained in its crystal room.
My friend and his family had come to stay with me to have a close glimpse of Her Majesty when she visited the prestigious hotel during forenoon. Thanking me for the hospitality extended to him, he invited me and my wife for a buffet lunch in the Taj next day. The venue was the first-floor crystal room. It was spacious enough for marriage parties. The exquisite interior decor of this room with costly curtains, beautiful carpeting, precious glass items, rare paintings and above all the prompt and warm service impressed us more than the menu, including lobsters, prawns, tandoori chicken, roasted turkey, selected south Indian and Mughlai dishes and paronthas with varied fillings. This was our first visit to the Taj. Soon after I joined the Yacht Club which had its office close to the Taj. Many members of this club were British who used to stay on the Taj premises. This enabled me to meet them often in the Taj and have a glance at the magnitude of supply and maintenance organisation which went along with the running of this hotel. My friend had been a frequent visitor to that place even after I left Mumbai. He died as a result of gunshot injuries received during the terrorist attack while he was dining in the same crystal room where he entertained us warmly more than 40 years ago. He loved Goanese fish curry prepared in the Taj kitchen. Some terrorists were moving from room to room and floor to floor shooting at will. One victim with very serius stomach wounds and bleeding profusely was attended by a visiting doctor. Ripudaman was in the other corner, terror-stricken but hoping for things to improve. He tried to venture away to find out if there was any chance of safe exit from that side.
My friend died in the same majestic crystal room where he was a frequent visitor for
years. |
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Sovereignty can’t be excuse
We don’t think the world’s great nations and countries can be held hostage by non-state actors,” Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said Monday. Fair enough. But what is the world to do when those non-state actors operate from the territory of a state and are the creation of that state’s intelligence services? One can feel sympathy for Zardari’s plight. He and his new civilian government did not train or assist the Pakistani terrorist organisations that probably carried out last week’s attacks in
Mumbai. Nor is it his fault that Al-Qaida, the Taliban and other dangerous groups operate in Waziristan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of western Pakistan, from which they launch attacks on U.S. and European forces trying to bring peace to Afghanistan. For that we can thank elements of the Pakistani military, Pakistani intelligence and the late military dictatorship of Pervez
Musharraf. Reversing decades-old policies of support for these groups may be impossible for any Pakistani leader, especially when the only forces capable of rooting them out
are the same forces that created them and sustain them. So if the world is not to be held hostage by non-state actors operating from Pakistan, what can be done? The Bush administration is right to press Pakistan to cooperate fully with India’s investigation of the Mumbai attacks. But that may not have much effect. Pakistani intelligence services already have balked at sending their top official to India to help. Nor is mere cooperation by Pakistan likely to satisfy the outraged Indian people. They, like Americans after Sept. 11, 2001, want to see some action taken against the groups that carried out the attacks. So all the warnings in the world may not be enough to forestall an Indian attack, especially given the Indian government’s political vulnerability, even if it risks another Indo-Pakistani war. Rather than simply begging the Indians to show restraint, a better option could be to internationalise the response. Have the international community declare that parts of Pakistan have become ungovernable and a menace to international security. Establish an international force to work with the Pakistanis to root out terrorist camps in Kashmir as well as in the tribal areas. This would have the advantage of preventing a direct military confrontation between India and Pakistan.
It might also save face for the Pakistani government, since the international community would be helping the central government reestablish its authority in areas where it has lost it. But whether or not Islamabad is happy, don’t the international community and the United States, at the end of the day, have some obligation to demonstrate to the Indian people that we take attacks on them as seriously as we take attacks on ourselves? Would such an action violate Pakistan’s sovereignty? Yes, but nations should not claim sovereign rights when they cannot control territory from which terrorist attacks are launched. If there is such a thing as a “responsibility to protect,” which justifies international intervention to prevent humanitarian catastrophe either caused or allowed by a nation’s government, there must also be a responsibility to protect one’s neighbours from attacks from one’s own territory, even when the attacks are carried out by “non-state actors.” In Pakistan’s case, the continuing complicity of the military and intelligence services with terrorist groups pretty much shreds any claim to sovereign protection.
The Bush administration has tried for years to work with both the military and the civilian government, providing billions of dollars in aid and advanced weaponry. But as my Carnegie Endowment colleague Ashley Tellis has noted, the strategy hasn’t shown much success. After Mumbai, it has to be judged a failure.
Until now, the military and intelligence services have remained more interested in wielding influence in Afghanistan through the Taliban and fighting India in Kashmir through terrorist groups than in cracking down. Perhaps they need a further incentive - such as the prospect of seeing parts of their country placed in an international
receivership. Would the U.N. Security Council authorise such action? China has been Pakistan’s ally and protector, and Russia might have its own reasons for opposing a resolution. Neither likes the idea of breaking down the walls of national sovereignty — except, in Russia’s case, in Georgia - which is why they block foreign pressure on Sudan concerning Darfur, and on Iran and other rogue states. This would be yet another test of whether China and Russia, supposed allies in the war against terrorism, are really interested in fighting terrorism outside their own borders.
But if such an action were under consideration at the United Nations, that might be enough to gain Pakistan’s voluntary cooperation. Either way, it would be useful for the United States, Europe and other nations to begin establishing the principle that Pakistan and other states that harbor terrorists should not take their sovereignty for granted. In the 21st century, sovereign rights need to be
earned. — By arrangement with LA Times-Washington Post |
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Iran launches economic restructuring
Gasoline? It’s 36 cents a gallon. Laundry detergent? Fifty cents for a standard-size box. Milk? About 20 cents a quart. These prices are so low because Iran’s government spends half its national budget to subsidize many of life’s necessities. Not for long. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has launched a sweeping economic restructuring plan that would end many of these subsidies within a couple of months. To blunt the blow of gasoline prices quadrupling and similar increases for other goods, he also proposes to give as much at $70 a month to poor Iranians. A populist leader with a working-class background who came to power three years ago, Ahmadinejad is staking his political future on his ambitious plan, which threatens to alienate Iranians who have benefited from the subsidies. Known abroad for incendiary rhetoric and his defense of Iran’s nuclear program, Ahmadinejad’s domestic political standing relies more on his largely unfulfilled promises to use Iran’s oil wealth to improve the lives of poor people. Some aspects of the plan, such as a sales tax, have already provoked unrest, forcing Ahmadinejad to slow its implementation. The president had said he would present a bill on subsidies to parliament on Wednesday, but the introduction of the legislation was postponed without explanation. Many members of Iran’s urban middle class fear that the plan will ruin them. “If the subsidies are stopped, my family will be pushed into poverty. What the president plans to pay us in return will be far too little,” said Payman Vatandoust, a technical manager at a battery factory in Tehran who like many highly educated Iranians did not support Ahmadinejad in 2005. Vatandoust’s worries are shared by several Iranian leaders, many of them adversaries of Ahmadinejad who accuse the president of proposing the cash handouts to boost his popularity in advance of presidential elections set for June. Ahmadinejad says his “economic evolution” plan will narrow the gap between rich and poor and eventually will help bring down inflation, which has risen to an annual rate of 24 percent, according to Iran’s Central Bank. By opening up Iran’s closed economy, making trade easier and promoting privatization, Ahmadinejad wants to turn the country into a regional powerhouse, echoing the economic transformation that China began three decades ago. Ahmadinejad says he will bring about similar changes in Iran in three years. The rapidly falling price of oil presents the opponents of Ahmadinejad’s plan with a dilemma. Either they relent and support the proposal or they press the government to continue spending $90 billion a year — half of the country’s national income — to pay for the subsidies. Economists contend the status quo is untenable. In October, when oil was selling for $70 a barrel, Central Bank governor Mahmoud Bahmani warned of a huge budget deficit if the price did not rise. “If this rate continues until the end of the year, $54 billion of expected oil income won’t materialize,” he told the state news agency IRNA. On Wednesday, Iranian oil was selling for $42. Ahmadinejad says his plan will allow the government to save what it now spends on subsidies and raise revenue through more aggressive taxation. “Because of this plan, the main part of our dependency on oil price fluctuations will be cut,” the president said Tuesday on state television. Many merchants oppose Ahmadinejad’s plan to broaden taxation. In October, merchants of the country’s biggest bazaars closed their stores to protest a 3 percent sales tax, a first step in the economic evolution plan, prompting the government to delay implementing the tax for a year. “We showed them that we are serious about this. If they try again in a year, we will again close our shops,” said Mahmoud Askari, who owns a carpet shop at the Tehran bazaar. “Life is hard enough without taxes.” To decide who is entitled to cash payments under the restructuring plan, the government has divided Iranian society into 10 levels, by income. People in the bottom seven groups will receive the direct payments, to a maximum of $70 a month each.
Those in the lower-middle class, the bulk of people in the capital, will receive less than that. Together, the Vatandousts bring home about $500 a month and expect to receive a monthly payment of $40 each. They say the cash will do little to offset what they fear will be stunning increases in their utility
bills. — By arrangement with LA Times-Washington Post |
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Delhi Durbar At the annual press conference the Indian Navy Chief, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, virtually “pulled up” the media and heaped a few complaints against its unprofessional work.
Reacting to media reports that he had been “pulled up” by Defence Minister AK Antony, the Admiral added with dry humour “you people have written it so many times that I have been pulled up. By now I should have gained a few inches in height”. He was also unhappy with two TV journalists for disregarding the embargo and airing his interview ahead of the scheduled date. “I could chop their heads off…”, the Admiral thundered and termed the act as a breach of privilege. Admiral Mehta said operational details
of the counter-attack in Mumbai were shown live on TV and this was wrong.
Blame game Even as different intelligence agencies are trying to pass the buck about who should be held accountable for the Mumbai terror attacks, senior officials do admit that Mumbai was a result of a systemic failure of the entire intelligence network. But they also argue that sacking anyone or all of them would mean suddenly creating a vacuum in the security establishment of the country. And in these rather sensitive times this could send a wrong message to the world.
In lighter vein Apart from journalist Sabina Sehgal Saikia two other celebrities from the Capital were putting up at Mumbai’s Taj that night. They had all gone to attend the wedding reception of another noted journalist’s sibling. Exchanging pleasantries at the Mumabi journalist’s residence these two gentlemen got delayed and, unlike poor Sabina, saved their lives. But their clothes and watches got left behind in their respective hotel rooms and they were furious with the security personnel for not managing to get their belongings out of the hotel.
Job scheme To plug loopholes in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the ministry of rural development has asked journalists’ advice on how to streamline it. And a lot of media reacted positively to the unexpected gesture of the government, which normally revels in secrecy. Invites for the just-concluded roundtable on NREGA were sent out by none other than a joint secretary in the ministry, desperate perhaps to understand why social audits of NREGA were posing a threat to anti-corruption activists in the Naxal-infested belts of India. Contributed by Ajay Banerjee,
Vibha Sharma, Faraz Ahmad and Aditi Tandon |
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