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‘Big Brother’ to watch you 24x7 |
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Coping with Right-Wing Terror
Hope rides on two ladies who called
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The
recent bomb blast in Mumbai and the alleged ‘failure’ of intelligence to anticipate the terror strikes has once again started a debate on the lack of urgency shown by the government in putting in place a functional National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) and strengthening of Media experts have been quick to focus on this perceived failure and in doing so have perhaps helped the proponents of the national data base and silenced the activists who had feared state invasion of citizens’ privacy through the NATGRID. Even before the Mumbai blasts of 13/7, the Home Ministry had obtained the Cabinet approval on June 6 for setting of the Rs. 2,800 crore NATGRID project. No one is clear as to what the NATGRID will achieve in the area of identifying and forecasting ‘terror strikes’ and help preventing them. The idea to set up a mechanism for pooling data was floated after the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008. In the past year, the project was delayed by the ‘turf war’ among stakeholders, especially the Ministries of Defence and Finance that felt the Home Ministry would have an unhindered access to all information. Concerns about privacy and potential misuse of information for political ends were voiced. Some Ministers raised questions about the safeguards and favoured further study, forcing the Cabinet Committee for Security to withhold its approval last year. Recently, the government took out the NATGRID, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the CBI out of the purview of the Right to Information Act. The NATGRID will give access to 21 categories of databases - both Central and State governments and that of public sector organsiations like railway and air travel, income tax, phone calls, bank account details, credit card transactions, visa and immigration records, property records and the driving licences of citizens – in real time.
FRAUDS & SCAMS
Besides immigration, issue of passport and visa, travel internary, most of the other information that is proposed to be accessed is from economic ministries and departments, like Income Tax Department, Central Excise, State Tax Department, banks, insurance, credit card companies, ration card, Unique Identity Number Card, PAN Card and driving licence particulars, etc. It is obvious that the data centre to be set up will have sufficently advanced software to analyse mountain of information and proper persons/organsiations to identify suspicious moves by citizens and residents. Some economic departments have been reluctant to pass on the information in bulk or give direct access to their data base without proper audit train. Banks have traditionally stonewalled all investigating agencies from prying into their customers’ accounts seeking financial information. It has fallen in line only to the extent of putting in place a robust “Know your Customer Norm” (KYC) after series of financial scandals of past two decades which unsettled its traditional style of functioning. With computerisation and electronic banking, ‘KYC” is now a sine qua non. Nevertheless, the banks are reluctant to give their data in real time or as a ‘dump’ without legislative efforts of the government to absolve banks of any responsibility of violating the ‘Customer Confidentiality’ clause. Giving access to the third party without any supervision would make both the customers and the bank vulnerable to fraud and scams, a fear that is shared by the I-T Department. Sharing financial and taxation information on a very large number of law abiding citizens to the Home Ministry’s data base has very few takers in the Finance Ministry. Even the investigating agencies in the Finance Ministry such as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, investigative wings of the government departments such Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) would be chary of real time transfer of data even though they have been assured of access to use of data available in the NATGRID.
PRIVACY
There are, however, some important issues that have not been seriously discussed transparently. These include concerns of citizens’ “right to privacy.’ The NATGRID with such huge data base becoming target of hackers and foreign intelligence agencies and quality safeguards provided therein to check possible sale of information for various purposes, including industrial espionage by persons using the process are some of the issues that needs to be flagged. How safe would be the massive data base in the hands of the few individuals entrusted with NATGRID operation is often repeated fear expressed by the participant departments. The Home Ministry will house the project in the hope of being able to draw information in real time on the pattern of the American National Data Base. Typically, Home Minister Chidambaram has attributed the reservations expressed to creation of the NATGRID to “fear of new knowledge and new technology.” (Ignorance is perhaps the word he wanted to use). In an understatement, Chidambaram has called the NATGRID as a “tool” to draw information residing in various data base to identify possible “terror” related issues. He himself appeared unconvinced about the adequacy of safeguards and stated that “weakness, if any, is due to shortcomings existing in other systems.”
Could the NATGRID help prevent 13/7 ? The low key scale of operation of terrorists who set up serial bombs at three places in Mumbai makes it a doubtful proposition. The security experts feel that such operations could not have been stopped without technological support and human intelligence. The terrorists are also becoming techno-savvy and understand its vast use and dangers. That is why, those who carried out bomb blasts in Mumbai recently have reportedly maintained a ‘radio silence’ – leaving the investigators groping in dark to look out for suspicious phone calls and e-mails. The multi-terror modules of different hues, be it jihadi terror, Hindu fanatical groups, north-east militant groups, Naxalities, etc. makes anti-terror operation a complex process. To arm one wing of the state with uncontrolled power to intrude into the privacy of its citizens in this background raises the fear of its misuse other than the fight against the terror. In the lobbyist Niira Radia-Ratan Tata phone tapping case, which is before the Supreme Court at the industrialist’s plea of right to privacy, for 180 days in 2008-09, the I-T Department ran the telephone tapping against Radia without any supervision or questions being asked on the outcome of its operation. The so called ‘tax evasion’ investigation is yet to yield any result while it has turned out to be both a political time bomb and a weapon used to settle business scores between rival corporate houses. The irony is that the classified Radia tapes reached the media and were being freely distributed/published with little regard to its effect on persons named in the tapes. These tapes are also part of a PIL filed in the apex court by a group of high-profile petitioners.
ROAD BLOCKS
The Orwellian effect of state-run operation naturally instills little confidence among people. Citizens have to deal with the government agencies on a daily basis for water supply, electricity, travel, banking, insurance, taxation, education, employment, medical facilities and so on. In this process, they leave a trail or an imprint everywhere. When the NATGRID links all these dots with the help of UID, PAN, electoral rolls, etc., it can profile the citizens’ living style, habits, linkages with friends (through phone call monitoring) etc. In effect, it would not just profile persons who are anti-national or bombing suspects but all of its citizens. Most worrisome is the ‘constant attempts made from external forces, including intelligence agencies, to hack into the major data bases of the country. Reports keep coming of attempts to hack into the Ministry of External Affairs data base or into Defence Ministry and Income Tax Department data base computers. The Department of Information Technology routinely issue caution notices to various departments. The Wikileaks and ‘phone hacking’ story of the ‘News of the World’ in Britain only confirms the high risk that confronts even the best of systems. Common citizen will be left with little protection from the predators of data bases. Perhaps the government can seriously consider setting up of separate Grids for economic intelligence, data base on citizens and criminal data base for profiling organized crime and terror links under different ministries and share information on case by case basis with audit trail of the agencies seeking information. This would minimise the misuse and make it difficult for creation of a single leviathan. Even otherwise, the NATGRID project in its present form will face several road blocks in integrating data drawn from different data base. The immediate hurdle would be to cleaning up of vast data maintained by different departments of the finance ministry at the Centre and the quality of data that will flow from the state agencies with respect of ration card/BPL card, births and deaths, sales tax etc. Some of the data coming will be corrupted and taking over the dumps and cleaning them would be immensely challenging. To marry all the data and to make sense out of it will require writing of robust software and training of personnel engaged in the NATGRID. There is also a challenge of implementing the idea of two way flow of data sharing at the ground level. Connectivity at the district level and with police posts in remote areas and the borders will be an issue. Most of the police stations suffer power cuts and many are V-SAT (satellite) sites which pose challenge in terms of providing live environment for communication. Users training will be an issue at the ground level where the policemen are not computer literate or technically savvy to handle the agenda at hand.
THE CEO
There is also worrisome fact of creating a PPP (Public Private Participation) model for NATGRID. The CEO of NATGRID – P. Raghgu Raman – has been selected from the private sector, a fact that could cause unease among the close knit spy agencies. While the PPP model may be welcome in large public projects, it has its pitfalls in areas that require secrecy and confidentiality. The security of data in the NATGRID will be entirely dependent on selection of suitable vendors, placing of right kind of security barriers and establishing a robust audit trail. The government should not make it a prestige issue and instead heed to the concerns of the citizens to the right to privacy particularly in the light of ongoing controversy in Britain about phone hacking by ‘News of the World’ which is pushing the state to strengthen its Data Protection Act 1998, and launching criminal proceedings against the offenders. With no legislative initiative to protect the citizens’ privacy in India, personal data (like mobile phone numbers and e-mail addresses) are routinely purloined for sale in the market. The temptation for the government in power to access data on its rivals will be huge. The Home Minister in a recent interview stated that even he will not be authorised to access data – which will be in the preserve of some bureaucrats. But, then that was the state of affairs when the Niira Radia phone tapping case happened and same has been the status when telecom companies talk of request for tapping being received in tens of thousand from various enforcement agencies. The Radia episode showed that the privacy will be given a short shrift in the wake of political and commercial expediency.
Author is retired Director General, Income Tax
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Coping with Right-Wing Terror
At
the very extreme end of the right and the left —are the so-called loony fringe —those for whom the words "dialogue" and "compromise" are dirty words —and for whom the ends justify the means. Anders Behring Breivik, the 32 year old Norwegian who killed 76 people recently, has been declared a ‘right wing extremist’. But he is also undergoing psychiatric screening to gauge whether he is insane or just a ruthless, cold blooded murderer with a horrific agenda. He is also a Christian fundamentalist, which makes him part of the latest bunch of religious renegades who have decided that the death of the non-believer is the only thing which will bring back their sense of identity. This identity is something so precious that they are willing to ‘sacrifice’ their own community as well-because there is a larger greater good to be earned from their deeds. Breivik would have thought that his shocking gesture would awaken his country to the need to change. That he killed a whole new generation of Labour Party politicians who believed in multi-culturism is something he would be very proud of indeed.
His act and his philosophy sounds insane to us, just as Hitler’s methodology can be dismissed as the work of a very convincing mad man. But sadly there is no conclusive proof of Breivik’s insanity as yet , and there is no consolation either his action might not inspire other ‘copycat’ acts of violence. Since he is concerned about keeping the purity of his race and his country, it is interesting that like other right wing extremists, he relied on a very democratic and egalitarian method to spread the message -the internet and other mass communication media— which are making barriers between race and religion so very porous. It was only the other day when we saw the last images of Osama Bin Laden watching himself, in lonely isolation, on TV. He adapted a technology -packaged between advertisements of the world of the infidel ---that should have been anathema to him. But then how else would these anti-heroes present themselves and over-awe the world by their ‘brilliance’? The only method is to do something so provocative and cruel that it will be discussed for days, along with why it was done-through a media which encourages globalisation. For most of us, internet allows debate and free speech-allowing space for everyone to co-exist in the virtual world. It is only when some of the more violent minds get affected by what they read on the internet that one has to worry-but it remains a democratic, multi-cultural forum, by and large. Just because a Breivik or a bin Laden can use google to hone their philosophy or reach out to their followers would not be enough justification to censor it. Just as the feeble "threat" of being over run by migrants is not enough justification to close a country’s borders to the positive effects of a multi-cultural existence. The larger worry for everyone all over the world , even in India , is whether the right wing terrorism is on the rise. This has always existed in some shape or form, even Punjab has experienced it . The one common factor in right wing terrorism has been the mix of religion along with violent means to spread propaganda . If in recent years , one has seen major religions spawn a few militant fringe elements, it is not surprising that each of these outfits would now undertake some amount of competitive terrorism. These are no longer statements with any clear cut agenda—but only seem to occur to ‘teach’ a community or a country a lesson. The more individualistic and random these events appear to become the more it should be clear that the attempt to link them with any religion per se is futile. The fact that the perpetrator belongs to a particular religion is increasingly irrelevant. He or she is a disgruntled element— with some sort of self-appointed notion of being a savior to the rest of his community. The fact that the rest of the religious community he appears to represent would rather have a peaceful co-existence with others is something which would run contrary to his worldview and would be dismissed. This narrow and partisan view speaks of enormous paranoia, bordering, as we have seen in the case of Breivik, mental illness. No one has selected Breivik, nor is he going to be revered as a hero-except by those who are as secluded and isolated in their thinking as he is. His inspiration for his deeds comes from the world of google—as he downloaded information about extremists from all over the world and made their struggle his own. Let it also be added , that were he confronted by a real threat by them ( such as proponents of Hindutva) , he would not hesitate to blow them up as well. After all an increasingly multi-cultural world was his real enemy. It is true however, that there has been the rise of extreme right wing parties who believe in violence all over the world in recent years---just as we have completely unstable extreme left wing terror groups as well. Just because the latter have used left ideology (such as the Maoists in India as a cover for terrorism) should not make them any more acceptable for peace -loving citizens who believe in pluralism, than the right wing extremists. Both are encouraging violence. Obviously, even though there are increasing debates on multi-culturalism in Europe in the recent years -they have been triggered, largely by right wing terrorists who claim to speak in the name of Muslims. Had there not been a confrontational agenda by a few misguided elements, one wonders if the issue would have reached the shrillness it has today. So is it better to condemn the community in whose name the violence has been perpetrated -or should political parties strive even harder to embrace them---and indeed engage with them to dissuade them from their extreme postures ? Recently, the determination in Norway to give Breivik a fair trial-while simultaneously abjuring the language of revenge for one of peace and reconciliation was probably the most powerful weapon used thus far by any country against right wing terrorism. This would not have been possible in either the US or in India where we still pretend to be Gandhian but would very much prefer an eye for an eye. Possibly to stop identifying these groups through a religious lens , and instead dealing with them purely as ‘right wing terrorists’ who pretend to speak for certain communities would disengage them completely from their agenda. It will also come as a relief for the Muslim world which has struggled far too long under the shadow of presumed militancy.
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Hope rides on two ladies who called I
am not generally given to didacticism, an inclination to lecture others or tautology, repeating myself. Nevertheless a time comes when they become unavoidable. I have on several occasions in the past declared that diplomacy provides hope not nirvana. The difference between diplomacy and foreign policy is often blurred but exists. Diplomacy is what you do. Foreign policy is how you do it. One other vital dimension. Foreign and domestic policies must not be incoherent or divisive. Internal policy directly impinges on diplomacy and foreign policy of that country. I give two examples. On June 26, 1975 Emergency was declared. From day one Indian diplomats were hard put to defend it. I was then in London, where it was an uphill task to ‘sell’ the Emergency. I remember writing to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi- "I know what to say to our critics. I do not know what to say to our friends." On December 6, 1992 the Babri Masjid was demolished. I rushed to Parliament House to meet Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. He was sitting with his head in both hands. I asked him, "Have any instructions been sent to our embassies to deal with the international fall out?" I do not wish to enter into any details of my conversation with him that day. But not even the smartest Indian diplomat could justify so abominable an event. The disconnect between domestic and foreign policy was all too obvious. Let me first take the visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last month. It was an event of great importance. It was rightly treated as such. Mrs. Clinton is a formidable, cerebral Secretary of State. She is a genuine friend of India. I can think of no other American who matches the sustained dedication to improving, strengthening and deepening Indo-U.S relations. Some years ago I invited her to lunch. She was impressive. Benjamin Franklin (1706- 1790) is one of the founding fathers of America’s diplomacy. He was himself an amazingly gifted and forceful diplomat. He defined the qualities of an accomplished diplomat as "Sleepless tact, immovable calmness and a patience that no folly, no provocation, no blunders can shake". It is a tough call to follow. Hillary Clinton makes the grade. From Delhi Mrs. Clinton made a two-day halt in Chennai. There on 20th July she delivered a significant speech, "On India and the United States: A vision for the 21st century". One cannot take exception to its core theme of India and U.S co-operating in several areas of global concern like energy, climate change, terrorism, completion of civilian-nuclear partnership, curbing nuclear proliferations etc. So far so good. The U.S is a member of NATO and other military pacts. We are not and unlikely to join any. We remain committed to non-alignment. If we read any speech of Dr. Manmohan Singh- we will notice that non-alignment is mentioned without exception. Why ? Because an alternative is not available. The Non-aligned movement needs drastic reform, even re-invention. Non-alignment is a state of mind. Not a doctrine or dogma. It cannot be abandoned. A paradigm shift in India’s foreign policy will cause Manmohan Singh severe national condemnation. He should be careful about our relations with Iran. The U.S. must not succeed in forcing us to abandon Iran and jump into the lap of Saudi Arabia. The other point she made was a good example of confusing hope with reality. She implored India to assume a leadership role in the Pacific region and South and Central Asia. India has never aspired for a leadership role at anytime or anywhere. The U.S runs a foreign policy crusade. We run a foreign policy. We have our priorities. They have theirs. Begum Hina Rabbani Khar’s passage to India attracted excessive media coverage for the wrong reasons. She had come here to transact serious business. She was not participating in a beauty contest or fashion show. How she dresses should have been of little interest to us. Her looks are god given. She cannot wear a mask- a real one, not a diplomatic one. Her visit did not, could not fundamentally alter the foreign policies of the two countries. Then what did the visit achieve ? It lowered the rising temperature- it reduced tensions. Indo-Pak relations are accident prone. Both foreign ministers have to keep their diplomatic first aid kit ready at all times. Pakistan is passing through critical times. Its ties with its major benefactor and close ally, the U.S.A, are under severe strain. Afghanistan is a major cause of headache for Islamabad. A majority of Taliban do not now depend on Pakistani financial or military help. The Americans continue the flights of drones. Pakistani protests regarding these flights are ignored by the U.S.A. Beijing is so far unwilling to go all out to side with Pakistan. China has grave problems in the Muslim dominated region of Xinjiang. China is aware that Jihadis come to Xinjiang from Pakistan. Begum Khar had a softer brief from her bosses. Pakistan is preoccupied with manning too many fronts. It makes sense to appear to be less strident with India. Terrorism is a permanent menace in Pakistan. But attempts to transfer that menace to India will fail and have failed. Unless this shallow and short term policy is abandoned, real progress is not possible. As for Kashmir, we have not much to worry about. The world is no longer too willing to annoy India on this score. Conclusion, keep talking, keep meeting, but keep your powder dry.
The writer is a former Union External Affairs Minister
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K Natwar Singh
‘Big Brother’ to watch you 24x7
