What is wrong with our security system?
Going by the most recent attack in Delhi, which was only a few months after the heinous serial blasts in Mumbai, it has been established without a doubt that India is currently the most vulnerable to terror attacks. Recently, security was beefed up at Mumbai and other city airports after intelligence tip-off about a likely engineered plane crash. Meanwhile, the government has drawn criticism from all quarters regarding its incapacity to tackle the menace. So what exactly are our problem areas that stop us from being another US where not a single attack has taken place since 9/11?
Y.P Singh, former IPS officer and RTI activist says that the failure is on part of our forces to collectively function and crystallise. “What we need is cohesion among multiple intelligence agencies like the RAW, IB, State Intelligence Department, Coast Guards Intelligence, Army and Naval Intelligence, etc. In addition, every constable at the beat has an additional duty to collect intelligence. But in the current state of affairs, if at a lower level, a hint or clue gets germinated, they are not adequately processed and linked with other complementary information,” he says.
Even in terms of cyber security, we are far behind the US in stepping up our technical standards. Vijay Mukhi, cyber crime expert says, “We have certain software that can read emails and track servers, but not monitor every piece of electronic information, unlike the US which monitors all electronic data. Also, I don’t see why our troubled neighbourhoods should be an obstacle in setting this up. In fact, we should be extra careful,” he says, adding that our government doesn’t understand technology because it doesn’t use it.
The solution lies in the willingness to bring about change. “It is very important to have an effective mechanism for these multifarious agencies to work in a coordinated manner. But for that, these agencies need to shed their egos which may not happen very soon,” says Singh.
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