A Surreal Experience

NDTV 24x7, an Indian TV News channel ran a programme called `We the People' on from 8 to 9PM on December 2008. The programme was supposedly devoted to outlining India's options in dealing with Terrorism post 26/11 Strike on Mumbai, which cost nearly 200 lives. For me it was surreal experience as I listened to self-serving inanities dished out by people belonging to the Establishment. Watching their attempts to serve self-interest as national interest my thoughts went back into history to the period prior to arrival of British (must have been same when Mughals arrived). The panel was made up two retired bureaucrats (one from Foreign Affairs and other from Intelligence), one Indian in UN employment (who has already voted with his feet) and two very reasonable and sweet sounding Muslim ladies whose views count for nothing in wider Muslim community, one retired Naval guy basically in a comic role and one realist.

By now we all know that Indian Establishment has no stomach for hard choices in so far as dealing with terrorism is concerned. they want to muddle along as best as they can by heaping more and more restrictions and indignities on the Indian citizen in name of security. Since they do not take any proactive steps to nip the evil in bud, country is always reacting to terror strikes. The actions of all players have become totally predictable and pat. There is a terrorist strike. Depending on its location it gets highlighted or sidelined in media. If the strike is in remote parts of India and only involves the poor, then it is more or less ignored. But in case it happens in a urban area, the media is forced to show it. The media first turns into a tamasha (spectacle) and if forced by public outrage the Government sponsored media goes into damage control mode with active support from the front-persons of the Establishment. First the public anger is sought to be diverted from culpability of Establishment by pointing fingers at neighbouring state (which in any case has an ongoing proxy war with India). This diversion succeeds in making people demand action against neighbour. In second step the sponsored media and Establishment start pointing out the difficulties in targeting the neighbour by claiming that the `civil' government of neighbouring state is powerless in hands of its Army and any action would only result in damage to poor `civil' government. This neatly absolves Establishment of any action on one hand and at other hand it puts the onus of sustaining `civil' government on people. Unstated but clearly underlined through this discourse is a message to people of India that the Establishment ahs a duty (which people must understand and support) of keeping Indian Armed Forces under strict control so to not allow India to become like neighbour. Conveniently camouflaged behind this smoke screen are all acts of omission and commission of the Establishment.

The progamme ran true to script. Both the bureaucrats and UN guy extolled the virtue of `inaction' as highest form of action. They wanted us to remember that the poor `civil' government was totally out of control and we were not capable of doing anything to its Army (who were real rulers). Two sweet ladies kept us searching for hankies by constantly reminding us that we must learn to bear our loss without blaming any one (at least not with India and while talking of neighbour we must be civil so to not offend) and the naval guy in comic role provided much needed relief as and when the proceedings became too sweet for even non-diabetics like me. And, the anchor did a commendable job of keeping Realist out of discussion.

Friend I am sure similar arguments must have been made by the Establishment when faced with foreign invaders and their local sympathizers in past. Do not be taken in. because it is all a thin smoke screen to save the Establishment. Let me show it. Let us for the sake of argument accept that neighbouring country truly has a military ruling by proxy. Well what it achieved. first the economic status of a citizen of neighbouring country is not much different from Indian citizen. Second despite being just about 20 percent in size, this neighbor has remained an effective thorn in our side. Third every evil perpetuated by this neighbour has been initiated by so-called `civil government'. Let us not forget that 1948 was fought when civil government was in full control. A pledge to eat grass but make nuclear bomb was taken by Mr Bhutto. Taliban were created and sustained by his daughter. Kashmir terrorism commenced under Mr Nawaz.

It is about time people called the bluff of Indian Establishment and its sponsored media and told them to get or get out. We have to fight back and the strike by us has to be where it hurts. It can be:-
(a) Try and join NATO led operations in Afghanistan to break the back of terrorists sheltering in South Afghanistan.
(b) Introduce National ID Card system.
(c) Go after illegal immigrants effectively.
(d) Establish special courts to hear terror related cases and ensure decision within six months.
(e) Constitute Statutory Citizen Oversight Committees to supervise police functioning so that laws and special powers are not misused.
(f) Demand transparency in raising and maintaining security capabilities so that a minister is not able to take away 20 cars from police or a police officer is not able to employ 10 constables fro domestic chores.
(g) Demand accountability from all organs of state including intelligence.
(h) Withdraw special privileges of politicians and Establishment.