When will the government act?

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

“The situation is now under control”
“The guilty will be severely punished”
“No body can shake the resolve of this nation against terrorism”

Sounds cliché right? Well these are the comments that our Home Minister has made after each of the recent terror strike across the country. Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Delhi, Malegaon, Agartala, Guwahati and now the financial heart of the country Mumbai, we have been hit in each and every corner of the country. The government has however only been a silent spectator. It is not completely wrong to term the present government to be 'soft on terror'.

Shivraj Patil has emerged to be the biggest embarrassment to the Centre and its allies. He was the same man who was at his loudest opposing POTO (Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance) when it was tabled in the Parliament in 2002 by the NDA government. He had termed it as a 'draconian law' which will be used against a certain section of the people. Mr Patil's voice has seen a considerable decline in decibels, why not he has been the dictionary meaning of failure in the North Block.

It is highly surprising that despite frequent terror attacks the government at the centre is reluctant to bring in tough laws. Is the political embarrassment of bringing back POTA dearer to them than the innocent lives being lost around the the country? Are they waiting for another Parliament attack where some MPs are killed or a civil war to break when citizens loose faith the state machinery to provide them security.

The militancy in Punjab was crushed under the leadership of chief minister Beant Singh and Punjab police DGP KPS Gill. Same was the fate of the Naxalite moment in West Bengal when the then chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray stood against it. These are shining example of how militant moments can be crushed when the security forces are backed by strong political resolve. The need of the hour is such strong character in the Home Ministry not the person who currently occupies it.

The armed forces in this country are paralysed by the outdated laws and the people who champion the cause of Human Rights. Some of these laws were drafted when Britishers were still helming the affairs of the country. It will not surprise many that most of the Anti- terror laws are drafted by the bureaucrats with very little participation from the armed forces, the end users of these laws.

It took the United States of America just one 9/11 to draft US Patriot Act (Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act) arming its security forces with teeth to fight against terrorism. The law allows them to make pre-emptive strikes anywhere in the world if there is a threat to US or its citizens. We do not need to go out of the Indian territory but at least fight the barbarians within the geographical boundaries of India.

Enough of appeasement and vote bank politics have been done now its the time for the 'babus in white' to act. If the government is still unable to curb terrorism and provide security to its citizens, it should perhaps outsource the Home Ministry to a country like Israel which will definitely do a better job in dealing with such situation.