What went wrong? And whose failure led to Mumbai mayhem?

No event in recent history has drawn so much national attention and brought out people’s anger to such an extent as the terrorist strike in Mumbai. Much has been written on the state’s inability to come up with a viable strategy to meet the menace of terrorism in a speedy, coordinated and efficient manner. Very many suggestions and ideas have been floated such as framing new laws, creating immense security set-up and enlarging intelligence organisations.

Some of these are indeed outlandish. Such as creating a Ministry of Internal Security and posting of security guards and metal detectors at almost every conceivable point and sealing all borders.

These would require the diversion of large resources and energies to meet only the internal security challenges. Such moves will impinge on other more pressing and important demands.

However, considering the general state of anxiety, public disdain, political compulsions of the approaching Lok Sabha elections and the mounting rhetoric of the Opposition, the government is likely to stumble into overreaction and deploy excessive resources in manpower and finances.

India faces two types of terrorist threats. The first is where armed terrorists go on a shooting spree and use grenades and explosives as was seen at Mumbai and the second where improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are placed at crowded places and the ultimate precision weapon: the ‘suicide bomber.’

The two sets of terrorist acts require a completely different range of counter measures. However, to counter both together, the most cost effective and economical approach is to have an intelligence organisation, which can come up with timely and actionable intelligence so as to neutralise these threats before they materialise.

Read more: What went wrong?And whose failure led to Mumbai mayhem?
Lt Gen Harwant Singh (Retd )