Gallantary awards: Who Deserves A Medal?

The attack on Mumbai on 26/11 is over, people have mourned their dead, central and state governments have made the right noises, medals have been awarded (deserved or not) and we, who were far away, are back to our daily routines. Then come visuals over the TV channels of CCTV grabs showing the Pakistani killers moving about casually in the two hotels and firing their weapons nonchalantly. Though no time is indicated on the CCTV visuals but it indicates it was much after the initial mayhem they created on entry into these hotels.

What strikes me is that they did not appear to be worried about any retaliatory action by the security forces and were moving about together. They really must have had a field day shooting up the guests and staff at leisure. Despite having created so many senior appointments in a top heavy hierarchy there was no one to intercept them. The govt is lavish in creating Asst DGPs,Addl DGPs, Spl DGPs and DGPs but there are no officers to lead the policemen and fight the terrorists. Lets be honest, the police is now being lead by Inspectors and Sub Inspectors.

The IPS officers have become pen pushers like the IAS Babus. If someone refutes it then let him account for the number of IPS officers who have died in action against either Naxalites or terrorists in Punjab, J&K, Mumbai or any state in NE India. I can declare as a soldier who has seen action in 1965 and 1971 that the only person in the Mumbai police who deserved a medal was Tuka Ram Omble, and none else. If the Army were to award gallantry medals like they were given to police officers and men, the Nashik Mint will have to work three shifts to produce enough of them!

The sad part is that despite various organisations like ATS, Crime Branch, Encounter Specialists and so on, when it comes to a crunch, the police would like the Army to get their chestnuts out of the fire. What use are all these officers who go about sporting badges of ranks equivalent to Maj Gens and Lt Gens when they cannot even man the control room in a crisis and coordinate action to be taken against a threat. It is common knowledge that Mumbai Commissioner Police was sitting in his car outside Hotel Trident, instead of being at his post. I presume it is easier to dish out medals than sacking non performers.

That brings me to the refusal of the MOD to place the NSG under the Army, as requested by the Chief of Army Staff. A legitimate request as the force is trained by the Army and its cutting edge is entirely officered and manned by the Army. I guess the bureaucrat and the politician is quite happy to have bumbling heads like DGP Roy & Commissioner Ghafoor. No wonder Mr Dutt did not raise hell when he had to let his men wait for an IAF aircraft coming from Chandigarh. Not realising that the delay would make the job of his men more difficult and give the terrorists time to kill many more of their hostages. Why don't the people of Mumbai raise their voices at being at the mercy of a badly led police force which, except for one man, just disappeared into thin air?
Lt Gen SK Bahri (Retd)