Mumbai Standoff Never Again

Indian Express Posted: Dec 02, 2008 at 0229 hrs IST

This terrorist attack was the worst the country has faced. The worst in terms of locations targeted; of the audacity of the terrorists; the highly coordinated nature of the terrorist operation; the sophistication of the weapons used; the number of casualties; the destruction caused; and of the time taken for resolving the issue. We have learnt little after being targets of terrorist actions over relentless decades. There was a major attack in Delhi just this September; another soon after in Guwahati; and yet, we have again been found napping. Why is it that we seem so helpless? The reason is that we have been unable to get our act together and continue to deal with this major menace in a fractured and uncoordinated manner.

Unfortunately, all that our leadership — not just the political leadership but also the emergency core group of officials — have to offer are platitudes and exhortations to maintain communal harmony and remain calm. These are, of course, vital; but they are not a comprehensive plan that could work to counter such activities. Till date, there is apparently no attempt at planning, although we are, today, the biggest victims of terrorism.

After 9/11, the US administration took many measures to ensure that such attacks did not recur. They set up a structured organisation in the form of the department of homeland security, which served as the nodal agency for command and control, with other agencies reporting to it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating: not one terrorist incident has taken place in mainland America after instituting these measures.

Compare that to India, which has no terrorism strategy. All we have is crisis management, which is indeed the very antithesis of strategy, and thus meaningless. There are too many sources of this strategic confusion: our agencies, clueless as ever; various police forces, activated only when an incident occurs; Centre and states blaming each other, as security is a state subject; a political leadership focussed unwaveringly on the next elections; core officials easily reverting to their earlier dispensations and routine.

As someone who spent a life in the military, the most striking thing about the Mumbai standoff was the chaos visible outside all the venues. No one was apparently in command or co-ordinating the various operations. No communication arrangements were visible: everyone seemed to be communicating only by their mobiles! This is a major threat, akin to war: it is unthinkable that we can expect to succeed in our objective if we proceed in such a lackadaisical manner.

Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi (Retd)
Never Again

Cadets Prayer

Dear Brig Gangadharan,
In response to your 'The Soldier', I am enclosing a copy of the prayers that we in JSW, way back over half a century, used to recite, during first period of our indoor classes; thinking that it might interest you. The contents, free from any religious leanings, are so aptly worded, that even today, when rest of this world is on the run of a different kind, these continue to guide the older lot like us, on wholesome lines.
Regards
Col R S Kashyap (Retd)

Cadets Prayer
O God, our father, Thou searcher of men’s heart, help us to draw nearer to Thee in sincerity and truth. May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of Thee be natural.

Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking, and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretence ever to diminish. Encourage us to endeavour to live above the common level of life. Wake us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be one.

Endow us with courage that is born out of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns compromise with vice and injustice, and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy. Guard us against flippancy and irreverence in sacred things of life. Grant us new ties of friendship and new opportunities of service. Kindle our hearts with fellowship with those of cheerful countenance and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer.

May we find genuine pleasure in clean and wholesome mirth and feel inherent disgust for all coarse minded humour. Help us in our work and in our play to keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight, that we may better maintain the honour of the service, untarnished and unsullied, and acquit ourselves like men in our effort to realize the ideals of our Armed Forces, in doing our duty to Thee and our country. All of which we ask in the name of the Great Friend and Master of men.

We thank veteran Brigadier PT Gangadharan for sharing the cadets prayer with the blog readers

MPs versus Poverty in India

The Salary, Allowances and Pension of members of parliament
Monthly Salary: Rs 16,000
Expense for Constitution per month: Rs 10,000
Office Expenditure: Rs 14,000
Travelling Expense per month: Rs 48,000 (Rs 8 per Km)
Daily DA TA during Parliament: Rs 1000 per day
Free 1 class AC train fare unlimited All India
Business Class flights 40 trips with wife and PA
Rent Free hostel at Delhi
Free electricity 50,000 units
Local Free upto 1,70,000 telephone calls
Total cost per year:Rs 33,00,000
Total cost for 534 MPs for a five year term: 10,00,00,00,000 nearly 1000 crore Approx Rupees Rs 10 billion which is almost $2,00,000000 ($ 200 million)
AMENITIES FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
The Salary, Allowances and Pension of members of parliament act, 1954
The ridiculous salary for elected representatives in India

Poverty in India
Poverty in India is reducing but it is still a major issue. Rural Indians depend on unpredictable agriculture incomes, while urban Indians rely on jobs that are, at best, scarce.

Since its independence, the issue of poverty within India has remained a prevalent concern. According to the common definition of poverty, when a person finds it difficult to meet the minimum requirement of acceptable living standards, he or she is considered poor.

Millions of people in India are unable to meet these basic standards, and according to government estimates, in 2007 there were nearly 220.1 million people living below the poverty line.

Nearly 21.1% of the entire rural population and 15% of the urban population of India exists in this difficult physical and financial predicament. The following chart presents the poverty situation:

Since 1970, the Indian government has implemented a number of programs designed to eradicate poverty, and has had some success with these programs. The government has sought to increase the GDP through different processes, including changes in industrial policies. There is also a Public Distribution System, which has been somewhat effective so far. Other programs include the Integrated Rural Development Programme, Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, the Training Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM) and to the credit of the government, other on-going initiatives.
Poverty in India
Poverty in India: Economy watch