26/11 - where are we today

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since the eventful days in November last year. India has been through a lot since - financial crisis, economic slowdown and inflation followed by the general elections, the run up in the stock markets, drought, swine flu, and a new tax code. Enough to distract attention away from all the failures that led to 26/11. Except for the occasional news about the trial of the lone surviving terrorist - Ajmal Amir Kasab - that appears in the news more for his frivilous antics than the seriousness of the crime perpetuated, it is as if the event never even occurred. Anything else to show that we have learnt some valuable lessons? New NSG hubs? Okay, except for the part that they will mobilize through Mumbai's notorious rush hour on BEST buses (and that's a noun, not an adjective - for those not familiar with Mumbai). There is also provision in its charter to requisition any form of transport - suburban trains, taxis, motorcycles, cars, buses, the Volvo service to Pune, private helicopters - and press it into service when needed. The Mumbai police have been modernised - Colt M4 5.56 mm carbines, MP9 subcompacts, Smith and Wesson 9mm pistols, M107 50-calibre SARs. Impressive. Now all that remains is to figure out how to use it.

Recently, I happened, quite by chance, on the attempt by a large hotel group, to find a suitable person to head the security organization of the entire chain. The process was an eye-opener. For starters, the requirement came up not in the aftermath of the 26/11 carnage, but after the bombing of the Pearl Intercontinental in Peshawar on 10 June 2009. The chain first hired a specialist in counter-terrorism from Europe to evaluate the security requirements. Based on the recommendations of this specialist, they were in the process of expanding the security infrastructure. The selection of a person to head this new organization appeared to be an afterthought. Repeated requests to the chain to send a written job specification yielded the following:

"...In this regard, we are looking for a very senior Defence Personnel in the rank of Brigadier and above, preferably a Lt General / Maj General to head the Security Operations for the group ..."

The specification went further to state:

Background, Education and Experience:

The candidate should have :

· A high status (in the Indian context)

· Served in the Security Forces – in a high ranking position

· Proven field experience

· Proven management experience

· Management capability

Personality Traits:

Ideally the candidate should demonstrate the following personality traits:

· Charisma

· Authority figure

· Flexible thinking

· A natural leader

· Assertive

· Good interpersonal skills

The two other conditions on the JD was that the candidate should be in the 40-45 years age group and be approved by two specified stakeholders.

I was appalled! Here was a hotel chain that had just been through one of the most horrific terrorist incidents that had ever been perpetuated in this country. And the job specification appeared to read more like a matrimonial than the description of a key role. Having had some counter terror experience myself, I offered to reevaluate the European security specialist recommendations within an Indian context, but I was told to stay off. I then tried to tell them that it would be difficult to find a Maj Gen or Lt Gen in the 40-45 years age bracket or even in the 50-55 years age bracket, stating that they would personally prefer to be on the board of directors of the company than at an executive level. Even that did not cut the ice. It appears, that even in the otherwise ingeneous private sector, there is very little we learn from a crisis of unimaginable proportions.

Life goes on. India's first nucleared powered submarine was launched with much fanfare and heralded as a significant milestone - even though it was not clear on whose roadmap! For about thirty years now, India has been blundering in the dark in its quest for a coherent nuclear doctrine. With its operationalization still at least two years away and its value as a component of credible deterrence at least a good eight to ten years away, it was difficult to see what all the fuss was about, at least from a national security strategy perspective. A lot of the other pieces of the great Indian nuclear deterrence jigsaw is still either on the drawing board or withering away in the grey cells of military greybeards the government appears unwilling or unable to recognize.

Then there was the great Baluch theatre of the incredulous - Pakistan's claim that India is the prime driver in a secessionist movement. And our prompt endorsement, at least on paper, of that possibility. Statesmanship? Blunder? Trust then verify? Verify then trust? Either way, I guess the jury is still out on that, at least for now.

There appeared an eloquent article, published on the website of an influential Chinese think-tank, that laid open at least the possibility of that country's ambition of creating multiple independent nation-states by dismembering India with the help of a bunch of friendlies - both external and internal. Do we just dismiss it as the rantings of an insignificant figure with a mindset stuck fifty years in the past? Or do our strategic honchos see a pattern emerging? How would China benefit if they are the only credible military and economic powerhouse in the region with the scale required to do business with the rest of the world on a sustainable basis? Food for thought.

And we have news of yet another North Korean ship wandering wide off the beaten track and caught this time, hiding in the waters off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands - the base of India's only military theatre command - where news has it, there is trouble brewing of the turf-war kind, but that's another story. The last time when one of these ships were intercepted they were carrying sugar, and some critical components for a few nuclear missiles. This time, they are carrying sugar. Only? Apparently. Given the political trouble in West Bengal and the Maoist movement in the neighbourhood, the captain sure has a lot of explaining to do. The last time we had some suspicious activity in this neighbourhood was in Dec 1995 when a Latvian AN-26 with a British-Russian crew did a low flight into Indian airspace to airdrop a few hundred AK-47s and a few million rounds of ammunition to friendlies below. While the court case dragged on for years, the weapons and ammunition disappeared. We will continue to watch this space.

Somewhere on Pakistan's western front, a missle fired from an US UAV blew the upper half of a very good Taliban person to bits while he was enjoying a few quiet moments with his second wife. The US could have waited until he finished. Talk about the mean Americans! This good man was what the Pak military called a "strategic asset" though well past its useful life. Then to add insult to injury, the succession planning meeting ended in a few less than desirable outcomes, leaving Pakistan to conduct an emergency review its inventory of strategic assets. This bellyache in Islamabad resulted in a headache in New Delhi, and caused the Indian Army Chief to comment on Pakistan's 'dichotomous policy' of appearing to fight terrorism on its western front while encouraging it on its eastern front. The statement by the chief however, did not cause any flutter across the road - the bureaucrats ignored it due to constraints of protocol, and the politicians were busy addressing concerns that they could get their heads around without putting their foot in their mouths.

Situation normal.

Life goes on!