The oft-repeated rhetoric of Governments while reflecting on security related matters is that the country has foolproof security arrangements and that integrity and sovereignty of the country will be preserved. Undoubtedly, our security forces are performing the role they are expected to perform at critical junctures of our history when any serious threat loomed large on our horizon. The defence forces have made great sacrifices in ensuring integrity and sovereignty of the country. Few countries are as proud of their defence forces as our country is.
This reality apart, the fact is that we have two very hostile countries in our neighborhoods. They leave no stone unturned to test our ability of protecting our borders or capacity to face them militarily. Therefore we are always on their radar and they exploit even the smallest weakness in our security system. Terror in the form of Naxalism or jihadism has been let lose against us. Our adversaries are capable of creating moles within our people through allurements and use them against the interests of the country. The counter-terrorism structure, too, cannot be without weaknesses which the enemy will exploit. This has been the part of Pathankot episode. Hence it is important that the Defence Ministry begins with purging of rank and file of our defence establishment of suspect elements. .
The 197th report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, dealing with the Pathankot air base attack by intruding Pakistani gunmen, now before the Parliament, is an eye opener for the Government.
Soon after the attack of Pakistani terrorists on Pathankot air base took place, observers raised a number of questions. To some of them no convincing answer has come forth. We now learn that there was no failure on intelligence level. It is now established that the message of apprehension of Pakistani terrorists sneaking in from Punjab border and launching an attack on a targeted site had been conveyed to the concerned in time. However, no official quarter took it seriously. Why is there lack of trust between the administrative/defence authorities and the national intelligence agencies? It is a reflection on our counter-terrorism mechanism. The enigma of the attackers taking Gurdaspur SP a hostage and then letting him off remain unresolved.
The report brings us to the regrettable conclusion that many hands are involved in Pathankot air base attack. The Punjab police have not performed their role as efficiently and effectively as it should have. There is a nexus of drug peddlers working on either side of the intentional border and they seem to have established strong international links between them, maybe in connivance with vigilance chapters on either side. . It also appears that drug mafia conducting illegal activity in Punjab and J&K has its moles and conduits fairly wide spread and that drug industry has become too strong to be smashed by unwilling police in the Punjab.
The counter-terrorism structure we have raised with much care and consideration cannot be considered foolproof for the strong reason that terrorists and subversive elements are constantly changing their strategy and mode of movement. At the same time, the border security system that is required to keep a vigil on vulnerable entry points shows many chinks. Many nullahs run across the Indo-Pak border in Punjab sector. These get dry in dry season which makes it easier for the infiltrators to adopt the course of the nullahs as safe route to sneak in.
Apparently, neither the Defence Ministry nor the Government of Punjab took into consideration of how dangerous the long grass growing around the air base in Pathankot outside the boundary wall could be in which a miscreant can easily hide himself. The security environment of Pathankot air base was never brought under discussion nor tightened as a preventive measure.
Most importantly, we find that entry and exit into the air base area was almost easy and without any strong checks at the gate. Outer premises of the air base look more like a market than a defence installation. Civilian workers have been freely moving about not needing any identity card or document justifying their presence on the air base premises.
Pathankot attack is a big lesson for the Defence Ministry. It has to understand that big and strategic bases like Pathankot need special security and protection. The protected areas cannot be handled casually as was the case with Pathankot. The report suggests that nobody in the security and logistics wing of the air base in Pathankot ever thought of terrorists bringing in so much of ammunition and arms without being detected and for how long a time, we do not know. There are suggestions that Pakistani attackers received support from some insiders. The inquiry conducted by the NIA has not reflected on this. It gives rise to many suspicious. We need to set our home in order.
Our security organization, the Home Ministry and all relevant wings of establishment, need to take an objective view of the report of the Parliamentary Panel because the failures of security agencies mentioned in the report have to be taken into consideration in respect of other military bases in the county and fully secured.
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