Communal riots

By Joginder Singh, IPS (Retd)
Our country like all other countries in the world is naturally keen to safeguard itself against any activity which may harm it either from within or outside.
For this, its agencies cultivate sources, which feed it from time to time. Mind you, they collect information which might be reliable but it may not be sufficient to prove the offence in the Court of Law.
It is, because of the simple reason that the laws passed by the British, are no more relevant, in the present times as at the time of making of them, terrorism did not exist.
The job of the intelligence is to pass on, the information affecting the interest of the country to the Government of the day for such action as it may consider necessary.
Unfortunately despite the active role of Pakistan in fomenting trouble in our country the problem has not been tackled with the seriousness it deserves. We do not have a law to deal with terrorism.
Instead of, putting the onus, on the terrorists to prove that they have nothing to do with any terrorism incident the presents laws require investigating agencies to collect evidence and produce it and prove the case in the court of law.
It is an impossible task as common citizens have more faith in the threat of the terrorists to kill than in the capability of the Government to protect them.
We have no witness protection Act despite a decade old promise of the Government to make a law on it. Government has forgotten that Punjab Terrorism was eradicated by the policy of Bullet for Bullet for which credit should go to Reberio a brave and bold IPS Officer of Maharashtra on deputation as Director General of Punjab Police.
Most of the time the Government makes an assessment for taking action or ignoring it. There are a plethora of multiple agencies in India like the Military Intelligence Border Security Force Intelligence or Central Intelligence Bureau Research and Analysis, National Security Board Advisory Council, National Defence Agency, Signal Intelligence Directorate Directorate Naval Intelligence Directorate Air Intelligence, Investigation of Income Tax, Joint Intelligence Committee and at the top is the Cabinet Committeeof Security.
Apart from the above, each State has its own intelligence set up. The biggest problem is the coordination and egos which come in between as every body wants to score marks with his boss or be the first to inform. At the top of it India’s Policy has been to cry hoarse and never show a firmness in dealing with the problem.
The Congress Vice President said some times back that there are intelligence inputs of Pakistani agencies approaching victims of Muzaffarnagar riots to lure them to terrorism.
A situation affecting the security and vital interests of the country has degenerated into slug feast. But at election time, all parties vie with others to show others down. This allegation is inequitable and undeserved and at the top does not really support what the Congress Vice President said In any situation of communal riots it is normal for Intelligence Bureau to keep a watch on sensitive places and it would have done so in Muzaffarnagar.
It is the standard operating procedure. One can reasonably estimate that IB’s in put would have urged the Government ‘in case the riot victims are not rehabilitated, there is a chance of some elements (Read In between ISI) trying to lure them into their fold’. As India is an open democratic society it is very easy for the diplomats of any inimical country to contact disruptive forces or even invite them to their official functions.
The intelligence Agencies report to their respective Ministries like IB Sends it reports to Home Ministry RAW To Cabinet Secretariat and Revenue Intelligence report to the Finance Ministry.
It is an open secret that the Kashmiri separatists or some people call them terrorists mouth pieces or ISI agents are in regular touch with Pakistani Embassy.
It is a fact that in a democracy, especially near elections, one party devotes all its time and energy to prove that the other party is unfit to rule the country. There are a number of principals in every political party, but there is no party of principles, as the main objective is to win election without proving that you are equally as good or as bad as others. Of course, there would always be some exceptions in all political parties but they are in a gross minority.
According to latest government statistics, in the last three years till this year so far 48 spies working for Pakistan’s ISI were arrested of whom 38 were Indians and 10 were Pakistani agents.
Of the 38, 10 were government officials. The tipping point came on March 4, when the IB and the Rajasthan police caught Home Ministry official Surendra for passing on classified information to ISI agent Sumer Khan. It is worth while to recall that a Foreign Service Officer, Madhuri Gupta working in Pakistan was also discovered working for Pakistan and is now in Jail in India.
Cat and mouse game continues in the field of spying and even IPS officers working abroad as well as in India were arrested and dismissed from service. Approximately there are over 1,200 posts in the PMO, ministries and other departments are considered ‘extra sensitive’ where people, who cannot be compromised are needed.
In other words every thing about them should be investigated instead of leaving it to paper verification. Government knows very well that more vigilance checks, cross checks are required in the matter of security and in the interests of the country.
After the birds have flown away the matter is handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, an open organisation, for registering a case and bringing the guilty to the court.
The intelligence agencies should be encouraged to have an in house watch system as is being done in the CBI. It is a sad commentary that in one case where an officer of the level of Joint Secretary had been compromised as a double agent, he left the country, and was later on discovered having settled in USA.
The criticism of the Congress Vice President for raising the subject of the role of ISI and fishing in troubled waters is much ado for nothing, as the ISI does not have only entrenched base, in India, but has plenty of sympathisers like Laskhar or Indian Mujjiahdeen, to name only a few, playing into its hands.
Infact his warning should be taken seriously by all the parties, instead of scoring brownie points for vote Bank Politics. At least for the security and integrity, the political parties should stop pandering to vote Bank Politics. This is a suggestion for all political parties, which no doubt would mostly observed in breach, as the politicians all over the world are the same, when it is a question of garnering the votes. (PTI)

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