The War in Mumbai

If my blood boiled to see the terror attacks in Mumbai this last week, I was also appalled by the role played by the TV news media. In the first place, someone needs to define for these newbies what news is. Between doling out on-the-spot awards to our bravehearts, pushing to-do lists, and adopting causes, each of them had only one preoccupation – to prove the exclusivity of their coverage. There was little insight, no investigation, basically now news reporting. Old reporting hands in the print media have been shocked by the gullibility of the TV journos who seem to lap up anything that came from anyone in uniform as if it were the gospel truth. The result was that every few hours we were dutifully informed how the Taj had been ‘sanitised’ and promptly the firing would start again.

This of course highlighted the failure of the authorities charged with taking on the terrorists. But frankly the initial weak-kneed response by the local authorities as well as the police wasn't anything new. It has been visible all along, through all the bombings and the attacks in the past. There is clearly no central command ever in these situations partly because law & order is a state subject and the states are least qualified to handle terror which is seen as a central issue.

But the political paralysis this time was new and very alarming. In the past various leaders have been the first to come out and issue empty statements about things being in control (even if they were not). This time around for 12 hours after the first bit of firing there was absolutely no response. In fact, the next morning Mumbai police put out an alert saying don't go out of your homes unless you have to. Now we know that apart from the 9 terrorists killed another 10-12 got away and are probably in hiding somewhere in the city. At that point only the cops knew it and they must have informed the political leaders, which is why they stayed away not wanting to expose themselves.

The crucial issue for me is what was the military/intelligence leadership up to? The NSG commandos appeared so ill-trained and lacking in basic discipline. It seemed like a throwback to Operation Bluestar. Shooting away recklessly for 36 hours at a static target hardly seems a modern operation. There wasn't even a semblance of an intermediary who would talk to the kidnappers while the commandos took charge. I can understand now why we have made such a mess of Kashmir.

I think in blaming Pakistan, we are just looking for a scapegoat for our own ineptness and the lack of calibre in our leadership. Sure Pakistan is culpable but its political leadership has no control over its terrorist agencies and we should have been working with them long before this incident happened to blow up the terrorist cells in covert operations. If we claim to know exactly where Dawood lives in Karachi why have not been able to take him out in all these years. It’s not like our intelligence agencies don't operate in Pakistan. I think there's just too much bluster and lack of elementary education.

Meanwhile, the US continues with its cynical intervention in world affairs. Its efforts are directed at preventing a war between India and Pakistan only because it fears Pakistan will move a 100000 men from the Afghan border and hurt its own operations in Kabul. Now if China uses this opportunity to mount a limited attack to reclaim its territory in Arunachal, will the US back India? I doubt it.

Some form of a war is inevitable now, largely for political reasons but its impact will be to turn the current recession into a 30s style economic depression.