Israeli connection

Lal Krishna Advani is one of several Union ministers TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE summer recess in Parliament to attend to business abroad. It ...

Lal Krishna Advani is one of several Union ministers TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE summer recess in Parliament to attend to business abroad. It is a pity there has been no proper official briefing about the objectives of the Home Minister’s trip to Israel (and later to France and the United Kingdom) which appear to be as weighty as they are mysterious.

Unlike ministerial visits which fall into the goodwill, exchange-of-views category (Finance Minister Yeshwant Sinha’s, Defence Minister George Fernandes’ and Law Minister Ram Jethmalani’s, for example), there seems to be definite purpose and gravitas in Advani’s. On his first trip abroad since he became a Union minister, Advani has taken along a delegation that reads like a who’s who of this country’s internal security apparatus: the home secretary, Intelligence Bureau chief, director-general of the Border Security Force, chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation and other senior officials. Such an assemblage has rarely been seen outside the crisis rooms of the Union Home Ministry.

Speculation is rife about the purpose of this extraordinarily heavyweight team. For one, it is highly unlikely the top brass would go on a mere exploratory trip. A shopping expedition after prior research sounds more probable. In Israel the team is said to be interested in software and hardware, and to be looking at the techniques and technology used by Mossad and Shinbet, organisations responsible for external and internal intelligence operations, respectively.

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Particular emphasis is being placed, apparently, on the following: bomb detection devices and methods, training and equipment for commando units in counter-insurgency (CI) operations and the latest array of listening devices. It is believed the delegation is keen to look at ways of improving the interface between regular police and special CI units. In the absence of official confirmation, one guess about the delegation’s agenda is as good as another. But one thing is clear: the Union government is giving internal security topmost priority and so it should. Open societies like India’s are specially vulnerable to violence unleashed by well-trained and well-equipped terrorist groups.

The message that India will not tolerate an escalation of violence should be heard in every training camp and safe-house for terrorists and militants all along the arc from Afghanistan to Myanmar.

Israel is a logical choice for anyone wishing to learn more about how to combat terrorist violence. Not only does it have valuable experience to share, its private and public sector produce sophisticated electronics and other high-tech goods. Closer cooperation between India and Israel in internal security matters would be an extension of the now well developed relationship in the area of defence supplies. A certain amount of secrecy surrounding these matters and defence and internal security preparedness generally is understandable. Nonetheless, there is no harm in informing the people about what is going on. Apart from the principle of it, it is necessary after recent setbacks to rebuild public confidence about the capabilities of the intelligence and other internal security agencies.

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