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Journalism of Courage
Terrorists set off a bomb, ministers rush in with clues and pointers, the police looks busy, and then everything settles down. This dreadfully familiar routine needs to change because it symbolises much of what is wrong with India8217;s internal security management, especially under this government. Take the ministerial eagerness to drop hints. If the security establishment does get a solid clue within hours of a blast, it must follow that the terrorists will be caught, sooner rather than later. In fact, they are seldom caught. What ministerial overenthusiasm 8212; both the home minister and his minister of state have exhibited this trait 8212; does is to severely reduce the credibility of the internal security apparatus. Especially when we hear ministers say that the planning for this or that explosion was probably done across the border. No one8217;s saying that can8217;t be the case. But these glib ministerial soundbites point to poor political planning. Just to recall, during the NDA8217;s time cross-border relations were far worse for most of that government8217;s term. Yet senior UPA figures seem to think that a certain kind of finger pointing can be blithely done every time. Their motive of course is to find a cover for this government8217;s failures on internal security. UPA leaders should know that cover is not fooling voters.
Indeed, whenever polls happen, and whatever the state of dysfunction in the BJP, the party will find it easy to tell the story of the UPA8217;s security-related follies and it will find listeners. The loudest message that comes through from the UPA8217;s security management is that the current set-up won8217;t do. Since the government seems to think it is worth going through the full term, it must at least try to reduce the monumental ineffectiveness of the home ministry.
