The report of the fierce turf battle amongst Jaswant Singh, Fernandes and Mishra (`Cold war on national security', May 18) portends ill for the country. National security is the victim of this internecine battle. It proves that national security management recedes into the background in times of peace, as the Kargil review committee says. The world at large, particularly the Chinese and the Pakistanis, would surely be having a good laugh at our expense.The Kargil review committee also recommended an independent body of experts ``to conduct such studies which must be undertaken expeditiously''. In spite of a clear-cut recommendation for an ``independent body of experts'', one is surprised to see the task force chiefs mainly from the bureaucracy. Except for Arun Singh, no one has any worthwhile record of accomplishment in national security matters.Saxena could have been in an advisory role for his background in intelligence and J&K. There are other ex-governors with a better record, such as General Krishna Rao, who headed an expert committee in 1975 that looked at national security until 2005.What is surprising is that the list is devoid of any service personnel or civilian experts who have studied and practised national security. No wonder there is such a large gap between the policies of the government on the one hand and the ground realities and public perceptions on the other.The Kargil review committee has said that, ``in broader terms, increasing the firepower and combat efficiency of infantrymen has also suffered as has the modernisation process as a whole''. What the committee has not said is the corollary: in the absence of modernisation, strategic planning too gets outdated.As if to buttress the message in your story, the CAG has recently pointed out that India has received ``not a single upgraded SU-MK multi-role aircraft''. The manufacturers of Sukhois supplied ``old, used and unserviceable equipment''. The government is now acquiring the HAWK as the Advanced Jet Trainer on a single tender basis. Newspapers had published stories about the shortcomings of both the Sukhois and the HAWK.I doubt if the powers-that-be have the inclination or the time to look into some of these important security matters. As the Kargil review committee aptly says, ``There is both comfort and danger in clinging to any long established status quo''. What could the nation expect from such status quo task forces, except for some more quibbling at the cost of national security? Historically, internal squabbles have been the bane of India. I guess we are fated to suffer at the hands of our rulers all of whom want ``exclusive rights'' over national security.
