When disaster strikes

One of the reasons the Boston response seemed so effective was simply practice. This attack was a disaster drill that had become real,and the police knew what to do. In comparison,though India is more frequently attacked,each incident catches our system unawares,every lesson has to be learned all over again. Think of the most recent attack in Hyderabads Dilsukhnagar,a case study in unpreparedness. There was already information that the Indian Mujahideen had scouted the area. It had already been targeted twice before the police found the explosive device by dumb luck once,and the terrorists succeeded the second time in 2007. Yet,the police failed to expect and avert another attack. Part of the problem,of course,is that responsibility is scattered and there is no unified counter-terrorism system. But equally important is the fact that our police lacks the foresight and training to recognise and thwart attacks,that it needs to call in experts after the event.

The Dilsukhnagar incident,like many others before it,was also a statement on how other systems fail citizens in such situations. Confusion and chaos inevitably follow the tragedy. Emergency protocols are shoddy. Public service ambulances are few,hospitals tend to get overwhelmed,families must piece together their own information. Other people,even if well-meaning,tend to impede the process,rather than help. Disaster drills are almost unheard of. Forestalling terrorist attacks may not be easy,but getting these more mundane details right is crucial.

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