By M Shamsur Rabb Khan
In the midst of serious deliberations and debates on country’s security comes a shocking: news of security breach. How would you react when you know that there exists a cross-border tunnel underneath the fencing along the international border in Rajasthan through which drugs and fake currency were smuggled into Indian Territory? On last Sunday, two alleged smugglers, Iliyas and Eklu, revealed this sensational revelation before the Border Security Force (BSF) officers.
Then a team of officers took the two to Aman Ka Par border outpost along the international border in Barmer district of Rajasthan and asked them to locate the tunnel. The duo failed to locate the tunnel as it was after dusk that they reached there, but confessed to meeting their Pakistani contacts and accepting consignments from them.
The official sources confirmed smugglers from both the sides prepared the plan jointly and transferred the consignments. However, it is not clear how long the tunnel has been in operation. But it points to the sheer lack of security system in place to guard international border in the face of growing terror attacks on Indian soil. Moreover, it points to the problem of fake currency being supplied into India via such routes being left unguarded. For instance, it has been estimated that by 2010 high quality fake currency indistinguishable from genuine notes could flood the Indian market. In addition to destabilizing the nation’s security through terrorist strikes, the nation’s economy could be crippled through a huge dose of fake currency. Is the government alert to this danger?
Along with tough policy against Pakistan for the recent Mumbai attacks, India needs to think the internal rots that have been plaguing the country for long, which have made the system so vulnerable that anyone can infiltrate the Indian Territory – either from land or sea route. The attacks and their aftermath again point to the rot that has set into the country's internal security system and a lack of cohesion between civilian and security wings of the government. The ‘new age terror’ has brought about missionary zeal with cutting age technological expertise as against the weak, corrupt and vulnerable officials who are easily buyable.
While there can be no doubt that the government cannot provide security to more than one billion people, as some analysts and experts suggest, it has the men and mechanism to contain illegal infiltrations from all three sides – air, land and water. The question is more about proper functioning of the system – from intelligence to policing – than the though new changes are always meant to add extra value to the system. Whether Mumbai terror attacks or almost all such attacks on Indian soil for the last five years, all are the results of system failure – some due to lack of coordination between intelligence agencies and other agencies, some due to professional rivalry between inter and intra-department, some due to negligence and corrupt practices like bribes and favours.
Putting in place a sound system is the greatest challenge before the government. At least we can get some lesson from the terror groups; while terrorists have a definite goal, a focused approach and close, deep-rooted coordination, the counter-terror measures are well short of all these professional values. Shouldn’t we hunt for those who allowed entry to terrorists in lie of some rupees equally as we go after the perpetrators? Do we not catch the person who helped the terrorists in the sea while they asked for a safe passage?
Corruption breeds inefficiency and, in turn, inefficiency brings catastrophe. In fact, the general anger on leaders is the direct manifestation of our unhappiness over the way the system is functioning as well as on men who are running the system. So, what happens when the system is rotten with inefficiency or inefficient people? It becomes vulnerable to each and every external infiltration and alien entry. Moreover, when pressure from seniors and their seniors (who are also corrupt in some way) mounts, panic grips the system like
One reason why blame game in India is so rampant is just because we are so familiar and adept in corrupt practices within the governance system – from top to bottom. One reason why our leaders are so loud and vocal in attacking one another is the fact that all ‘know’ how the others function in the system and vice versa. The Mumbai attacks prove that the whole system is falling apart. At this juncture, border and coastal outposts need intense patrolling and the existence of such a tunnel for intrusion is the height of security breach.
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