Hindu Vivek Kendra
A RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE PROMOTION OF HINDUTVA
   
 
 
«« Back
Bad cop, but good cop?

Bad cop, but good cop?

Author: Chhagan Bhujbal
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: September 23, 2003
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/2003/Sep/23/printedition/230903/detPLA01.shtml

Of late there has been strident criticism in the media and by some former IPS officers that the Mumbai police have no clue to the chain of bomb blasts that have hit the city and that there is massive intelligence failure in the force. I strongly disagree with this perception. No matter how strong the intelligence network, incidents like 9/11 will happen. But forget about the twin towers. What about Israel? It has the best intelligence network in the world and yet there is a blast there almost every day.

But that is not by way of justification. People only know about the seven blasts that have happened in Mumbai. They have no clue how many others have been prevented. But if our police were genuinely clueless, I would like to have a tenable explanation from our critics about how the police managed to crack the twin blasts case in just five days and arrested everyone involved in planting the bombs at Zaveri Bazaar and Gateway Of India.

Terrorism and terrorist attacks are becoming a global phenomena. It happened in the US on 9/11, it keeps on happening in Kashmir and please don't forget the attack on Parliament and Akshardham. Would one label as intelligence failure the fact that Ghazi Baba was present merely two kilometres away from the venue of the prime minister's meeting with the chief ministers of the country and that he could have blown up the entire nation's leadership at just one go?

No one can predict or prevent a blast. It's all the more difficult because the terrorists plan it in one country, get funding from another country, get explosives and weapons training in a third and execute their plan here. We are helpless in this situation. Israel, known for its intelligence networks, equipment and military training to citizens, witnesses the highest number of terrorist attacks and blasts.

Moreover, the neighbouring nations are jealous of our economic growth. Mumbai is the country's financial hub and any terrorist attack there gives them global publicity within minutes of their gory act. And it's easy for them to hide among the 150 lakh people in Mumbai because they are ethnically similar to us and belong to the same gene pool, unlike terrorists in the US.

What we need are more sophisticated systems of detection to curb this menace. Two years ago, I had written to the Union home ministry asking for a truck and container-carrier scanner at the airport and the sea port. It's a huge piece of equipment meant to be erected at truck terminuses so that contents of each truck and huge containers can be screened for weapons, explosives and other smuggled goods. This is absolutely necessary because terrorists usually bring in their weapons in vegetable trucks hidden under baskets of tomatoes and physical checking is not possible. But there has been no response from the Centre.

Now I have decided to get the Bombay Municipal Corporation to take up this project. We propose to erect these truck scanners at all octroi posts on a build- operate-transfer basis. The BMC will use it to authenticate the contents of any cargo carrier without having to fully unload it. This will certainly increase their octroi collection as many carriers hide their actual cargo, even if these are not weapons. Part of the octroi collection could be spent to set up the system that would cost around Rs 10 crore.

While criticising the government and the police, the media rarely ever focus on what we have been doing for the force. I have been working day and night to modernise the police force. I have made permanent the services of 65,000 temporary policemen. I have promoted 22,000 police officials. The government has started a mass housing scheme for the police in the state. The police have been given new vehicles, weapons and equipment. We have formed a police Quick Response Team and an anti-terrorist squad to deal with emergencies. I know it is not enough but I am doing my level best. The Mumbai police are second to none and it is the best force in India.

As far as Julio Ribeiro goes - it is my personal opinion and I have no hesitation in voicing it - he is a coward. Only cowards mask their actual motives behind self- righteousness. It was during his tenure that the worst mutiny in the Mumbai police took place. He has no moral right to criticise the Mumbai police and the home department.

But the real reason why Ribeiro comments on transfers of police officers in Mumbai is far less altruistic than he makes out. Whenever officers are transferred, Ribeiro begins tom-toming to the whole world that there is corruption in their transfers. I do not effect the transfers alone. A long procedure is followed. The files are ultimately cleared by the chief minister. The recommendations come from police commissioners and the DGP. The home secretary's opinion in the matter is valued. There is enough clarity in the process and there is no corruption involved. Ribeiro's allegations of a greed-based force building up in Mumbai are rubbish.

But Ribeiro's real problem with me began when I transferred former commissioner R.H. Mendonca some six months ahead of his term to the anti-corruption bureau. It was a good posting and not an insult to Mendonca. But we could not have kept him on as commissioner much longer because of his complicity in giving Raj Thackeray a clean chit in the Ramesh Kini murder case. Ribeiro raised a hue and cry and has never stopped since.

I was the first to ban the SIMI despite opposition from all parties, including the BJP. The ban did help. But when there is communal disharmony there will be responses. The blasts are a reaction to the post-Godhra riots. The blasts are clearly targeted at the Gujarati community. The accused arrested for the blasts have proudly confessed to it. Until such riots stop, the blasts will continue.

(The writer is Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister of Maharashtra)
 


Back                          Top

«« Back
 
 
 
  Search Articles
 
  Special Annoucements