"The National Counter Terrorism Centre - the one stop-shop for generating intelligence, analysing the inputs to connect the dots and carrying out counter-strikes - has been in the deep freezer since last year after states put their foot down. The states were worried it encroached their powers."
The people are dying on the streets... and the best our awesome political masters can do is fight like spoilt brats over turf! Reminds me of my childhood, when I or my siblings would fight like cats and dogs over which cricketer is better, who does the ball-point pen belong to etc! It is simple logic that terror can only be a central subject, given its international links. Yes, there will be procedural hassles that will need ironing out, but the moot point is still that terror is something that crosses state borders, and has central links and support from an enemy nation. These factors place it slam-bang straight in the centre's list of responsibilities.
But no, our centre is too busy appeasing the states - when it should be sending a clear message to every state that it has to toe the line. And an equal no - no state has the vision to recognise that the interest of the people comes ahead of the interests of the political class. No state (barring those who agree to the above, that is) can see that it better to sort this matter out fast - since the people will be the beneficiary. It will cut response times, it will enable faster identification and apprehension of suspects, and provide greater teeth to the terror fighting mechanism of India.
Are our politicians helping us by this frankly horrible and callous display of turf warfare? Is terror a subject when you can and should be screaming "this is my area, yeh meraa ilaakaa hai?" Cant these "people" see that it is in the interests of the public at large if we are able to forge a common and strong front in the face of terror, in place of the divided house that we are currently presenting? Look at the USA: terror is a central response, and it places the interests of the people first. But in India, we are placing the interests of the political class first! And yet, we the people are silent. I am not advocating an uprising, but it is high time we put some serious pressure on our political classes to put up or shut up. We remain silent at our own peril, as Hyderabad has shown once again. The least we can do is voice our utter disgust at the state of affairs publicly - as I am doing.
The need of the hour when your subjects are threatened by danger and loss of life is speed of action; in place of speed, we are moving at the pace of a tortoise. It has been years since most of these solutions have been presented to the political class; no action has been taken. In place of speed, we are just seeing discussions... while people are dying due to terror attacks. High time the centre became tough and took a no-nonsense attitude with the states on this matter. A weak centre is not what is required here! We need a strong and powerful centre, not a waffling indecisive tool of the states
The need of the hour when your subjects are threatened by danger and loss of life is speed of action; in place of speed, we are moving at the pace of a tortoise. It has been years since most of these solutions have been presented to the political class; no action has been taken. In place of speed, we are just seeing discussions... while people are dying due to terror attacks. High time the centre became tough and took a no-nonsense attitude with the states on this matter. A weak centre is not what is required here! We need a strong and powerful centre, not a waffling indecisive tool of the states
I am disgusted at both the centre as well as the State apparatus that is present today; and would like to request them to place my interest (and that of my fellow Indians) over their idiotic turf warfare. People are paying through their noses - be it loss of GDP, or loss of life, or whatever. The lack of governance displayed by the political leadership in India is worrisome! And, this latest revelation has left me speechless with impotent anger and utter disgust. An anti-terror mechanism did not take off because of turf warfare between the centre and the states! A peaceful people's movement is once again the order of the day - I repeat, peaceful non-violent presentations to the government of the day. We are not law-breakers. We are law-abiding citizens; but are now seriously worried. Wake up, India...
As I have said so often... Jaago, Sonewaalon...
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