A genuine letter: Jaipur OIC Fire

As a former journalist, I am on the group mail of many people including some well-meaning activists. On Friday I received this email from Lt Col (Retd) Anil Heble, sent to all those who matter including President, Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson et al, and I feel it prudent to put it here.

Dear Sir,

As I write this mail a huge fire of indeterminate proportions continues to rage with the usual band of experts making sweeping statements.

Mr. Murli Deora has gallantly says on TV "Nothing can be done until the fire dies down on its own". Rather comforting words for those around.

Apparently, the cause has for the moment a leaking oil pipe, attempts to repair the leak, an untimely earthquake and heaven knows what else. If there is a human error or callousness its first been buried under the hurriedly mentioned reasons. Not withstanding the Rail Ministry's reaction in West Bengal someone very sensible in the Railways has cancelled many trains on the Jaipur - Kota Rail section.

Many statements tendering excuses and the blame game will soon follow in a style that is quite unparallelled.

Traditionally, in India no one is to be blamed ever. Traditionally also, besides the "AAM AADMI" everyone else is infallible.

LESSON TO LEARN & POINT TO MAKE

1. For the support of commercial air operations in Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport, both domestic and International, two (2) major oil depots are located at Village Shahabad Mohamadpur and Village Bijwasan.

2. Reportedly, the two major ATF oil depot's at Village Shahabad Mohamadpur and Village Bijwasan hold Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) in the region of 600,000 litres each.

3. Photography in close proximity of these depot's is "Strictly Forbidden", yet these two depot's are loud and clear on Google Earth and all other maps freely available accross counters in appropriate shops. They are openely visible from all roads passing by.

4. Situated in geometric centre between these two depot's and not more than 500 metres away from either of the two ATF depots, DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY'S MASTER PLAN 2021 has reportedly located the Metro Rail Terminus, three metro rail stations, at least two Indian Railway stations besides the broad gauge lines themselves, land space reserved for a Railway Terminus, an ISBT, a 5-Star Hotel, an international convention centre and rather thoughtlessly a host of other infrastructure projects.

5. In the event of an unfortunate event at any one of these two oil depots, sympathatic involvement of the other is inevitable due to its close proximity.

6. In Delhi and with IGI Airport very very close the National Capital of Delhi will is apt to grind to a complete halt, if not its Southern part. Almost all the neighbourhood stands to be exterminated because of this amazing planning to locate ATF Depots not only so close to each other but also in one of the most densely populated area.

7. Besides, in extremely close proximity around these two depots include the rich and high profile Pushpanjali Enclave, parts of high profile sub-city of Dwarka Sectors 7, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22, 23, many Villages such as Bijwasan, Bagdola, Shahabad Mohamadpur, Palam and other sattelite colonies.

8. The ongoing Sitapur fire has made life impossible within a radius of 5 kilometres all alround with half of tonnage of oil.

9. As a conservative guess, population in the Bijwasan and Shahabad Mohamadpur area exceeds 5 Lakhs and in terms of infrastructure valued more than a few thousand crores.

10. As a gentle reminder its appropriate to mention of Delhi being prone to earthquakes and placed in a high zone for that reason.

11. The present levels of security, most unprofessional chappal-clad security staff and questionable adequacy, state of existing fire-fighting equipment and generally lax state of minds are perfect ingredients to a lethal brew.

12. For a start will someone in authority please visit the two sites and assess preventive measures immediately, please.

Lt Col (Retd) Anil Heble

Mobile: 9899629598

Congress, BJP upping the ante?

Reading and scruitinising media analysis of fragmentation of national political coalitions in recent weeks, I somehow think they want us to believe that both the Congress and BJP are like a decked-up bridegroom who has been deserted just ahead of the marriage ceremony. In fact, there is logic in such metaphors as well; Only that I would want to look at it differently.

To me, regional parties are engaged in a fierce mind game with the mainstream parties. They are also striving hard to enhance their opportunity index and inch ahead in enlarging their regional aspirations. And why not, purists would profess, for democracy is all about accommodating diverse ambitions and egos!

However, the end-game of this mind game is inescapable: we shall yet again see a convergence of interests and the two formations, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Congress and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) steered by Bhartiya Janta Party, shall come back into reckoning much like in 2004.

However, agonized the bridegroom may appear to the media, the fact is the two mainstream parties too are alarmed of their dwindling pan-India relevance and even though belatedly, are determined to up the ante. This time round, the bridegroom is willing to suffer the bride’s paroxysms rather than concede too much.

The trend began with fragmentation of the NDA bloc. The formation, which ran the national government for five years between 1999 and 2004, started to disintegrate just when the murmurs of 15th Parliamentary elections began in late 2008 and a bunch of regional leaders started nurturing the idea of sewing together a formidable formation. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), two strong parties in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu respectively, quit the bloc. Kannada kingmaker and one of the most mercurial politicians of all times, HD Deve Gowda too aligned with his southern brethren and his JD S party decided to spearhead the Third Front.

The trend continued with Orissa’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which along with BJP has been in power for nine years in the eastern state, deciding last month to chart its solo course. They are all seemingly gravitating towards the enigma called Third Front, which by now has become a synonym for a parking bay for regional parties before they chug on to the functional runway.

It is not that the BJP could not have conceded the space demanded by BJD in Orissa. The question is: was BJP willing to concede any bit. I think no, and they did it by design.


The story is somewhat similar in the other major bloc, UPA. There is much brouhaha over the “desertions” by the cow-belt satraps trio Lalu Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and Mulayam Singh Yadav. Their respective parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Lok Janshakti Party and Samajwadi Party, have decided to go alone in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh which sends 120 members to the Parliament. A tiny PMK, whose leader Anbumani Ramadoss was the Health Minister in the UPA government and enjoys good relations with Prime Minister and other senior Congress leaders too has decided to realign with AIADMK – in 2004 it was in electoral alliance with the other major party in Tamil Nadu, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or DMK, which is in power in the state now.

If media analyses are to be believed the Congress has been decimated and has been reduced to nothingness by the might and mischief of these powerful regional satraps of UP and Bihar.

I suspect if this is as simple. The Congress, which has played bonhomie with these leaders and know them too well, is wanting to test waters on its own this time. They know there is a palpable paralysis among the party cadre in states like UP and Bihar and time may be running out for them. One sure way to resuscitate the party and bring life back into local leadership is to contest elections. In fact, there is little talk of it now, but a decade ago based on its bitter alliance experiences the Congress had decided go it alone of what was famously known as the Pachmarhi Declaration of 1998.

Congress, much like the BJP, knows that post elections all these smaller regional parties will eventually need to erect an umbrella. They can surely be the spoke; the bigger canvas will have to come from either of the two.

Thanks to their bloated egos and towering aspirations, all these formations seem too feeble to garner enough coherence and conviction to stand united and run a national government. The Left bloc, which many feel, will become the pivot of such an initiative may have to contend with yet another loss, after their major face off with Congress over the passage of Nuclear Agreement in Parliament last year.

Alas! The bridegroom knows, the marriage will have to happen, and will rather wait. The bride knows too well, it will have to come eventually to the marriage canopy and chant the mantras with the bridegroom.

It is that momentary freeze before the formidable thaw. Onlookers and partygoers keep watching.

National Police needed in wake of terror attacks

This is a relevant piece written by Shri A K Mehta, a thinking citizen from Delhi. He has kindly allowed me to put this on my blog.

Many countries have National Police. In France it is called ‘Gendarmerie Nationale’. I am articulating my viewpoint by breaking the discussion into six parts:

A) Present Scenario: - Terror attack in Mumbai has again started debate on National security, blame game, Political parties trying to score over one another, Visit by USA Secretary Etc etc. Three heads have already rolled to do some face saving. But do the Politicians have the will or the foresight to take long term and deep rooted decisions to have a permanent solution. Besides terrorism today the Nation is facing problems of organised crime, smuggling, menace of counterfeit currency, naxal/maoist threat, ulfa, money laundering, politician-Police-criminal nexus, inter state gangsters, hawala, drug trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, dacoits, murders, rapist and so on. Is it a normal law and order subject? According to me No, I shall call it National crimes or internal aggression. Most of these crimes have either links to other states/countries or in some cases even tacit support from other countries. Person behind these crimes are enemy of the nation and not a particular state. To me situation looks grim, with country, may be, heading towards disintegration. There is need of serious thinking by at least heads of two main Political parties. Instead it seems we will end up by creating another security Agency, the Federal one, to add to the existing confusion.

B) Law & Order: - In our country it is called a state subject. But will the Politicians wake up and try to search definition of Law & Order. To me it means small crime like theft etc., traffic management, policing like PCR’s, VIP movement/security, different verifications like passports, licensing etc. The crimes mentioned in Para A are threat to national security and must be classified as national crimes. They are almost a war on the Nation and need an organisation similar to Army to fight it. Controlling these crimes require links. Intelligence, investigation, arrests, raids etc. all over India and state police are not equipped for this. Gone are the days when war use to be fought on borders. In a country like ours, which was once divided into 550 states and largely inhabited by persons with divisive tendencies with no national character probably due to centuries of foreign rule, it was wrong to make complete Law & Order a state subject. There is urgent need to draw a line.

C) Security Agencies and Their Morale: - We have a jungle of security agencies. Every state has its own Police, its own ATS, crime branch, intelligence wing, commandos etc etc. Then we have CBI, IB, CRPF, NSG, SPG, RAF and more on centre level. All working like water tight compartments and in their own direction. There have been allegations of Politicians using these agencies to their advantage. In state Police recruitments are done at four levels (i) Constable (ii) Sub Inspector (iii) DSP- through state service cadre and (iv) SP- through centre IPS cadre. Except the last the other three cadres hardly get one or two promotions in about 36 years of their total service. As a result every body is after immediate gains/ lucrative postings, which in many case leads can lead to political-police-criminal nexus. They are dependent on politicians for their postings. May be if the Local MLA is annoyed a person can be transferred. In nutshell morale is down and policing is hardly in the mind

Coming to intelligence India has about 16 intelligence agencies dealing with security and 3 dealing with economic intelligence. Besides every state Police has its own intelligence wings. All gathering information, but who is there to interpret it for national security. A normal management saying is that information and statistics unless analyzed and shared is of no use. Similarly for our borders we have Border security Force, Indo Tibetian Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, The coast guards and so on.

D) Armed Forces: - To fight against external aggression, we have three armed forces under one Minister of defense and the chief commander being the President of India. There is perfect coordination/discipline and the three chief can meet at a very short notice. Our armed forces have never let us down. Recruitment is done at two levels. Firstly at bottom i.e. Sipahi, who has chance for 7 promotions in his service up to Subedar Major. Secondly at officer level i.e. Lieutinent, who has chance for 9 promotions in his service up to the Chief. We must note that period of service in army is comparatively less than in Police. Clear cut chain of command and chances of timely promotions inculcate discipline and keep the morale high. Every body knows what to do and when to do. We need a police force on the lines of armed forces to fight internal aggression. Remember in policing ‘Fear is the key’. Today fear of police from mind of the criminals has gone due to various reasons. A National Police shall bring back the required fear.

E) Possible Solution: - It is simple, provided there is Political will
1. To create a ministry of internal Defense or Security.
2. To create a National Police to fight crimes mentioned in Para A under it on the lines of armed forces with
Chief Commander being the president of India.
3. National Police to be formed by merging CRPF, NSG, CBI, IB, RAF, crime branches of the state police etc.
4. National Police to have Police Stations all over India and to have its own Investigation/intelligence wing,
marine police, commandos etc.
5. Recruitment in National Police to be done at two levels like Armed forces. Postings from sub-inspector
Level to be national and up to this level to be regional.
6. Separate fast track courts for cases under jurisdiction of National Police.
7. All the border security forces to be also merged in one like National Police and to be under Ministry of
Internal Defense.
8. With above we shall have four tier security i.e. Local Police, National Police, Border security Force and
The Armed Forces.
9. Normal law and order mentioned in Para B, being state subject to remain under Local Police.
10. Let the CISF and RAW remain under Home Minister.

F. Benefits to Accrue: - They shall be enormous;-
1. Better law and order, fast solving of cases, fear in the mind of criminals, leading to a safer Nation.
2. Shall save the nation from possible disintegration. Divisive tendencies shall be curtailed.
3. Shall help in building our national character in the long run.
4. Saving to exchequer. May be half the force shall be needed due to avoidance of multiplicity of authorities besides unnecessary Travelling by state police to other states shall be controlled.

mehta_omvilla@yahoo.co.in (A.K. Mehta)

Note: - A copy of this write up is being forwarded to Hon’bles Sh. Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India, Sh.L.K.Advani Leader of opposition, Smt. Sonia Gandhi Congress (I) President and Sh. Rajnath Singh BJP President