Life, once in a while, throws up events that traumatize you for the rest of your life. The terror attack in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, Pahalgam on April 22, this year, and in Delhi on November 10, top such chilling incidents. Two days from now, the nation will observe the 17th anniversary of the gruesome terror attack in Mumbai.
The Mumbai carnage was far more devastating than any other terror attack in India. Let’s recount what happened that day. A flash appeared: “Shootout in Colaba!” I had the sinking feeling of gang wars returning to Mumbai. However, within minutes, reports of a massacre started streaming in.
In those chaotic early hours, no one imagined that the next many hours would witness mayhem and drown the nation in sorrow. Just 10 Pakistan-trained killers gunned down 165 Indian and foreign nationals. Their victims were spread across five-star hotels, the main railway station, Jewish quarters, hospitals, and prominent roads. The incident changed India’s security scenario forever. It claimed Maharashtra police anti-terror squad’s four top officers, including its chief Hemant Karkare. We salute their courage. But in the fog of war, they made a fatal mistake of breaking the security protocol. All the officers were in the same vehicle when they came under fire from the terrorists. Despite the indomitable courage of the security forces, the lack of proper training, emergency response protocols and lack of equipment were glaringly evident.
At that time, the only agency equipped to handle such a crisis was the National Security Guards (NSG), which was headquartered in Manesar, Haryana. The NSG wasn’t informed about the attack immediately. Sandeep Sen, a colonel involved in that operation, recently claimed in a podcast that everyone knew six months before that a big terror attack was expected in India.
Talking about D-Day, 26/11, he said his senior asked him to open the television set, saying he thought it was a gang war. Sen switched on the television and saw AK-47 shells on the screen and realized it was a terror attack. The officers realized they would be pressed into service soon and got ready. But they got the go-ahead only late in the night. They boarded the aircraft, which was made to wait at the tarmac for the then Union home minister, Shivraj Patil, to arrive. By the time the team reached Mumbai, it was morning. Each passing minute turned the situation in favor of the terrorists. The huge casualty rate is a testimony to this fact.
However, the good thing was that both the Center as well as the state governments learned their lessons. Today, NSG has centers in four corners of the country. State police forces and central police forces train regularly to tackle any such eventuality. Agencies don’t suffer from miscommunication as they did earlier. Every state has resources to deal with any contingency.
Yet the Pahalgam attack and the blast at Red Fort have brought terror back into the national discourse. It’s clear that even after the severe beating received during Operation Sindoor, neither Pakistan nor those who seek to destabilize India would mend their ways.
Two attacks in a year have raised questions about the alertness and preparedness of the security agencies. However, people miss a crucial point. The J&K police and their Haryana counterparts were able to seize 350 kg of ammonium nitrate and other weapons. Reports suggest that the terrorists were planning a series of attacks throughout the country on December 6, the day the Babri Mosque was demolished. The alert J&K police foiled their plan. In panic, Umar un-Nabi, a doctor, reportedly carried out a suicide attack that took the lives of at least 12 people.
Two things are clear. Even white collar professionals are afflicted by the scourge of separatism and terrorism. This is the first time such a large number of professionals were found to be involved in the business of terror. The second and most important lesson is that the fight against terrorism is continuous. The government is doing its best, but society needs to be alert too.
All the major terror attacks on Indian soil in the past had a foreign footprint. The terrorists were either trained in or belonged to the other side of the border. However, all the perpetrators of the Delhi blast are Indians. The Delhi incident has proved that bloodthirsty people are hiding in plain sight. We need to improve our social discourse while remaining alert to identify them.
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. The views expressed are personal
