Security or Surveillance ?

Since our last major terror strike at Mumbai two years back , one of the major developments have been about security . I feel strongly that since a lot of VIP’s died at the TAJ Hotel , a lot of ‘high octane’ drama was enacted both in the parliament , media and other public places .

Let’s do a quick check of what happened post our 9/11 ?

Where do we see most of the surveillance ? Airports , stations , five star hotels etc. I have stayed in Taj Hotels in Bangalore to CROWN plaza in Delhi and many others. I visit a five start hotel every week to meet friends and visitors who stay in such hotels . Here is what i feel about the so called “over hyped’ security

We have been working for the elite who stay in hotels and travel by air . But still , security issues have not been addressed . Let me walk you through the security processes at display in all major locations

You will find a metal detector ( by default ) at all major public places , and it beeps every time you walk past though it . You are required to take out your cell phone , keep it outside and then walk through it . I has asked at a five star hotel security person in Delhi . If my cell phone was having a bomb what can you do ?? You do not even scan it in the metal detector , i have to keep it in the tray outside the metal detector . The poor guy was doing what his security company had told him. He was blank and answerless.

In every airport , the process is the same .

Interestingly , i was at HYATT regency at Mumbai a day before yesterday. A person came , asked my driver to open the door , bonnet etc wiped the steering with a plastic and went back to the machine to read the plastic . Imagine , i was a terrorist , would i not get enough time ( while the security guy is reading his plastic wipe !! ) to run my vehicle into the hotel and shoot or blast anything i wanted ? can you call it security ?
In the hotels , well dressed security chaps will say Namaste to you with folded hands , ask you to open the doors or frisk you. No one even understands what the hell bonnet of the car looks like or does it have a bomb ? i bet you that even if i carried an explosive , it would get in well past the entry point ! Like a convict who carried a pistol in Delhi court last week despite all the security !!

So the point i am making is that due to this security scare , dogs have got employment ( my friend who is President with a reputed five star hotel had once told me, that these dogs can work with accuracy only when deployed for 20-40 minutes , but they are made to work for hours ). So the point is that, it is all show of surveillance and not security . Intelligence and pro-activeness is lacking totally in our system. People standing at the security points are ill equipped , and there is no way that these guys can be alive to resist the attack, if terrorists strike !!

Last week , i took the security officer of Mumbai airport to task for allowing the so called VIP vehicles parked at the exit gate no 2. I informed him that the gate no 2 has only pick up and drop and is not meant for parking, and that the VIP parking had been created specifically a few meters away , but our arrogant VIP’s have taken it as their birth right to flash red light beacon or VIP numbers and park vehicles posing a big security threat to Mumbai airport. I asked Asst. Police Inspector , Mr, Mane why he did not tow the vehicles parked on the gate 2. He was speechless , he tried to explain that the VIP’s don’t listen . There were at least 6 vehicles blocking the exit , and not a single driver was in the car ................I wrote the same to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister .....i do hope that these guys act before a strike !!

We have as a nation failed before naxalites and we will continue to fail against terrorism , till we address technology proactively and pre-empt strikes . Current vigilance in the name of security is a farce wasting money and delaying the check-in in the hotel & airports

Hope the policy makers take the note and act

I have marked this to our Home Minister

Pakistan is a Schizophrenic nation

Via email with CC to Rahul Gandhi , Dr.Murli Manohar Joshi & Sonia Gandhi


Dr. Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister

Government of India

New Delhi 110001


Dear Dr.Singh,


This has reference to your initiative of the talks with Pakistan


It is a good thing that the talks will resume . The bigger question is , if this is good for something or good for nothing ?


Put three pre-conditions for the talks to start


1. Handover Dawood Ibrahim &
2. Maulana Masood Azhar, Jaish-e-Mohammad leader
3. Hafiz Mohammad Saeed (LeT)

If Pakistan is sincere , it will hand over these three terrorists or else , it will continue its talk , shoot & blame the Taliban policy . And one fine day , we will be shocked to see that Pak nukes will be used against India and we might be wiped out of the map !! Pakistan will just blame the same on Taliban and express regrets . Above mentioned three Pakistan agents cum terrorists are the key to end Taliban and its activities, and anything less than these three terrorists being handed over to India is a compromise with the security of Indians and underplaying the nuisance value of Pakistan in future


Please do not take Pakistan on face value . You cannot expect a habitual offender to reform with just a dialogue . Pakistan is a schizophrenic nation


Diplomacy does not work with Pakistan . History has repeated and defeated itself when it comes to Pakistan


Take Pakistan seriously to avoid more troubles . I hope that you might not like to defend another 26/11 in the times ahead .


With best regards


Rajendra


Rajendra Pratap Gupta

President

Countryfirst

Email: President@countryfirst.org