The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Undercurrent of insecurity in city

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 06, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Undercurrent of insecurity in city

Fears reinforced after another bomb was found and defused in Chandanagar three days ago, writes K.Srinivas Reddy

The city has never been so tense. The undercurrent of insecurity was strengthened after another bomb with a timer device was found and defused in Chandanagar three days ago.

The curiosity of two municipal workers about a gunny bag’s contents averted another major terrorist strike saving the lives of scores of people, wherever it was intended to be used. Most importantly, the chance discovery helped prevent an indeli ble scar on the collective psyche of society, had the bomb landed in the hands of the waiting terrorists. Security agencies surmise that the dump yard, where the bomb was found, was a ‘dead drop.’

Terrorist groups are known to follow the ‘dead drop’ method to ensure utmost secrecy where the bomb maker would never know who it is being handed over to and the bomb handler, who made the bomb. Though no terrorist group claimed responsibility for the earlier bomb attacks of Mecca Masjid (May 18) and twin blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat (August 25), there are uncanny similarities in the bomb mechanisms.

Two surmises are doing rounds among investigators about the potential targets. Either the latest bomb was to be planted on one of the MMTS trains passing through Chandanagar station or was meant to be exploded in a nearby religious place. Two more disturbing coincidences are that a ready-to-operate bomb was found on Friday and the electric pole, where it was found, had an engraving 9-11-2001. Perhaps, it was the date of manufacture of the electric pole.

The mystery would be unravelled only after the security agencies catch the terror gang responsible for it. The bomb was detected at a time when city police were alerted about the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), which had smuggled in at least 8 kg of high explosives into Hyderabad. There was also an alert about at least four HuJI operatives still on the loose.

If these were the indications that there could be more terror attacks, then the natural corollary to the development is the State’s response to the emerging security scenario. That police is the first tool used in counter-terrorist operations is a foregone conclusion. But the prevailing situation has to be viewed in the backdrop of politicisation of counter-terrorism operations where all political parties have been trying to derive political mileage.

The police force too resorts to acts that have counter-effects. Misuse and abuse of its authority in picking up suspects and use of third degree on suspects is nothing short of self-flagellation, which has a direct impact not only on the police image but also on the collective psyche of society.

Would police be able to provide security from such impending terror attacks with their myriad responsibilities? This is where the crucial component of public security begins; that of people’s responsibility. A little caution shown by the municipal workers, Tirupatamma and Sainath, in detecting the bomb, would go a long way in preventing terror strikes. A little bit of caution could have prevented Lumbini and Gokul chat blasts.

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