Shamshabad Airport is Vulnerable;
Understanding How secured we are
1. Let’s think once
A person gets down from the cab, walks-in with his luggage on trolley; after 10 meters, two security men (35-50 years) standing at the entry gate checking tickets and identification documents; often I have noticed some of them can’t read without reading glasses. He casually reads the e-ticket, which is merely a printout from any printer; mind it neither your luggage nor your handbag is checked properly.
The actual place where luggage is screened with x-rays is located deeper before security check-in. That means a person can easily carry anything inside the heart of the airport. Extremists can easily reach the toilets, ticketing counters, luggage areas, lounges, customs and immigration areas. We are all the time worried about the aircraft and the passengers being high-jacked, now the situation is different and we need to look at everything with new perspective. In fact, large numbers of passengers are available in a vast modern airport like ours. Crowd can be even more during rush hours. Situation could be same with many places like bus-depots, railway stations where loss to life is more than the property as in airports. Lets understand little bit about terrorism/extremism.
2. What is Terrorism?
The United Nations states that "The question of a definition of terrorism has haunted the debate among states for decades. The lack of agreement on a definition of terrorism has been a major obstacle to meaningful international countermeasures. Cynics have often commented that one state's "terrorist" is another state's "freedom fighter"." Proposed definitions include:
1. League of Nations Convention (1937): "All criminal acts directed against a State and intended or calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons or a group of persons or the general public".
2. UN Resolution language (1999):"1. Strongly condemns all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, wherever and by whomsoever committed; 2. Reiterates that criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other nature that may be invoked to justify them". (GA Res. 51/210 Measures to eliminate international terrorism)
3. Short legal definition proposed by Alex P. Schmid to United Nations Crime Branch (1992): Act of Terrorism = Peacetime Equivalent of War Crime
4. Academic Consensus Definition: "Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators.
3. Who is today’s terrorist?
Young boys aged 14-22 years, mostly from broken families, countries with low socio-economic background, with no education, with traumatic incidents early in life and sometimes stuck in the hands of fundamentalists. They have nothing to fear and nothing to lose and easily get attracted to money, weapons and drugs. The leaders both political and rebel groups catch these young lads and lure them and train them. Afghanistan has children who can fight and handle many types of weapons as young as 11 years. The major cause of this anthropological destruction is poor political stability of the country whatever the reason may be.
4. How they are trained?
These young live-weapons with tremendous energy can become very lethal at times. I have seen motivated young LTTE fighters could shatter any person’s confidence. These fighters turn in to tools of missions assigned by their leaders. They take oaths and their minds are programmed to be suicidal when need arises. Actually they do not know what they are doing and they try to reach their objectives at any cost including life. Young people always like to handle weapons and money without hard work, power and the sadistic joy of killing make them different people. Some have families secretly as we have seen many stories in media; but they look after their families well and the neighborhood very friendly. The whole training is a mission to be achieved.
5. Why are we vulnerable?
If you look at our history, so many people invaded India because of our weakness that is lack of Unity. Many kings have lost their empire due to traitory by their own people. When we visit other countries, it‘s very much evident; one may find Hindu schools, Muslim schools for example in Harare city, but not Indian. Indians are not Indians even in abroad. India is always been vulnerable for outsiders. It is also very clearly visible in our sports teams; some will be south Indians and others will be north Indians, in fact we are not performing for India. Hence we perform better in individual events as benefit is not shared. Little bit of patriotism and Nationalistic spirit is left in Armed forces and the least in politicians.
6. How secured are we?
Civilian population do not understand serious role of Military services of our country. We have a very long border shared by Pakistan and China and sea coast by everyone. Even for one hour if army is not there in the dangerous terrain of our border; our enemies will be in Delhi and Hyderabad. War is always on J&K border areas and casualties occur on regular basis. Soldiers face two enemies’ simultaneously i.e. inhospitable weather and fighting enemy. Families of these men remain cut off from them for many days to months. I remember when my father was in Indo-pak war; we used sit next to our old radio (GEC-company) and carefully worry about the details of the news. South Indians hardly aware of any war and do not understand the need of services compared to people in the north.
7. Role of police and Intelligence:
It’s impossible to provide security for any city with more than crore population. Majority of police is involved in VIP security. Kennedy the president of USA was assassinated and two of our PM’s were assassinated in the past; that shows it’s impossible to save a common man. Police are hard pressed and their number is hardly enough to do the job. Any man of any religion is vulnerable to shake hands with terrorists for the sake of money. Solution is very hard to find. As many as 5-6 states are facing tremendous problem from Maoists’. What all things we can manage? Governments have hardly any time for these problems and worried about their seats and parties. In fact they take advantage of these situations.
8. What is the role of Citizens?
We should be more vigilant; watch with a careful eye. Do not react unnecessarily and do not panic; do not create panic but create vigilant. By panic, whatever thinking process is there it get’s disturbed. Remember during panic one get’s negative and negative. You are responsible to suspect, carefully study and inform when something goes wrong in your neighborhood. Develop nationalistic spirit among yourself. Just by sending sms and mails is not going to help. Frantic checking in the offices and shops is insufficient; if at all one wants’ to check, check properly. Do something worthwhile; Let’s forget cast and creed because the casts left are rich and the poor; others will perish/join in one of the groups. We must understand that enemy will always give surprise. The war we are going to face in future is “Guerilla warfare”. You understand the meaning
This is a war
Which cannot be won,
Which cannot be lost
And It cannot be left.
Prof. Dr.S. Bakhtiar Choudhary
Major (Retired)
Understanding How secured we are
1. Let’s think once
A person gets down from the cab, walks-in with his luggage on trolley; after 10 meters, two security men (35-50 years) standing at the entry gate checking tickets and identification documents; often I have noticed some of them can’t read without reading glasses. He casually reads the e-ticket, which is merely a printout from any printer; mind it neither your luggage nor your handbag is checked properly.
The actual place where luggage is screened with x-rays is located deeper before security check-in. That means a person can easily carry anything inside the heart of the airport. Extremists can easily reach the toilets, ticketing counters, luggage areas, lounges, customs and immigration areas. We are all the time worried about the aircraft and the passengers being high-jacked, now the situation is different and we need to look at everything with new perspective. In fact, large numbers of passengers are available in a vast modern airport like ours. Crowd can be even more during rush hours. Situation could be same with many places like bus-depots, railway stations where loss to life is more than the property as in airports. Lets understand little bit about terrorism/extremism.
2. What is Terrorism?
The United Nations states that "The question of a definition of terrorism has haunted the debate among states for decades. The lack of agreement on a definition of terrorism has been a major obstacle to meaningful international countermeasures. Cynics have often commented that one state's "terrorist" is another state's "freedom fighter"." Proposed definitions include:
1. League of Nations Convention (1937): "All criminal acts directed against a State and intended or calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons or a group of persons or the general public".
2. UN Resolution language (1999):"1. Strongly condemns all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, wherever and by whomsoever committed; 2. Reiterates that criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other nature that may be invoked to justify them". (GA Res. 51/210 Measures to eliminate international terrorism)
3. Short legal definition proposed by Alex P. Schmid to United Nations Crime Branch (1992): Act of Terrorism = Peacetime Equivalent of War Crime
4. Academic Consensus Definition: "Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators.
3. Who is today’s terrorist?
Young boys aged 14-22 years, mostly from broken families, countries with low socio-economic background, with no education, with traumatic incidents early in life and sometimes stuck in the hands of fundamentalists. They have nothing to fear and nothing to lose and easily get attracted to money, weapons and drugs. The leaders both political and rebel groups catch these young lads and lure them and train them. Afghanistan has children who can fight and handle many types of weapons as young as 11 years. The major cause of this anthropological destruction is poor political stability of the country whatever the reason may be.
4. How they are trained?
These young live-weapons with tremendous energy can become very lethal at times. I have seen motivated young LTTE fighters could shatter any person’s confidence. These fighters turn in to tools of missions assigned by their leaders. They take oaths and their minds are programmed to be suicidal when need arises. Actually they do not know what they are doing and they try to reach their objectives at any cost including life. Young people always like to handle weapons and money without hard work, power and the sadistic joy of killing make them different people. Some have families secretly as we have seen many stories in media; but they look after their families well and the neighborhood very friendly. The whole training is a mission to be achieved.
5. Why are we vulnerable?
If you look at our history, so many people invaded India because of our weakness that is lack of Unity. Many kings have lost their empire due to traitory by their own people. When we visit other countries, it‘s very much evident; one may find Hindu schools, Muslim schools for example in Harare city, but not Indian. Indians are not Indians even in abroad. India is always been vulnerable for outsiders. It is also very clearly visible in our sports teams; some will be south Indians and others will be north Indians, in fact we are not performing for India. Hence we perform better in individual events as benefit is not shared. Little bit of patriotism and Nationalistic spirit is left in Armed forces and the least in politicians.
6. How secured are we?
Civilian population do not understand serious role of Military services of our country. We have a very long border shared by Pakistan and China and sea coast by everyone. Even for one hour if army is not there in the dangerous terrain of our border; our enemies will be in Delhi and Hyderabad. War is always on J&K border areas and casualties occur on regular basis. Soldiers face two enemies’ simultaneously i.e. inhospitable weather and fighting enemy. Families of these men remain cut off from them for many days to months. I remember when my father was in Indo-pak war; we used sit next to our old radio (GEC-company) and carefully worry about the details of the news. South Indians hardly aware of any war and do not understand the need of services compared to people in the north.
7. Role of police and Intelligence:
It’s impossible to provide security for any city with more than crore population. Majority of police is involved in VIP security. Kennedy the president of USA was assassinated and two of our PM’s were assassinated in the past; that shows it’s impossible to save a common man. Police are hard pressed and their number is hardly enough to do the job. Any man of any religion is vulnerable to shake hands with terrorists for the sake of money. Solution is very hard to find. As many as 5-6 states are facing tremendous problem from Maoists’. What all things we can manage? Governments have hardly any time for these problems and worried about their seats and parties. In fact they take advantage of these situations.
8. What is the role of Citizens?
We should be more vigilant; watch with a careful eye. Do not react unnecessarily and do not panic; do not create panic but create vigilant. By panic, whatever thinking process is there it get’s disturbed. Remember during panic one get’s negative and negative. You are responsible to suspect, carefully study and inform when something goes wrong in your neighborhood. Develop nationalistic spirit among yourself. Just by sending sms and mails is not going to help. Frantic checking in the offices and shops is insufficient; if at all one wants’ to check, check properly. Do something worthwhile; Let’s forget cast and creed because the casts left are rich and the poor; others will perish/join in one of the groups. We must understand that enemy will always give surprise. The war we are going to face in future is “Guerilla warfare”. You understand the meaning
This is a war
Which cannot be won,
Which cannot be lost
And It cannot be left.
Prof. Dr.S. Bakhtiar Choudhary
Major (Retired)
