They often take a cue from fiction and execute it in real life. The nation must be ready for them, complacency has no place in the security of high places

The  statement by Tammy Ben-Haim, Consul General of Israel to South India, that the 7th October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel should be taken seriously by the comity of nations including India is a warning signal to all concerned. The observation coming from a career diplomat belonging to Israel, a long-time victim of terrorism, speaks volumes about the spreading tentacles of the dark forces which plan and execute missions with immaculate precision.

The 7th December issue of The Pioneer had another startling disclosure, this time a warning by Gurpatwant Singh  Pannu, a Khalistani supporter. The Sardar had issued a threat through a video message that he would “shake the very foundation of Indian Parliament” on December 13, the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament. Pannu did shake the  nation as “assured” by him in the message.

Despite the advance warning, the Indian security establishment errored while Pannun had the last laugh. The question being asked by all is how the trouble makers managed to enter the heavily fortified Indian Parliament. It seems some officials entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the temple of democracy erred somewhere and here we stand exposed before the world.

Initial investigation has found that it was a BJP member of parliament from Karnataka who signed on the entry pass with which the “terrorists” managed to hoodwink the security personnel and enter the visitor’s gallery. When asked about the faux pas, the BJP spokesmen (and spokeswomen) blame the attackers for their Congress connection. One of the attackers was seen campaigning for the Congress in Haryana assembly election! But that is not the answer which the nation wants to hear.

There was a British “gentleman” by name Kim Philby who had worked for the British Secret  Service during the Second World War as well as the Cold War.

Though he was on His/Her  Majesty’s Service, Philby’s integrity and affinity were with the then Soviet Union and he fed the Soviet spy masters with whatever sensitive information he could lay his hands on.India too has many Philbys capable of walking away to safety after executing their missions for other countries. Amar Bahadur, an additional secretary in RAW has authored a real-life novel based on his experiences in the agency. It was widely reported that intelligence agencies in India are handicapped because of restrictions enacted by Criminal Procedure Code. The Intelligence Bureau officers are not authorized to arrest or take into custody persons suspected of engaged in nefarious activities. It is for the local police to arrest persons pointed out by the intelligence agencies. But that itself is enmeshed in confusion. For example, the Kerala Police will not arrest anybody pinpointed by the IB for obvious reasons. The case of gold smuggling through green channel of Thiruvananthapuram International airport is an ideal example of how a case pursued by the National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate could be subverted by the State Police.

Tom Clancy, a novelist who specializes in creating terrorism related works had written “Executive Orders” in 1996. The novel was about the destruction of a high rise building in Washington using a hijacked aircraft which led to the death of US President and vice-president. The subsequent events mark the rest of the story. Those who read the novel pooh-poohed the plot as well as the author. But what we saw on 11 September 2001 was a replication of Clancy’s plot and the only consolation was the US First Citizen and First Lady remained safe. 

Much before the 1991 assassination of Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur near Chennai by the LTTE terrorists, Frederick Forsyth had penned the novel The Negotiator based on the kidnapping of a US President’s son and his murder with the aid of a belt bomb. It took hardly two years for the Tamil Tigers to replicate the same modus operandi to get rid of Rajiv Gandhi. The thin line separating fiction and realism is fast disappearing. Eternal vigilance. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and drones are the latest to join the inventory of terrorists. Assassinations using drones are being discussed in spy movies and one need not be surprised if the technology falls into the hands of Angels of Peace. How many of us remember the novel “The Fifth Horseman” authored by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins? It has the late Libyan despot Muhammar Quaddafi managing to get a nuclear bomb planted in New York city and holding the city to ransom in lieu of certain demands.. The basic rule associated with security and safety is to mistrust the obvious. The nation wants to know what are the factors associated with the 13 December goof up by security agencies and failure of human intelligence.

(The writer is special correspondent with The Pioneer, views are personal)