A security alert

WHAT HAPPENED AT the Red Fort last week and Monday's car bomb blast near the Army headquarters in Srinagar are only to be expected at this juncture. The first anniversary of the hijack of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar has gone by and the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir has been extended for a month by the Prime Minister. The militants opposed to the ceasefire and the proposed dialogue with Kashmiri groups were bound to have their say at this juncture. True, the Red Fort may not be the fort it was under Shah Jehan. But it is still a symbol of India's power and continues to be the venue of the annual Independence Day address by the Prime Minister. Some of the army divisions are housed in the area and top officers, including those who have served recently in Kashmir, reside in the huge complex. It is also a bazaar and tourist spot, all rolled into one. What remains unclear still is whether the two militants, who sneaked into the Red Fort last Friday and killed three persons, including two soldiers, had a bigger agenda. Was their mission foiled by these intruders on their path? Perhaps they could have come with a bigger agenda to create panic in the national capital. But their brazen entry into the Red Fort and the gunning down of three persons were a clear signal to the Centre and meant a lapse in security as well as intelligence.

The Delhi police have claimed a breakthrough in this case, with an encounter reported at Jamianagar in South Delhi in the wee hours of Tuesday. One Pakistan national has been killed and another taken into custody, the authorities declaring both of them members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Following up on the weapons left behind by the militants at Vijay Ghat, the police raided a residence in Jamianagar, where these two militants were holed up. It is not certain yet whether they were the militants actually involved in the storming of the Red Fort or were only associates in the plot. Only a thoroughgoing investigation can provide insights into this daring operation. One thing is clear. The security and intelligence agencies have not yet learnt their lessons. Despite the Kargil affair and the Subrahmanyam committee report, there is just no coordination among the various agencies. It is perhaps the worst in Delhi, where the defence services function independently, the Intelligence Bureau and the RAW have their own show and the Delhi police watch helplessly until they are called in to take up the investigation. They could not enter the Navy Chief's residence or the Red Fort, until the Navy and the Army took their time to conduct their own inquiry.

The car bomb explosion outside the highly-guarded 15 Corps headquarters in Srinagar comes barely eight months after an attack in the same area. Two Pakistan-based militant outfits have claimed responsibility for this explosion, but it is still not clear whether there was a suicide bomber in the car or whether it was blown up with a remote-controlled device. Whatever the impact or whoever caused it, the message is the same - a bid to defeat the ceasefire and abort the nascent peace process. If the Centre remains committed to pursuing peace, it must ignore these attempts and focus on strengthening both security and intelligence. Protecting monuments and symbols of India's power like the Red Fort must figure high on the Government's priority. It is equally important to shore up security in all defence installations and headquarters. There are bound to be more challenges to the peace initiative. The Republic Day is round the corner. It may not be possible to thwart every militant attempt, but it is about time that the revamp of the security and intelligence agencies was taken up seriously by the Centre. The Group of Ministers, reviewing the Subrahmanyam committee report, must decide quickly and get into the action mode.

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