The Hindu : Cars, carbines and confusion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

Opinion

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Cars, carbines and confusion

Despite the overt presence, security lapses are commonplace. Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar reports.

FOR ALL the buzz about security, a series of "intrusions" took place along the route of the Prime Minister's cavalcade in the capital. But so far only some lower rung personnel have ended up as sacrificial goats.

Those in the know say the intrusions were coming. Officials admit there was a lack of communication and interest among the various security units. A senior Delhi police official says even in the past there have been intrusions, but none like these. "In November 1987, the cars of the Delhi police Commissioner, Ved Marwah, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Natwar Singh, and the Union Minister, Bhajan Lal, had intruded into the route of the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, and his visiting Russian counterpart." As Mr. Singh wanted to reach North Block before the Prime Minister, he and Mr. Marwah requested a traffic police official near South Avenue to let them pass. But just near the Hukmi Bai Marg their vehicles came face to face with the VVIP convoy. Since Mr. Lal had NSG commandos with him and they came out of their vehicles with their firearms, the Russian security personnel and the SPG staff with Rajiv Gandhi also took evasive action. However, Rajiv Gandhi prevented a dangerous face-off by intervening in time.

The official said the incident exposed the fragility of the route system. "Over the years, the system was streamlined and vehicles needed to be stopped only for three minutes during VIP movement, but now that is history. The general public has been put to great inconvenience in the name of security threats."

Wondering how many die due to lack of medical aid on way to hospital because of the traffic restrictions, the official, however, says the norm that ambulances be given right of way even on a VVIP "route" does not help as they get stuck in traffic anyway. "Such being the case, who is even bothered about the ordinary man who misses appointments, flights or trains."

"Everything becomes justified in the name of security. And the secrecy surrounding security leads to major slips at times." The recent intrusions on the Prime Minister's route, he says, were always on the cards. "Senior district police officers of the rank of Deputy Commissioners of Police and Assistant Commissioner, who ideally should have been in the field, often did not even bother to step out of their offices." Also, the lower ranks including Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors often took the job lightly. "They would not brief their subordinates properly and there was a general lack of interest and a callous approach towards the whole business."

The weakest link, however, remained the outside forces deployed on the routes. "They were never properly briefed. Coming from various parts of the country and belonging to different central police organisations, the men often did not even know who the VIP passing by was."

Little wonder, a red Maruti van — which infiltrated the route and even collided with a pilot vehicle of the Prime Minister's cavalcade on Thimayya Marg in the Palam Technical area on January 20 — even managed to escape under the cover of fog. Again on January 29 two persons breached the security of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. And this time they not only entered the cavalcade (moving at 110 kmph!) but even managed to overtake a few of the escort vehicles.

And it seems that had not the stunned SPG personnel fired a burst smashing its rear window, the car which had passed the tail vehicle and neared the ambulance might have even overtaken and passed the cavalcade. The firing, however, made the occupants of the vehicle panic and flee. And in managing to safely reach Gurgaon — where they were finally nabbed — the duo showed how easy it was to not only breach the security but also escape. The incident sent the Delhi police and the SPG back to the drawing board, but failed to check a repeat the very next day.

It was while Mr. Vajpayee was returning from Rajghat on January 30 that a motorcyclist intruded into his cavalcade at Hazrat Nizamuddin in South Delhi. The man was stopped at a crossing on Subramanya Bharti Marg as the President's cavalcade was passing by. But he was allowed by a CRPF personnel to go after it had passed. Neither the motorcyclist nor the policeman knew that the Prime Minister's cavalcade was due to come next. So, the motorcyclist was caught while riding 100 metres ahead of the cavalcade. Considering the previous incident, he was lucky not to be shot. The very same day two cyclists also intruded onto the routes of the President and the Prime Minister and really set the alarm bells ringing.

The result has been catastrophic for the people of Delhi. Whereas earlier the stoppage time was just around three minutes, it has now jumped to nearly 10. And the traffic snarls now last up to 90 minutes. This, though route restrictions are there only when the President, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, besides some visiting dignitaries, travel.

Following the recent incidents, they have again started talking about the old proposal that the Prime Minister use a helicopter to minimise movement on the ground. But till the time the proposal, which is being re-evaluated, yields a tangible result, the security officials admit inconvenience to the public will continue.

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