No major strike in '09 but challenges remain for Home Ministry

In the shadow of 26/11, the Home Ministry took measured steps to bring changes in the complex intelligence-security system during 2009 that saw India pass through without any major terror attack and it could be in for some reforms in the new year if P Chidambaram has his way.

While the focus was on terror, specially the one that comes from across the border, the Ministry has also been pro-active on dealing with what the prime minister Manmohan Singh calls the single biggest internal security challenge -- Left Wing Extremism.

Home minister Chidambaram, who stepped into the Ministry in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, may be
attributing the absence of major terrorist strikes to "some luck" but that cannot take away the significance of the toning up the working of the intelligence agencies and other security apparatus.

As the year was wrapping up, Chidambaram announced the proposal to set up a National Centre for Counter Terrorism (NCTC) which will start functioning from the later part of the new year.
     
While Kashmir continued to see a decline in militancy related activities besides a successful completion of assembly and Parliamentary elections, Maoists continued to remain a constant threat for the nation.

After a year's stint and having sized up the functioning of the Ministry, Chidambaram came out with a bold idea of reforms in the Ministry by suggesting its bifurcation to hive off the non-security departments.
    
His idea, revealed in his speech in the annual lecture of the IB, was that the home minister should be fully free to deal with only security matters and not burdened with issues like freedom fighters and official language implementation for which a separate Ministry could be created.

But it is another matter as to how his idea is received and the political leadership takes a decision on it.
    
Chidambaram also came out with another idea like review of performance of IPS and IAS officers after the age of 50 years which has set the cat among the pigeons. Under this proposal officers considered dead-wood run the risk of premature retirement with a fat pension as an incentive.

After years of ambivalence, Chidambaram also brought in some vigour in the Centre's anti-Naxal policy under which it was decided to take on the Maoists head on by making it clear to them that either they abjure violence and come for talks or face the security forces.

The Ministry persuaded the Cabinet Committee to give approval to a plan which includes tough police action followed by development work in affected areas -- approximately 40,000 sq km covering 20 states.

Investigation into the activities of US terror suspect David Headley and his accomplice Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana also took lots of time of the Ministry as more and more information about their alleged involvement in Mumbai terror attacks have come up every day.

Sixty-four-year old Chidambaram, who assumed charge of the Home Ministry on December one last year reluctantly -- as he had himself said -- after Shivraj's Patil's resignation in the wake of the November 26 attacks, had made the
decision-making process fast, transparent and accountable.
     
The image of a tough taskmaster helped him aptly in the ministry where critics felt approach was lackadaisical under previous incumbents during whose tenure there were a number of attacks, capped by the Mumbai violence.

During the 2009, the intelligence network has been reorganised by revamping the Multi Agency Centre(MAC) and Subsidiary MAC. Besides tightening the provisions in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Ministry got amended the CISF Act, which allowed the central paramilitary force to guard private installations, set up a federal investigating agency through a Parliamentary law.

Chidambaram himself feels the task is tough. Asked if he has nightmares, he said, "I live with intelligence reports everyday. I do not forget my responsibility that I have to deal with intelligence reports that come in everyday.

"My successor and his successor, if they are conscientious ministers, I believe they will be, will learn to deal with the situation. There is no need for panic or knee-jerk reactions. We have to deal with an evolving situation coolly, calmly and with confidence," he said.

During 2009, four NSG hubs (each with operational strength of around 250 personnel) at Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai were set up to enable quick response to terrorist attacks which may occur in any part of the country.

As the terrorists who attacked Mumbai last year came through sea route, coastal security has been reviewed comprehensively at various levels and measures to strengthen it were taken by incorporating of vessel tracking and monitoring systems, issuing identity cards to fishermen and intensifying patrolling on the seas.
    
During the last one year, the number of incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir has gone down considerably. Up to October in 2009, 436 incidents were reported as compared to 575 during the corresponding period in 2008.

Besides, a large number of infiltration attempts by terrorists from across the border were foiled by security forces. 212 terrorists were killed till October 2009.

Chidambaram started "quite talks" with separatists of Jammu and Kashmir but its results are yet to come.
    
Violence in Northeast also tackled considerably by taking some tough measures and help from a more friendly Bangladesh. Results - getting several top ULFA leaders, including chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, "surrendered".

The Ministry organised two conferences of chief ministers -- on January 6 and August 17 -- to discuss threats to internal security and ways to meet them effectively.

At both these conferences, among other things, the Centre impressed upon the states the need to fill up vacancies at various levels in the police forces and procure arms and ammunition. Considerable progress has since been made in this direction.

Due to close coordination among intelligence agencies of the Centre and state security and intelligence agencies, a number of sleeper cells have been broken up, key LeT operatives arrested, terror incidents averted and a large number of cases solved.