from a mailing list that i am on. the general makes some great points about what concerned citizens can do. what the TV media did during the siege of mumbai was completely unacceptable, and played into the hands of the terrorists and their handlers. we apparently haven't learned any lessons from that.
there is a lot of secrecy in unnecessary things in india (usually bureaucratic garbage), but the really important things are left wide open.
Dear All,
This is rather a long mail which is a post script to ...deleted mail re: Praveen Swamy's article in the Hindu http://www.thehindu.com/2010/0 1/11/stories/2010011160041400.htm. I request that you go through this because it highlights how important it is to get our anti-terror actions at individual and grass root levels streamlined .
This is rather a long mail which is a post script to ...deleted mail re: Praveen Swamy's article in the Hindu http://www.thehindu.com/2010/0 1/11/stories/2010011160041400.htm. I request that you go through this because it highlights how important it is to get our anti-terror actions at individual and grass root levels streamlined .
Around noon I casually switched on the TV and heard the 'breaking news' being broadcast on the Srinagar seige. To my dismay, the reporters of two TV channels that I saw were asking the same inane questions that were asked at Mumbai. We are slow learners. Two examples are given below. ~ (a) Reporter-" What is the strength of the Security Forces deployed here? The person being asked the question gave the strength deployed! (b) Reporter - "There is total panic here at Lal Chowk" - the camera then pans onto an empty street with only SF pers deploying themselves.
I did not know whom to contact to alert them to restrain TV reportage of this type.
I contacted the local military HQ and found that the Defence PRO had already alerted the local media to restriain its coverage.
My effort to contact officials of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry at Delhi drew a blank . Officers from the Secretary down to Director levels could not be contacted - the call was either not attended, or the officer was not available or was in a conference. At the Jt Secy level, after indentifying myself to the PA, I was politely asked by him what was the purpose of my call. He then contacted the Jt Secy and then politely directed me to the Director, Broadcast Content, who was in a conference. Since I only had the local contact number of the local NDTV reporter (which, incidentally was not one of the two TV Channels mentioned earlier) who responded immediately. He also advised me to contact newsedit...@ndtv.com. The response was quick. All news editors ack the mail and within 40 mins an NDTV reporter from Srinagar sent a reassuring message that efforts were already being taken to restrain irresponsible reportage. I also contacted Ajai Sahni, the Editor of Faultlines . He rang me back within a 30 mins informing me of the various police agencies he had contacted on ensuring responsible reportage.
It was also reassuring that later, in a TV transcript of a conversation between handler & terrorists, the handler was complaining that there was not sufficient publicity coming on Indian TV.
Praveen Swami's observations on the larger issues are most appropriate. ... [deleted]
Lessons
1. Every individual has a responsibility, however small , in fighting terror. It is important that we know what to do and whom to contact on telephone/mail when a terrorist threat or incorrect handling of a situation comes to our notice. Despite my years of experience, I did not have contact details readily available. Our Association may wish to inform its members of important contact details of officials and media. Individuals too, must maintain their emergency directories. I would like to clarify that the above narrative is a sharing of a personal experience and certainly not that of some catalyst.
2. There is an urgent need to continually train media persons on reportage, because of the quick turn over of trained media persons. I gather there is a Govt instruction on this matter about which I will inform members when we meet.
3. The media has a very important role to play in handling terrorist strikes. Security Force (Police/ Military/ para Military)- civil- media interaction focussed on anti-terror actions need to be regularly carried out at all levels. This includes at Residential Association levels also.
4. The Ministries concerned at State & Centre level need to establish accesible hot-lines by telephone, e-mail or voice -mail so that information from citizens can be handled , recorded and then passed on quickly to other Govt depts where necessary. No doubt there will be any number of crank calls from people , but in the interests of security this must be accepted. As expected, response time of non-official organisations was far, far quicker than the official ones. There is an urgent need for reform in this area by the State & Central Govts. All that is necessary is setting up hot-lines which will immediately pass on the information to various other coordianting agencies.
5. There is a lot of open information on non-fatal but decapacitating weaponry. I am not not aware of the indigenous R&D effort on this matter, but it will be desirable to have selected, well equipped, sniper trained security personnel armed with weapons that will de-capacitate but not be fatal. A captured terrorist is far more useful than a dead one.
6. We need to discuss the measures that we as individuals and .... [deleted] can do to help in our anti-terror effort.
Regards, [deleted]
I did not know whom to contact to alert them to restrain TV reportage of this type.
I contacted the local military HQ and found that the Defence PRO had already alerted the local media to restriain its coverage.
My effort to contact officials of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry at Delhi drew a blank . Officers from the Secretary down to Director levels could not be contacted - the call was either not attended, or the officer was not available or was in a conference. At the Jt Secy level, after indentifying myself to the PA, I was politely asked by him what was the purpose of my call. He then contacted the Jt Secy and then politely directed me to the Director, Broadcast Content, who was in a conference. Since I only had the local contact number of the local NDTV reporter (which, incidentally was not one of the two TV Channels mentioned earlier) who responded immediately. He also advised me to contact newsedit...@ndtv.com. The response was quick. All news editors ack the mail and within 40 mins an NDTV reporter from Srinagar sent a reassuring message that efforts were already being taken to restrain irresponsible reportage. I also contacted Ajai Sahni, the Editor of Faultlines . He rang me back within a 30 mins informing me of the various police agencies he had contacted on ensuring responsible reportage.
It was also reassuring that later, in a TV transcript of a conversation between handler & terrorists, the handler was complaining that there was not sufficient publicity coming on Indian TV.
Praveen Swami's observations on the larger issues are most appropriate. ... [deleted]
Lessons
1. Every individual has a responsibility, however small , in fighting terror. It is important that we know what to do and whom to contact on telephone/mail when a terrorist threat or incorrect handling of a situation comes to our notice. Despite my years of experience, I did not have contact details readily available. Our Association may wish to inform its members of important contact details of officials and media. Individuals too, must maintain their emergency directories. I would like to clarify that the above narrative is a sharing of a personal experience and certainly not that of some catalyst.
2. There is an urgent need to continually train media persons on reportage, because of the quick turn over of trained media persons. I gather there is a Govt instruction on this matter about which I will inform members when we meet.
3. The media has a very important role to play in handling terrorist strikes. Security Force (Police/ Military/ para Military)- civil- media interaction focussed on anti-terror actions need to be regularly carried out at all levels. This includes at Residential Association levels also.
4. The Ministries concerned at State & Centre level need to establish accesible hot-lines by telephone, e-mail or voice -mail so that information from citizens can be handled , recorded and then passed on quickly to other Govt depts where necessary. No doubt there will be any number of crank calls from people , but in the interests of security this must be accepted. As expected, response time of non-official organisations was far, far quicker than the official ones. There is an urgent need for reform in this area by the State & Central Govts. All that is necessary is setting up hot-lines which will immediately pass on the information to various other coordianting agencies.
5. There is a lot of open information on non-fatal but decapacitating weaponry. I am not not aware of the indigenous R&D effort on this matter, but it will be desirable to have selected, well equipped, sniper trained security personnel armed with weapons that will de-capacitate but not be fatal. A captured terrorist is far more useful than a dead one.
6. We need to discuss the measures that we as individuals and .... [deleted] can do to help in our anti-terror effort.
Regards, [deleted]
2 comments:
i wanted to highlight this article.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/China-systematically-killing-Indian-manufacturing-LT/articleshow/5432802.cms
The link to Parveen Swami's article ("Srinagar hotel siege has lessons for police nationwide") given in the blog doesn't work because of some intervening spaces. The corrected link is
http://www.thehindu.com/2010/01/11/stories/2010011160041400.htm
Post a Comment