Modi shows the way

Shravan Krushna Trutiya

The Gujarat Police has demonstrated that if there is sufficient determination and political will, the toughest case can be cracked. Ever since the July 26 serial bombings in Ahmedabad and the subsequent discovery of explosives-laden cars and bombs in Surat, there was much speculation as to whether this time too the terrorists would remain untraced and thus escape punishment.

There was reason for this cynicism: In the four-and-a-half years the Congress has been in power at the head of the UPA Government, investigations into none of the terrorists attacks had resulted in prosecution. With the Prime Minister losing sleep over the plight of terrorists and announcing his Government’s decision to reward the families of jihadis while his thoroughly incompetent Home Minister came up with the most astounding reason for not sending Mohammed Afzal Guru to the gallows, Central agencies displayed remarkable ability to please their political bosses by not taking investigations into terror strikes to their logical conclusion.

It is not entirely coincidental that the police in Congress-ruled Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh should have also ‘failed’ to track the perpetrators of the Mumbai commuter train bombings and the Hyderabad blasts. The Rajasthan Police, investigating the Jaipur bombings, was rudely snubbed by the Home Ministry as Mr Shivraj Patil is incapable of comprehending the contours of the jihadi threat that stares India in the face.

It is only natural that the UPA Government’s callous indifference should have left the State police feeling demoralised and defeated; individual officers saw in this an opportunity to feather their own nest. The Government of Gujarat decided to strike out on its own, if only to prove that if the police are allowed a free hand and sufficiently empowered as well as supported in their efforts, criminals can be tracked down. As always, Chief Minister Narendra Modi took a chance and emerged winner.

There are three lessons to be learned from the success of the Gujarat Police. First, little or no purpose is served by making tall claims to satisfy the demands of 24×7 television news channels. The police are not answerable to the media; their job is best done far away from the glare of television cameras. For evidence, recall how the Mumbai Police Commissioner talked too much and ended up achieving too little by way of tracking down the commuter train bombers.

Second, it is important to instil a sense of confidence in the police force and give them the freedom to interact with the police in other States. The success of the Gujarat Police is as much theirs as that of the police in States from where suspects have been picked up, most notably Uttar Pradesh.

Third, the State Governments have to stop looking up to the Centre for assistance. Gujarat has been denied a law similar to MCOCA by a cussed Prime Minister and his ineffectual Home Minister who believe electoral victory for the Congress lies in pandering to fanatics. Mr Modi took it as a challenge and stumped his detractors in Delhi. While the arrest of the man — a mufti who was given to poisoning young minds at a madarsa — who planned the bombings and his associates is no doubt commendable, what is far more important is that a tough message has been sent out to would-be terrorists: They can’t escape justice. Meanwhile, with SIMI’s terrifying face exposed once again, perhaps Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mr Ram Vilas Paswan will stop demanding that the ban on this terrorist organisation be lifted.

Source: Daily Pioneer

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