Lessons unlearnt 

Lessons unlearnt 

Context:

• Nine years have passed since the grim events of 26/11 but India has forgotten nothing and learned nothing.

What is are the impacts of 26/11 tragedy?

• 26/11 caused two key ruptures in India’s politics and public discourse:
• It led to a distillation of public frustration with police and intelligence services, which seemed unable to protect India’s citizens.
• It crystallised the rage of citizens against the Indian state’s inability to act on Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorist groups.

What are the drawbacks India’s security and defence?

• New organisations meant to fight terrorism, mostly are chronically under-resourced.
• India’s intelligence services remain desperately short of resources.
• There are chronic shortages from language and area specialists, to personnel with specialist technology skills.
• India has been unable to fulfil its commitment to modernise basic policing and emergency services.
• Forensics, investigation and intelligence capabilities are abysmal.

Conclusions:

• The next 26/11 will always lurk just around the corner unless the elements which went into its making are addressed.