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The cynic might say that it is easy to own up to mistakes when they are clearly not of your making, nevertheless, a mea culpa is always the best way to a new beginning. Since Chidambaram also added that he would "strain every nerve to improve the effectiveness of our security systems," there is hope that something will really be done this time.
The first step must be to establish accountability. This is why Shivraj Patil, Vilasrao Deshmukh and RR Patil had to quit office, all three quite clearly dragging their feet when it came to writing their resignation letters. It was obvious that they were to be firmly guided to the place marked x on their resignation letters.
Now that they are gone and their replacements are in place, the firm guiding hand is required on more such letters. We all know that it's not just politicians who are to blame. In fact, a case can be made that the ministers who quit were guilty of the sins of omission, whereas there were others far more directly involved. Most of these are bureaucrats, yet not one person has been dismissed or has been asked to resign. Or for that matter, even transferred, which is the easiest way of punishing a civil servant.
Why, for example, is MK Narayanan still there? He is after all, the National Security Advisor, therefore directly responsible for the tragic events that overtook Mumbai. It is said that Sonia Gandhi brought him back from retirement; it is also said that Narayanan did submit his resignation but the prime minister has refused to accept it. Is that because Narayanan is efficient, upright and knowledgeable? I would think those qualities were pre-requisites for any high office; what we should be talking about now is performance.
And there has been such abysmal failure, that in the final analysis it does not matter whether Narayanan was at fault; he is the National Security Advisor and National Security has been badly compromised. Ergo, he has to go.
The same principle has to apply to all those overseeing intelligence. Each head of every intelligence agency has to put in his papers. Some may call this a witch hunt, but it isn't. This is what is meant by accountability. By the same token the man who needs to be shown the exit door is the chief of the navy. He has shown not the slightest sign of remorse.
One isn't saying that Admiral Sureesh Mehta should quit because of his lack of restraint; one is only saying he should do so because the terrorists came through the sea route, passed a naval presence and did so without any problems. And when the attacks on the Taj and the Oberoi began and the police asked for naval commandos, the navy brass in Mumbai asked for the request in writing. A written request from the director general of police in Maharashtra was given but this wasn't deemed enough. The navy would accede to the request only when the chief secretary of the Maharashtra government Johnny Joseph faxed them a letter.
Chidambaram obviously has his work cut out for him. There are too many agencies working on their own with no central coordination, each of which thinks that once it has sent a warning of suspicious activity, its work is done. Whether that warning is heeded or not, acted upon or not, seems to be no one's responsibility. This is bureaucracy run amuck. What is at stake here is the life of the nation.
The new home minister is a man of experience. He probably needs no advice about how to proceed with the reorganisation of his ministry, so here's a suggestion anyway.Let him begin by calling all the agencies under his control and asking them to shut up forthwith. Each day brings a new leak from some unnamed source, each leak obviously meant to pass the blame to someone else. Yet, every leak meant to protect someone's backside finally ends up as a full frontal attack on the nation.
The writer is a commentator on social affairs.