Mumbai Attack: What Changes need to be learnt?

by Arush from Wales for Sri Lanka Guardian

(December 15, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Tension is growing in the Indian sub-continent after the Mumbai attacks two of the best-known luxury hotels and other landmarks in India's financial capital which killed 174 people and injured almost 300. The Manmohan Singh coalition is fighting to survive the ground swell of criticism for its abysmally poor performance in handling the Mumbai strike.

And Indian anger over alleged Pakistani links to the attacks were threatening relations with the two nations. Medias and commentaries blasted politicians for failing to prevent the attacks and for taking advantage of its fallout before national polls due by April - May.

Pakistan Involvement

Indian officials have said all of the ten Islamist attackers came from Pakistan, a Muslim nation carved out of Hindu-majority India in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars since 1947 and India considering Pakistan as a potential enemy in the sub continent.

India said that it had proof of a Pakistani link to the attacks, raising the prospect of a breakdown of peace efforts going on since 2004. The report went on to state that the Pakistan is a close ally of the US and the main arms borrower from US, its inability to control swaths of territory, violent political instability and a nuclear stand-off with India make the nation a tinderbox.
Mumbai's chief police investigator, Rakesh Maria, said all 10 attackers were from Pakistan, most of them Punjab province. The 10th gunman, previously identified as Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, was captured alive, although they have been interrogating the lone surviving gunman.

Indian Special Force Operations

Most of the military experts blasted elite forces for failing to control the situation within short period. India’s main special forces unit is called as Special Rangers Group (SRG), which is consist military and police units. It is a massive force consisting of some 7,000 troops. It has been involved in more actions in recent years, including the siege of the Golden temple by Sikh militants.

The response to militant by Indian intelligence, Special Rangers Group and the elite Black Cats is an absolute disgrace. It took more than 11 hours for the special force to be deployed and three days for the mission completion. Elite Black Cat commandos killed the last of the gunmen on Saturday (29) after three days of room-to-room battling inside the Taj Mahal, one of several landmarks struck in coordinated attacks on Wednesday (26) night.

Hundreds of people, many of them Westerners, were trapped or taken hostage as the gunmen hurled grenades and fired indiscriminately. At least 22 of those killed were foreigners. Nine gunmen and 20 police and soldiers were also killed.

Indian Defence Strategy and Foreign Policy

Anger at the total intelligence failure and delayed response to the attacks on India's financial capital cum diverse city prompted federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil has resigned his post. Some sources revealed that the Defence minister should talk the responsibility and go as well. He is not even capable of giving out a proper comment in this regard

The Indian defence strategy and handling of the nation defence polity under heavy fire now for its abysmally poor performance in handling the Mumbai strike and lack of intelligence information before the attack. Further more this is the crucial time for India to find out their enemies and friends, a well known south Indian political analyst revealed, which is a key element for the foreign policy and defence strategy of the nation.

For an example, Syria is a potential enemy for the Israel and good friend with anti-western allies, but USA consider the Syria as a potential enemy; it is the simple foreign policy and fundamental defence strategy. If we consider India’s defence policy, Pakistan is a potential enemy for India. The two nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since 1947, but Pakistan has a good relationship with Sri Lanka as well, other side Sri Lanka is an India’s close ally. If we carefully look at this scenario the Indian foreign policy and fundamental defence strategy are zero effect.

Sri Lanka Pakistan Relations

Some of the analyst predict, does the Pakistan allies like Sri Lanka has a hand in this attack? Recent events show that the Sri Lanka has some secret and thick relationship with Pakistan, so far, has not rule out a secret involvement.

Now Pakistan is threatening to move 100,000 troops from the Afghan border to the Indian border and is preparing for a possible war with India. If it will happen, what is the strand for Sri Lanka? The double stand policy of the Sri Lanka is a kissing distance to end, which is more important to the Indian security as well.

If Pakistan go for a war with India, Pakistan's own military needs may impact Sri Lankan armed forces weapons supplies; this is the big worries for Sri Lankan government now. Some Sri Lankan sources said that the Indian Foreign Minister is due in Sri Lanka to discuss the Mumbai attack and how Sri Lanka can support to improve relationships with Pakistan, which was said by the Secretary of State USA in recent days. Sri Lanka got very strong position in South Asia in terms of managing relationships with Pakistan.

Financial Impact

The three-day rampage and siege in Mumbai turned India's financial and entertainment hub into a televised war zone. The most common path of economic development, pioneered by the UK and reproduced today in China, draws unskilled labour from agriculture into basic industry. India’s recent trajectory looks different. The sectors that receive particular western attention- such as information technology and financial and other business services – do not attract peasants from the land.

The attacks that rocked India's financial capital may depress stocks dampen tourism and slow new investment, likely to inflict long-term damage on the nation's global dependent economy. The attacks came as India was struggling to contain fallout from the global financial crisis.
Foreign investors have already pulled $13.5 billion out of the nation's stock market this year, punishing the rupee. The targets identified clearly demonstrate that the intention is to create panic and shatter the confidence in the minds of investors in India and global investors coming to India.

Lack of Analyst

The healthiest political and military experts and analyst are the most important to the nation stability. Most of the defence and political analyst based on anti Indian manner, they are mostly against Tamils rather than Pakistanis. But they have forgotten one thing that the India consist nearly seventy millions Tamils.

Lots of the analyst working on the racial and cultural based view and they are trying to satisfy their western allies. They do not know their enemies and friends, their point of view is a simple, most of them are Western background and working for luxury life.

There has always been accusation about Indian analyst that they are anti-tamil and favours western countries, one of the tamil analyst revealed that he has never read an article in Indian research papers that directly support to Tamils right or even against the Sri Lankan government human right violation, which is widely condemned by global human right organisations and international medias. Did they show the anger and concern regarding more than 300 Indian Tamil fishermen, who were killed by the Sri Lankan Navy, He further said.

What Changes India Needs?

• New independent foreign policy and policy advisors
• Healthiest independent defence and political analysts
• Well define policies with enemies and friends
• Powerful intelligent units and Special force units
• Dedicated Indian politicians - Sri Lanka Guardian