Allow Tatas to take on terrorists

It defies imagination how four gun-toting terrorists could walk freely into one of Mumbai’s imposing landmarks, the Taj Hotel, and play with the lives of the inmates for full three days, before shooting them down en masse.

Were there no security guards, official or private, around to stop the foursome in their tracks? Why did Ratan Tata, one of India’s most resourceful businessmen who owns the hotel, not engage a well-trained private security force to provide fool-proof security to his hotel?

The sad reality is that the government would neither provide security personnel to guard private establishments, nor would allow the managements to deploy well-equipped private security forces to defend their establishments. The CISF’s brief is only to guard public sector establishments.

Soon after the hostage drama ended at Oberoi hotel in Mumbai, chairman of the Oberoi group, P R S Oberoi, told a TV channel that it took nearly a year for him to secure a gun license from the Mumbai police for his personal security guard. If this was the experience of one of the most influential hoteliers, what about lesser mortals? Laws stand in the way of private managements equipping their private security with the most sophisticated weapons like AK-47 freely accessible to the terrorists.

In the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, India Inc has approached the government for increased terror protection. Private security firms want the government to issue bulk license for firearms. Some private companies have decided to raise their own private security force to strengthen security in their various locations. Some have engaged international risk assessment firms to advise them on bolstering security.

Even as we think of setting up one more investigation agency to tackle terror, the Government has to address the question of easing the regulations on private security forces. Many business leaders and IT majors have volunteered to take charge of the security of their establishments, provided the government removes the legal hurdles. Ratan Tata said he was exploring the possibility of engaging an external agency to provide security to Taj hotel. Mukesh Ambani said he was willing to send his teenage son to the Army for compulsory arms training in defense of the country.

The government’s post-26/11 proposal to extend the services of CISF to private sector won’t go far, given the low motivation and inadequate training of government security personnel. The government should garner the resources and professionalism of the private sector to supplement its anti-terror operations.

While the Army is best left to defend our borders, the government should involve the private sector in a big way to strengthen internal security. More so, when our Tatas and Ambanis are all too willing to take up the challenge.
Allow Tatas to take on terrorists
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Comment: The private security is truly in a mess. ESM recruited for security services are poorly paid, ill equipped and clad comically. The image of our Jawans have been degraded further by DGR under the MoD.