Where does the buck stop, Mr. CM?

Tamilnadu CM Karunanidhi is a great respecter of the police, especially the Commissioners of police. His faith in that breed is so high that he would even entrust matters of national security with them and then forget such issues himself in the belief that things would be taken care of. That one such CoP, who happened to lord over Kovai, goofed up, was just a minor aberration. So what if the slip up cost just about fifty lives. The future Home Minister was saved, in any case.

The State indeed should feel happy and secure that it has been blessed with such a responsible and responsive CM, who also doubles up as the police minister, thereby ensuring that extra bit of protection to the subjects, that makes all the difference between death and gory death. But death, for sure.

And now to a few sample instances of the ‘Police Minister’s’ unflinching faith in his CoP who was in charge of Kovai. A word of caution though. If anyone were to come to the conclusion that there has been a dereliction of duty, culpable negligence and a despicable tendency to pass the buck on a matter of such grave concern for national security, on the part of the CM, I am not responsible.

For it is not my intention to point a finger at the CM and his co-borns, inside and outside the secretariat, as I am aware of the utter futility of such an exercise as is borne out by their continued presence at the helm despite the Kovai carnage. Also, there never was any secret about where the CM’s heart lay when it came to confronting anti-nationals and the underworld. My intent is solely to highlight the importance and significance of the post of a Commissioner as demonstrated by our very rational CM.

A central agency had through a letter dated 21-12-97 indicated to the State government that the Al Umma leader Basha had instructed his followers to launch counter attacks in the outer areas of Kovai and that police stations, the police commissioner’s office and gas tankers may be the targets of attack.

The top brass of the government were so ‘shocked’ by this ‘piece’ of information that they immediatly ‘alerted’ the CoP of Kovai, who in turn ‘acted’ and reported back that his team has been ‘sensitised’. Of course, we all know now how sensitised they were. Besides, the Chief Secretary also convened a meeting of the police top brass and it was decided to keep Muslim fundamentalist leaders under close watch. Till they bombed Kovai, we should add. The surveillance was so effective that, the moment the terrorists bombarded Kovai, the police were able to zero in on the perpetrators. It would have been unfair to have apprehended them earlier. Bravo!

Again on 2-1-98, a Central agency informed the State that Al Umma has planned to attack leaders of Hindu organisations and police officers and that they also intended to create disturbance in Kottaimedu area and attack the police when they arrived(?) at the scene. This vital info was again ‘passed on’ to the CoP of Kovai, who, in the State government’s estimation, had the wherewithal to tackle a threat of such magnitude. How right they were!

On 19-1-98, a report was received from a Central agency that Al Umma activists had approached Erwadi Kasim for the purchase of explosives to be used in Kovai and that they had planned to cause disturbance one week after Ramzan. It was also stated that the Jihad Committee had decided to indulge in violence. The State government, probably under the impression that it was one of those grand alliances of the secular forces that we so often hear about, just took note of it and promptly advised the now familiar Kovai CoP to also take note.

As a result the efforts to apprehend Erwadi Kasim, the supplier of explosives, were intensified. However, the authorities did not deem it necessary to nab the buyers of the explosives whose identities were flashing like neon signs, but then they were minorities who had to be protected. Quite judicious indeed.

On 23-1-98, a message was received from none less than the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is now headed by the great survivor of the Kovai blasts. The S.O.S warned of the Al Umma’s plan to blast Coimbatore city in the name of Islamic Defence Force. What did Karunanidhi’s government do? You guessed it right. The Kovai CoP and also the SP were alerted forthwith. The DGP and ADGP(L&O) also contacted the CoP of Kovai over telephone and alerted him about these intelligence inputs. Obviously, the CoP did not hear them correctly, because the blasts happened as scheduled. Damn these telephone lines!

The State intelligence(?) itself had collected information, obviously for their archives, through its own formations and sent as many as 12 alert messages to the CoP, Kovai between 3-12-97 and 10-2-98. A message had been sent as early as on 3-12-97 that certain Muslim extremists planned to attack the police quarters in Kovai.

There were also messages warning of the likelihood of attacks on police officers, police quarters and vehicles and installations of the Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum and the likelihood of bomb attacks. There were two messages that indicated even the places where weapons could be hidden. The much harried, but reliable CoP was also informed that Al Umma activists were frequenting a specified building in Thirumal Street with a design to cause bomb blasts on February 14th or 20th. Oops! So close.

Yet the patriotic mandarins of the Arivalayam and their shrewd followers in the Secretariat and the police force preferred to once again bank on the ever dependable, unfailing … okay … okay … so you know who? The ADGP (Intelligence) had also sent a D.O. letter on this on 12-2-98 to our friend in Kovai police H.Q. Apparently, the writer there filed it as routine correspondence.

Despite all this, the murder happened ‘as announced’ on the appointed day and to the desired effect, probably with the exception of Advani’s escape.The terrorists had not bargained for the delayed flight that caused the miss, though the CM would dispute the play of providence as what really saved Advani. Evidence of how a rational mind works, the same mind and its rationality that sought to make light of all the warnings about the devious designs of the terrorists, sorry, the secularists.

The above list of warnings and the ‘action’ taken on them have been culled out of the DMK government’s Whitewash Paper presented to the State Assembly. There is a lesson here for Advani, his ministry and the central agencies. The next time a terrorist group applies for permission to blast the Central Station or the light house or even the Ripon Building (when the Mayor is not in, of course!) and also issue a letter of intent to that effect, either through our very intelligent networks or even in a press conference or through satellite TV, the Centre would be well advised to request an UDC to walk upto the nearest STD booth in the Capital and tip off an SI or even a constable who may be on duty in a police station in Chennai.

Beware of the jurisdiction, as a matter of abundant caution. There is no point in disturbing the CM for such ‘minor’ matters. In any case, he himself would do the same thing. So it is better to skip the red tape.

e-mail the writer at
[email protected]