Rot at the heart of Indian intelligence and police?

In a devastating expose titled Rot at heart of Indian intelligence, which appeared recently in BBC news, Soutik Biswas cites glaring security lapses in the Indian government’s "amateurish, sluggish and feeble" response to the devastating Mumbai attacks, which left nearly 200 people dead.

Indulging in an embarrassing blame game, Indian intelligence agencies are leaking information that they gave about half a dozen warnings to the Maharashtra state government warning that terrorists were planning to attack prominent targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal hotel. This has been flatly denied by the state authorities.

The agencies claim that the interrogation of Indians and Pakistanis arrested earlier this year revealed that some men belonging to Pakistan-based groups had reconnoitered major landmarks in Mumbai, and also that they had been picking up militant chatter pointing to attacks in the city.

Allegedly, the local police and intelligence agencies failed to act on any of the information. Soutik Biswas observes that the attacks and their aftermath point to the rot that has set into the country's internal security system and a lack of cohesion between civilian and security wings of the government.

It appears that the government has allocated inadequate funds for the police, which is poorly paid, lacks training and is equipped with outdated weaponry. It lacks surveillance and communications equipment, and makes do without modern forensic science laboratories.

"The Mumbai attacks prove that the whole system is falling apart. The police in India are working on manpower and equipment assessments last made in the 1970s," says security analyst Praveen Swami.

If the gunmen came by sea, as is being reported, how come they were able to sneak into the city through a crowded fishing colony?

And contrary to the Bollywood image of being dashing, efficient killing machines, India's commando forces are also not exactly in fighting shape, as was evident from their Mumbai performance, according to Israeli observers. The task force from the elite 7,400-strong National Security Guards (NSG) flew to Mumbai a leisurely eight hours after the attacks. As a result, additional precious lives were lost. Many of the commandos are reportedly guarding politicians and other VIPs.

After the Mumbai attacks, the Maharashtra state government announced it would set up a state commando force, and some 500 armed men would be ready in four months. A number of states where Maoist rebels are active plan to raise their own commando forces, but early results point to hasty, faulty planning.