Thursday, July 23, 2009
A LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Mumbai Police Commissioner Shivanandan’s Israel visit
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Mumbai Police Commissioner Shivanandan's Israel visit
One single visit to Israel and Mumbai's newly appointed City Police Commissioner, D. Shivanandan is singing praise of Israel like an Israeli canary.
A report by PTI, published on page five of The Times of India, Mumbai (July 23, 2009), has Shivanandan saying: India lacks killer instinct. He said: unlike Israel, which reacts to any terror attacks promptly, India lacked the killer instinct against those who carry out such attacks.
Besides the point that whether a public official has a right to publicly comment or criticize a government policy of the magnitude that means war and peace in the subcontinent, the comparison between India and Israel is grossly misplaced.
Israeli adversaries are defenseless nations, while India's adversaries are, at least the two neighbours to start with: Pakistan and China that are nuclear-armed states. Repercussions of Israeli attacks on its neighbours, like Gaza and Hizbullah in Lebanon are muted and insignificant, even though loss of lives is horrendous. India and even USA cannot resort to such tit for tat attacks without getting embroiled into skirmishes which can trigger world wars.
On the other hand, India's restraint on 26/11 is no zero sum game. India has world's sympathy, that in the long run has its own rewards.
A city police commissioner, publicly holding such wild and irresponsible attitude towards state policy, can easily drag his country into unwanted and ill-considered situations, for which its Central authorities may or may not be prepared.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram should give top priority to this development and secure our government machinery from such adventurers, who seem to be so pumped with their private agenda, as to challenge the very ethos of our national integrity and security, as respected by an elected government.
It is further surprising how PTI could find it proper to propagate such direct challenge to our government by one of its appointed officer. That too should be investigated.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
www.GhulamMuhammed.Blogspot.com
