Centre had warned about attack on Taj

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Centre had warned about attack on Taj 28 Nov 2008, 0009 hrs IST, TNN MUMBAI: According to sources, the Taj hotel could have been saved had the state government taken the warnings issued by the Centre seriously. While deputy chief minister R R Patil, who also holds the home portfolio, has denied receiving any such information, sources say the Centre had on more than two occasions alerted the state government on the possibility of an attack on the hotel.  Sources said the security at the hotel was reviewed a few months ago in view of the warning. Senior police officials had reviewed the security arrangements and the hotel management had even shifted its existing parking lot to a nearby location. Since the warning had specified that the attack will be from the sea, a boat was provided to the hotel to check suspicious persons.  A month later, the additional security cover was withdrawn in view of the reduced threat perception. " The Centre had been issuing such notices and we do take them seriously,'' a senior official said. After a special cabinet meeting, Patil said that there was no specific warning from any of the central agencies on the possibility of a terror attack either on Taj or Oberoi.

Experts blame lax hotel security

Date:28/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/28/stories/2008112857501200.htm Experts blame lax hotel security Special Correspondent — Photos: PTI/ Courtesy India TV    A TV grab of two suspected terrorists involved in Mumbai terror attacks on Wednesday night. MUMBAI: With a little over a dozen gunmen holding the financial capital of the country to ransom, the hotel industry has come in for criticism for security lapses. Two of the iconic landmark hotels in Mumbai, the Taj and Trident (formerly Oberoi) have become a battleground between the army and navy commandos and unidentified terrorists, who have managed to take control of the five-star hotels. What irks security experts is how the heavily armed terrorists had hoodwinked the hotel security and walked into the hotels loaded with ammunition in bags and backpacks. Many like Ajay Gupta, Managing Director, SRG Techno, a solutions firm that offers consultancy to various police forces said, “Companies are paying a heavy price for not paying enough attention to security. Particularly for the hotels and customer-interfacing industry, there is a need for stepping up budgets for security as also a crying need for improved training of security staff.” The security staff are typically ex-service men who are not adequately trained in identifying behavioural patterns of customers / clients and identifying unnatural behaviour. Speaking to The Hindu as the gun battle continued raging between commandos and the gunmen almost 24-hours after the calm in the city was shattered, Mr. Gupta said the costs for employing trainers even from the U.S. would not be prohibitive at around $2,000 a day “but that is barely anything for large corporate houses and they should in fact, keep aside 2-3 per cent of revenues for security and its upgradation. There could also be legislation that ensures that companies adhere to security requirements to ensure security of public buildings.” There are lessons for other hotels and institutions to follow and according to Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, “we will all learn from it and once it is over, we will know what steps to initiate. At the end of the day, no security is foolproof, how much can hotels do, particularly because we are not permitted to arm the security staff. Hoteliers will spare no cost to ensure safety going forward.” Mr. Madhok said that the Indian hotel industry, already weighed under the global meltdown, is now facing “a double whammy with the terrorist attack. However, business travel, particularly in India, tends to recover quickly as was seen after the Mumbai train blasts took place but leisure travel will take a big hit.” © Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu

NCP MP chalked out poll plans while held up in Taj Hotel

Printed from NCP MP chalked out poll plans while held up in Taj Hotel 28 Nov 2008, 1759 hrs IST, IANS MUMBAI: The 40-odd hours that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Jai Singh Gaikwad stayed cooped inside his room in the Taj Mahal Hotel as fierce fighting raged on outside between terrorists and security forces were well spent - chalking out his election plans.  Gaikwad, who was rescued Friday afternoon from the hotel, did not seem hassled at all at the situation he had been in.  "My laptop was with me. I chalked out eight of my election campaign plans," Gaikwad told a reporter.  Gaikwad said he was in room No. 319 of the old building of the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel.  "We were told to shut ourselves from inside when the firing started. First the hotel security talked to us, then Maharashtra Police came and then the NSG (National Security Guards)," Gaikwad said.  "We were quite comfortable inside. Jo bhi sarkar ne tayari ki, hum bade maze mein rahe (We enjoyed all the preparations done by the government)," Gaikwad told reporters.  The terrorists attacked the hotel around 10 p.m. Wednesday. The terror strike in Mumbai has claimed at least 143 lives and left about 370 injured.

History will decide if I am weak: Manmohan

Ashok Kumar (Expressindia.com)Posted online: Nov 22, 2008 at 2020 hrs

New Delhi, August 17: : It was the same Prime Minister but a different Manmohan Singh on Thursday in Rajya Sabha when the premier of the country was addressing the Upper House on the nuke deal.

The man who was always considered to be a novice in the political affairs started his speech with the very acceptance that he has been a late entrant to the political field.

Having said that, the PM then took a different course, something which was apparently aimed at, not only pacifying the complaining Left but also to spring a surprise on the Opposition benches. His strong conviction coming straight from the heart belied his novelty in the business of politics.

The vigour with which he spoke not only encouraged his party members to applaud him continuously by regular patting on the benches but he also made it clear that his words will not only reach the listeners but also pierce through. This he managed by disclosing his humble background and the revolutionary decisions which he took in his earlier stints as the Finance Minister and varied capacities.

Manmohan ensured to provide ample illustrations to support his strong and emotional words and to prove that his expressions are not hollow claims which is why he asserted in a challenging way, let history decide how tough I am as the Prime Minister of the country.

Nonetheless, Manmohan made it clear that his political novelty cannot prevent him form taking decisions which will put the country on the path of development. Citing other reforms which he ushered in the economic field, he said that the only constant is change and one cannot shy away from this eternal truth.

Admitting that there is risk to all kind of reforms he said he was confident of taking this decision to ensure the power security in the country. He elaborated that the sole motivation of nuclear programme is to generate energy as the threat of insecurity is always looming large over the energy supply from the conventional sources.

Allaying fears arising out of the deal on the autonomous nuclear policy Manmohan Singh assured the House in clear terms that the country will not agree to any dilution which will lead to the undermining of the nuclear policy. He said that the nuclear deal is guided by the July 2005 statement.

He asserted that we respect the autonomy of our nuclear scientists and establishments; as such there will be no curbs on India’s nuclear programme. Looking fully convinced the Prime Minister said that he does not feel the need to apologise for the close relations with the United States. He also clarified that India will not join the non proliferation treaty as a non nuclear weapon state.

WHEN THE PLOT IS LOST

WHEN THE PLOT IS LOST

Malvika Singh

Just past dinnertime on November 26, Mumbai was held at ransom by terrorists and the stark reality of years of inept, lazy, weak and corrupt governance hit us smack on the face. It jolted us into witnessing and experiencing, yet again, the trauma of being saddled with leaders who do not act at once. It is terrifying to watch our elected representatives, who hold high office but are incompetent, who are ostensibly responsible for our safety, for maintaining law and order and are therefore accountable to the citizens of India, but are unable to speak out extempore when the situation so demands, who stammer and stutter as they attempt to speak about the the horror and the methods of tackling it. The first fourteen hours of this brutal, meticulously planned, carefully orchestrated assault have exposed the incompetence of both the government of Maharashtra and the government of India in dealing with such situations. Our political class stands naked and exposed. It is a happening such as the Mumbai mayhem that makes ordinary citizens take a firm position vis-à-vis the continuous exploitation of their patience and civility. Enough is enough. With the exception of the home minister making some inane comments on television that were devoid of any humanity or strength of purpose, no national leader either arrived at the scene of the crime or addressed the nation when it needed to hear them. They would not be disturbed in their ‘beauty sleep’, they would call an ‘emergency’ cabinet meeting at 11 am in the next morning, 13 hours after the first shots were fired and people killed, and Indians would be disregarded yet again. This is the impression of our leaders’ attitude which becomes more evident every passing hour. Into the abyss Anywhere else in the world, the top leadership would have been there with the people, standing side by side in the enormous, inexplicable tragedy. Our governments seem to have lost the plot and they will lose the election as a result. This ‘attack’ and the whimper of a response from the governments only proved that they are incapable of taking decisions and leading from the front. All that the episode evoked was an advice to the ministers to stay at home! The difference between the recent assault and those in the past is that this has been deliberately placed at the door of those who make and influence policy, who are privileged but misuse their privilege, who have exploited this land and the patience of its people. There are many things being ripped apart and exposed for all to see. Political failure to govern the people is all too apparent. Misplaced priorities have resulted in this complete administrative and political breakdown. Nearly five years of competent policies as well as the proper delivery of goods have come to naught with this one act of utter failure on the part of the government. When the government should have taken charge, it chose to remain silent. This is wholly inappropriate and unforgivable. It has turned citizens away from the government, forcing them to brace themselves for a dictatorial regime in place of a democratic one. This incomprehensible ineptitude has caused India to regress into the abyss of a soft and ineffective State. The Union home minister must be removed from office, now. He is responsible for the unchecked social anarchy that has pervaded our land — a chaos brought about by the Naxals, Maoists and other insurgent groups infiltrating into the country from across its western and eastern borders. Someone at the top has to go, and go now. Someone has to take charge. Someone has to force the accountability of the ruling class. A State can operate competently within the democratic framework if only there is a strong political will and administrative expertise.

Polls: Government could be severely jolted

Printed from Polls: Government could be severely jolted 27 Nov 2008, 1906 hrs IST, ET Bureau NEW DELHI: For the Congress, which is slugging it out to oust the BJP from its power-perch in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh andRajasthan, while battling it out to retain Delhi, the latest episode in the long list of jehadi strikes couldn't have taken place at a more inopportune time.  The jehadis struck less than 12 hours before the polling was to start in Madhya Pradesh, and less than three days it was to commence in Delhi. Elections to the Mizoram and Rajasthan assemblies follow soon after, and the party has been left fending the ``soft-on-terror'' charge hurled it by its principal adversary. In a busy election season, the image-deficit suffered by it at this juncture has a severe political cost attached to it.  With Pakistan-sponsored terrorism being reverted back to the centre of the political discourse, the Congress leadership will be confronted with uncomfortable questions in the coming days. The fact that terror attacks in the country have become a matter of routine, and have been taking place at an alarming frequency of late does not hold good portends for the principal ruling party and its alliance partners. As the calls for a ``muscular'' policy on combating terror grow louder, the party brass is expected to come under a more intense pressure from the BJP-led NDA to give up the policies pursued by its government so far.  Pushed on the back-foot, a beleaguered Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi dubbed the terror strikes in Mumbai as ``a barbaric act'' to weaken the country, and said that the terrorists, who were ``enemies of the country,'' ``would be dealt with sternly.''  Also Read  → Govt has a lot to answer for: BJP  → Coast Guard locates suspected terrorist ship M V Alpha  → Nine foreign nationals killed in terror attacks in Mumbai  → 6 killed, 200 trapped in Oberoi Trident ``This is not only a matter of security of the country, but also of its pride. Terrorists are the enemies of the country and we have to deal with them sternly,'' Ms Gandhi, who is also UPA chairperson, said in a strongly-worded statement.  Maintaining that no challenge can shake a nation's firm resolve, she said her message to those ``attempting to weaken the country through such barbaric ways is that we will stop only after rooting out terrorism.''  Hailing as ``great patriots'' the police officials and personnel who laid down their lives fighting the terrorists, she expressed confidence that the whole nation was behind them.  The UPA chairperson asked the state governments to review the security scenario and improve the situation, wherever necessary. Expressing grief and anguish at the terror strikes, she said that they posed a threat to the entire country and "we have to deal with unitedly. I know that the entire nation is one on the issue....'' .  The BJP, on the other hand. has already signalled its intention of cornering the Congress on the issue in the coming days. Even though Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, known for his tough, no-nonsense approach on terrorism, on Thursday steered clear of blaming the Manmohan Singh government for its failure to pre-empt the latest round of terror attacks in India's commercial capital, but called for the display of political will and resolve to contain the menace.  Mr Modi, who's emerged as the BJP's most vocal and visible anti-terror face, has been a bitter critic of the Manmohan Singh government's track-record on internal security. In fact, in his election rallies held at various places in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and before that in Karnataka and his home state Gujarat, the Congress-led UPA government's ``weak'' reflexes on terrorism figured high in his speeches, drawing an enthusiastic response from the crowd.  Wasting no time to make his point, the Gujarat chief minister wrote a letter to the prime minister on Thursday, urging him to convene a meeting of all chief ministers to discuss the internal security situation facing the country.  He also asked the prime minister to convene another meeting --this time of chief ministers of coastal states, particularly of those lying on the western coast, having common border with Pakistan. ``For the first time, the terrorists have used the sea-route to carry out their strikes. We need to draw a special strategy to combat this,''

UPA govt projecting India as a terrorist country: BJP

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UPA govt projecting India as a terrorist country: BJP 25 Nov 2008, 0432 hrs IST, TNN JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused Congress-led UPA government at the Centre of projecting India as a ‘terrorist country’. Party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged that Congress was deliberately drawing religion into terrorism.  Addressing a press conference on Monday at the state BJP headquarters, Naqvi said, “It’s an old habit of Congress. It began with Sikh terrorists, then it was Muslim terrorists and now, it’s Hindu terrorists. The Congress is deliberately drawing religion into such a sensitive issue.’’ Taking a dig at Congress president Sonia Gandhi, albeit without naming her, he added, “All Indians are terrorists and their belief in foreign leader is patriotism.’’  He further alleged that this was all part of Congress’ divide and rule policy, which it has been following for years. “It was following its false propaganda on Sikh terrorism that Congress lost its power then and now, it will lose it again because of its recent actions,’’ he said, adding that a narco analysis test on ‘Congress’ mind’ should be conducted to understand its ideology. He also alleged that Congress’s weak stand on Pak supported terrorism has led to LeT and ISI becoming more active in the country.  Naqvi, who attended a meeting of the election management committee on Monday, claimed that according to their assessment, BJP will easily win in four of the six states which are going into elections, including Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh while it would record an increase in number of seats in Jammu and Kashmir and Mizoram.  Meanwhile, the BJP has started finalizing the tour plan for its senior leaders. Party president Rajnath Singh will be addressing public meetings at Nokha, Laxmangarh and Ajmer on Wednesday. Chief minister Raje will address public meetings at Banswara and Dungarpur on Tuesday while Hema Malini would be visiting Jhalore, Pali and Jodhpur the same day.