Probe thoroughly punjab govt’s 3 member committee on security lapse during pm visit must give clear answers

Probe thoroughly punjab govt’s 3 member committee on security lapse during pm visit must give clear answers

The Punjab government has set up a three-member committee to probe the security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign visit to the state on January 5. The committee has been given a deadline of three days. It’s the right step as the security breach was extraordinary. India is confronted with external security challenges which call for constant vigilance. Given this context, the committee needs to be thorough and scrupulous.

Political rhetoric, especially in election season, can be overheated. Matters of security, however, need to be dealt with at another plane. Implementation of security measures lies with the permanent executive that is the common thread that binds different constituents of a federal polity. This part of the executive needs to work in a coherent manner to prevent lapses of the kind we saw in Punjab. The three-member committee, which comprises two representatives from the judiciary and a serving bureaucrat, needs to examine where there were lapses that prevented a seamless coordination between the security establishments at both levels of government. Findings of the committee will have relevance across states and the lessons need to be shared widely.

While the investigation into the lapse is on, it would help if political parties tone down the rhetoric. Social media amplifies conspiracy theories that often manifest as violence on the ground. If anything, India’s security needs will be well-served if politicians observe restraint in public comments and let the professionals carry out their job. A country’s security umbrella is a permanent structure. Therefore, it requires the creation of an institutional environment that nurtures professionalism in the permanent executive. That way, regardless of the political party in office either at the Centre or in a state, India’s security interests will never be compromised.