The Hindu Business Line : Security consciousness

SECURITY consciousness, like duty and time-consciousness, is a cultivated trait. Human beings, by their very nature, are trusting. This explains their falling for confidence tricksters, biscuit bandits, bogus claims and job rackets despite widely reported news of fellow human beings having come to grief. On a larger plane, we tend to view threats to security as the sole responsibility of government machinery

Everyone is required by law to bring to the notice of the police the commission of any crime, including breach of law and order or security that comes to their notice. After the terrorist attack of 9/11, the US has put in place a Neighbourhood Watch programme which is tantamount to exercise of surveillance by communities on their members with a duty to report to the police any behaviour or new comer exciting suspicion — an extra-ordinary step for a country proud of its open society.

Apart from precautions observed by individuals, it is also necessary for institutions of various kinds, government and non-government, to inculcate security consciousness in those associated with them. Government establishments do this with the help of internal security schemes (ISS), which include an exhaustive list of vulnerable areas and vital installations, and the nature of protection to be given to them in both normal times and during riots or war. Employees are sensitised to the need for being on the alert by means of regularly held drills.

Since the dangers posed by terrorism are in a class of their own, the security apparatus is at a disadvantage in anticipating and averting them. Jihadi terrorism is particularly devastating because the perpetrators, being ready to die for whatever they believe in, are free to strike where, when and what they please, regardless of consequences to themselves.

However, even terrorists have to support themselves, and while biding their time, need to arrange for their food and shelter at places close to their intended targets with the help of some local residents who may or may not be aware of their plans.

By winning the confidence of people in these localities and making them talk (or "sing", as the case may be!), and adopting the Neighbourhood Watch technique, Intelligence agencies should be able to discern a pattern yielding sufficient clues to serve as pointers to future targets with a reasonable degree of accuracy

B.S.RAGHAVAN

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