“Threat to PM of India is from Rajiv Gandhi!” or words to that affect were famously said by one of my best friend in security fraternity during the NSG Raising Day function at Manesar witnessed by Shri Rajiv Gandhi when he was Prime Minister of India.
Today the Honourable pose greater threat to security of parliament then the conventional threats! There is serious need to relook on the security measures placed after parliament attack in 2001. Millions of rupees have been spent on placing ‘state-of-art’ security gadgets and systems. The application of technology for security management of Parliament Complex is something to make any security professional very proud. The planning is very perfect but the execution full of holes - nay gaps!
The Parliament security protocol needs immediate change – a paradigm shift. The security planners for parliament complex had reactively planned against situations similar to parliament attacks. Naturally that sad and unfortunate was still fresh in their minds. But, they need to look beyond especially after more than a decade of that incident.
After ‘vote-for-cash’ scam wads of currency note were smuggled in and were on public display in parliament. The play-cards and banners have been brought-in many times, recent being during anti-Telengana agitation by MPs from Andhra Pradesh. Mobile phones, tablets and cameras are routinely brought-in and no one seems to appreciate the threats they pose to security.
Talking of ‘paradigm-shift’, the ‘Committee on Security in Parliament’ needs to consider that thereat from
within looms if not larger then at least equal to the threats from outside. The recent conduct of Honourable is not something to make democracy proud. The often recommended-in-haste frisking of MPs is neither needed nor advisable as frisking is intrusive, derogatory and also not conclusive security measure.
There is no need to breach their privacy in open and conduct manual frisking them and checking their belongings. In Parliament Complex there are Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs), Baggage Scanners, RFID based inventory tags and Biometric Access Control Systems – all very strategically installed and functional. The need is to subject even the MPS to such systems and SOPs. For some inexplicable reasons the MPs were exempted from such checks and procedures which are very strictly adhered for others, least
realizing that all the security protocols were meant for the security of them only and were permitted to bypass them with no questions asked.
within looms if not larger then at least equal to the threats from outside. The recent conduct of Honourable is not something to make democracy proud. The often recommended-in-haste frisking of MPs is neither needed nor advisable as frisking is intrusive, derogatory and also not conclusive security measure.
There is no need to breach their privacy in open and conduct manual frisking them and checking their belongings. In Parliament Complex there are Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs), Baggage Scanners, RFID based inventory tags and Biometric Access Control Systems – all very strategically installed and functional. The need is to subject even the MPS to such systems and SOPs. For some inexplicable reasons the MPs were exempted from such checks and procedures which are very strictly adhered for others, least
realizing that all the security protocols were meant for the security of them only and were permitted to bypass them with no questions asked.
Now is the time for Honourable Speaker and all MPs bedsides security planners of parliament complex to realize that even MPs can be threat to others and as they have been in past with impunity, now also , can bring-in anything including weapons and explosives. No one has done it so far is no guarantee that no one will ever do it! God above, no one has thought doing so, but… To be ready to answer this ‘but’, all are required to be considering the worst scenario and preparing accordingly.
Capt S B Tyagi, COAS’CC*
International Council of Security and Safety Management,
Ph.No. 0121-251834 - Direct
My Blog: http://captsbtyagi.blogspot.com
My web-site: http://www.wix.com/sbtyagi/icissm
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