New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Is the Indian state prepared for 26/11-like attacks a year later? Are politicians undermining national security?
Such questions were deliberated at a national security seminar Tuesday at the India International Centre where the issue particularly of political parties undermining national security for short-term gains was dwelt upon.

“If you look at this in a strategic sense much of the degradation of Indian security can be linked to the political establishment. And the way they have often embarked on initiatives for short term gains like the propping up of Sikh fundamentalist preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the launching of the Ayodhya movement, or Communist support at one time to Maoists and so on,” National Maritime Foundation’s director Commodore (retd) C. Uday Bhaskar said.

He was speaking at a seminar organised by National Maritime Foundation on ‘India’s coastal and internal security post 26/11: Review of strategic challenges and preparedness’ here.

“Some of these initiatives have aggravated the issues of internal security. Do’s and dont’s for politicians on security issues should be laid down,” Bhaskar opined.

Agreeing with him, Congress spokesperson and MP Manish Tewari said he would raise the point in the house. Tewari admitted the response of Indian politicians to terror attacks was very “squeamish” and a change needs to be brought in their mindset on security issues.

“The Indian state has not been able to come up to this repeated intervention from across the border to our sovereignty… The politicians have been squeamish in their response,” Tewari said at the seminar attended by serving and retired defence and home ministry officials.

“There has to be a change in the mindset vis-a-vis security,” he added.

Vice Admiral (retired) Vijay Shankar, in his presentation titled ‘Coastal Security- Those Tiny Footprints’, expressed concern at the smuggling of nuclear technology in some countries via the sea route.

“According to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), there have been close to 1,500 cases of illicit trafficking of nuclear material (via sea route). Of them 25 are related to material that can be used for making bombs,” said Shankar, who retired as commander in chief of the Eastern Naval Command this September.

Contending that the maritime domain remains “murky” even an year after the attack, Shankar said: “Our ability to find that something is brewing is woefully lacking.”