Flying against logic

Will someone please explain what ‘security’ means in official India’s dictionary? Some in the security establishment are paranoid about foreign investment from certain countries. Others find their job satisfaction in prolonged ‘assessment’ of ‘security risks’ of Indian businesses. We have pointed out in these columns the illogic of the first kind of security policy. The second kind of preoccupation defies logic even more. And it finds its fullest expression in the home ministry holding back security clearance for Jet Airways’ American operations. We are not concerned about one corporate’s business prospects. But we are extremely concerned about how government departments use their regulatory and monitoring powers.

As he was hosting the chief of the US Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, Praful Patel answered questions on Jet Airways by pointing out that the home ministry has okayed the airline flying everywhere domestically but that it has problems about Jet’s US operations. Both decisions can’t be right, the civil aviation minister said, and the craftiest of home ministry security mandarins won’t be able to answer that one. Especially since Jet is also cleared to fly to major destinations in India’s neighbourhood and to London. In which other major country would such a ridiculous policy contradiction be allowed to exist for so long? And how can the home ministry get away for so long peddling this ridiculousness? Security bureaucrats probably don’t understand it, but this kind of absurdity can extract large costs.

In the current case, American operators are getting a large share of the high volume India-US air traffic because officials can’t make up their mind about one of the Indian operators. American airlines are welcome to compete for as much India-related business as they want. But they should compete — not be given a head start by the Indian bureaucracy. It would be perfectly logical for someone to wonder why, in the name of safeguarding India’s national interests, are home ministry mandarins ending up unduly promoting America’s commercial interests? Indian businesses in general have every reason to be worried about this sort of official attitude. Which is why the PM must intervene. One of his government’s ministries can’t insist on flying against common sense. The PM must demand that the security apparatus that ultimately answers to him gives him a definition of security that, first, makes sense and, second, serves India’s interests.