Even after security upgrade post-26/11,Mumbai only marginally safer: US

In the aftermath of 26/11,the US feared Indian political parties would fan communal tensions in Mumbai,and later expressed concern.

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In the aftermath of 26/11,the US feared Indian political parties would fan communal tensions in Mumbai,and later expressed concern that even after a terrorist attack of that scale,the polices capability to handle similar crises in future remained limited,according to secret diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks.

In a cable sent to Washington on November 27,2008, then US consul-general in Mumbai,Paul Folmsbee,wrote: Given Mumbais recent history of communal tensions,there will be concerns that Mumbais citizens,fueled by opportunistic political parties,may take out their anger over this event on local Muslims,though the presence of the Army in the city will likely

prevent that from happening.

Six months after the attack,Folmsbee wrote: By all accounts,the security situation has not improved in the six months since the Mumbai attacks. Plans exist on paper,but an unfocused bureaucracy and the lack of political will to push through reforms have stymied progress. With a caretaker state Chief Minister,and successive rounds of national and state elections,interlocutors dont expect any improvements until at least next year.

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The public outrage against the governments failings has faded,as evidenced by the low voter turnout in Mumbai,and,so far,the absence of the attacks as an election issue. One thing is for certain: the state and central governments have a lot of history and inertia to overcome if they are to make any real progress in protecting Mumbai against future attacks.

Nearly a year after the attacks,on October 20,2009,Folmsbee remained sceptical: Two Israeli security and training consultants who have trained Force One recruits in Pune told Congenoff that these units are unlikely to ever be a well-trained,effective force. Three days before the first anniversary of 26/11,on November 23,2009,Folmsbee wrote: … For most of the time since 26/11,Maharashtras politicians engaged in fraternal infighting,electioneering,and horse-trading over the spoils of office. In both the national elections of May 2009,and the Maharashtra state elections of October 2009,the Congress/NCP coalition increased their seats. (To the surprise of many,security was not an issue in either election.) …Congress and NCP fought for two weeks over the distribution of ministries,balancing family and caste concerns,as well as the need for both parties to have sufficiently lucrative,money-earning ministries.

Folmbsee was scathing about the legal battle between top police officers A N Roy and Suprakash Chakravarthy over appointment as Maharashtra DGP,and the appointment of S S Virk to the post after Roy was forced to step down.

The cable summarized: One year after the terrorist attacks of 26/11,Mumbai is only marginally safer than it was a year before…