Tale of two cities

After the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore,Chris Broad,the English referee,expressed his rage against...

After the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore,Chris Broad,the English referee,expressed his rage against the Pakistani security establishment,describing how he and the team were left to be sitting ducks against the onslaught. Even though six policemen died in the attack,there were very vivid and very clear security lapses,admitted

Lahore commissioner Khusro Pervez. Television footage showed some of the attackers coolly driving away on bikes and walking away from the scene,dropping their rucksacks and dissolving into the city. Despite police being stationed at several points in the roundabout,not one terrorist was caught. And unlike Mumbai,the Lahore police have even less of a cover in terms of forewarning. Pakistani security agencies had been specifically called upon to ensure faultless protection to the Sri Lankans,whod travelled there despite the sense of threat.

This is not to indulge in mines-better-than-yours crowing,but a reminder that in a similar situation of unexpected attack,the Indian police had the right reflexes. During the Mumbai attacks,they hurled themselves into the fray. Assistant sub-inspector Tukaram Omble took on Kasab armed with nothing but a stick,enabling his colleagues to capture him alive,even though Omble himself succumbed to the bullet spray. Fitted out with defective bulletproof vests,helmets and body protectors designed for sticks and stones rather than AK-47 firing,their gut judgments were still fiercely combative,brave and inspiring.

Certainly,Indian security systems were hardly a model of foresight during Mumbai there were some serious errors of judgment,and obvious intelligence and security lapses. And to their credit,the right lessons have been learnt from Mumbai there has been a move to install better procedure during crisis situations,maintain proper cordons,etc,and to provide better backing to our police forces. And at the ground level,it cannot be denied that the police and commandos pitched into the assailants with great vigour. Their instincts were solely protective. Witnessing the similarly sophisticated commando operation in Lahore,we should be thankful,again,for the sheer mettle of our men in uniform. And the confidence they give us to go on with life as usual.