A Push For Better Maritime Security
The India Commentary view
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-02-18 10:17:24
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The India Commentary view
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It is unacceptable that many important things in India, which are announced soon after a problem, take so long to fructify. After the terror attack on multiple places in Mumbai on 26/11 in 2008, in which a batch of terrorists entered the city undetected through the sea route, the need for a maritime security advisory board and a maritime security adviser was flagged by the defence ministry. After 14 long years, Vice Admiral (retired) G Ashok Kumar has now been appointed the National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) in the National Security Council Secretariat under NSA Ajit Doval. His job will be to ensure that the threat from the high seas is dealt with properly through effective coordination between multiple agencies.
Although this is a welcome move, questions need to be asked why it took so long for the appointment to be made. When the issue of national security concern is involved, the usual excuse of bureaucratic red-tape and turf wars between agencies should not suffice. If that is always the reason for delays in such important matters, the first thing India should do is to create a dedicated agency that can cut through such bureaucratic red tape and keep turf wars at bay. Ideally, once it is decided that a post needs to be created in the interest of national security, it should not take more than one year for it to fructify.
India has a huge 7516-km coastline and a huge area along this coastline is India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). With Pakistan supporting allegedly non-state actors to enter India and carry out terrorist activity and with the land border being watched diligently now, the sea route has become attractive. Also, the ease with which the 26/11 batch managed to enter India through the sea was shocking. China also deploys its huge maritime might in the Indian Ocean region for dubious activities. Further, conflicts over claims to EEZ are also rising. Hence, though delayed, the appointment of NMSC is timely and would ensure better maritime security.
