MONTHLY FEATURE uuu POLICE AND SECURITY uuu DECEMBER, 1994

Dr.S.Subramanian, IPS (Retd.)

The changing world order, geo-strategic and political equations, have brought India into the centre stage as a Regional Power. Friends and foes alike would like to stall her progress in Defence Self Sufficiency, Science and Technology, Economic and Industrial spheres. Espionage will be used as a major weapon to achieve this. Are our intelligence agencies equipped and professionally competent to deal with these threats to our National Security? There is need to take a hard look into the entire gamut of counter-espionage apparatus and to refurbish and revamp our intelligence and police agencies. Simultaneously, there is need to educate and enlist the cooperation of the general public. Politics and National Security should be kept apart and petty political considerations should not hamper the efficient working of intelligence agencies. Recent instances of political interference in counter-intelligence work spell dangers for country’s future.

Media revelations that the I.S.I. of Pakistan had succeeded in spiriting away vital information of our Space Programme from the ISRO, have come as a rude shock and surprise to many. Subsequent investigations, as reported in the media, reveal that a spy net-work was in operation in three Southern States. We may never know the full ramifications of the damage caused to our National interests. Espionage, stealing of other’s secrets is universally recognised as a necessary function of a State to further its national interests. Nations employ their intelligence agencies to steal other’s secrets and also to prevent others from stealing their own secrets. Espionage, like Sex, is one of the activities going on all the time, which everyone knows is going on but not quite sure who is doing it, how frequently, to whom or how.

More than 90% of the information sought by Nations is available in open sources like Media Reports; Government publications; Science and Technology journals; Parliament debates and the information collected by Diplomatic Missions. These are constantly collected, read, sifted, analysed and valuable intelligence is generated from them. None can prevent this being done. Since the elaborate process is time consuming, the value of intelligence generated through this method also gets reduced with the efflux of time. All nations fiercely safeguard vital information regarding strategic capabilities, vulnerabilities and true intentions. These are kept as ‘Secrets’ and only a top few have access to them.

To get at this secret information, hostile intelligence outfits, have to, in the first place, get at the people, who have access to them. They employ agents - both natives, their own nationals and third country nationals - to subvert the loyalty of those who have access, through means foul and fair. Common ones are to exploit the weaknesses for money, wine, women, blackmail and coercion. History proves that those with weak moral and ethical fibre all a prey to these blandishments. Prevention of exploitation of those in possession of vital information is the basic responsibility of the tope management of sensitive organisations.

all measures taken to thwart the attempts of foreign intelligence agencies to steal our secrets are known as counter-espionage or counter-intelligence measures. While many of them need sophisticated gadgetry, training and expertise and are to be practiced and implemented by national intelligence agencies only, there are many routine steps which could be taken by the managements and the Government. It should be remembered that success in counter intelligence work is derived by following routine procedures and ‘James Bond’ methods seldom produce results in real life.

Protection of information is the basic responsibility of top management:

The responsibility for the protection of vital information in any organisation should be squarely placed on the shoulders of top management. They should be responsible for prescribing standards for access control, access to information, need to know, when to know and what should be known. The Chief Security Officer of the organisation should be in charge of all physical security measures and the Chief Vigilance Officer should be made responsible for locating personnel with moral and ethical weaknesses in sensitive positions and advising the C.E.O. about their relocation. Closest liaison at the highest level should be maintained with intelligence and police authorities in implementing preventive measures.

Security Awareness :

A visit to any of our sensitive organisations would reveal that there is an atmosphere of carelessness and any suggestion at ‘restrictive security’ is frowned upon. There is need to sensitise senior executives about the need to take security precautions and their relevance. All personnel before being inducted into these organisations are to be given a ‘Security Briefing’.

Accountability of Intelligence and Police agencies :

At present, intelligence and police agencies play the role of advisers and are adept at passing on the buck to hapless organisations. Since the intelligence and police agencies have the mandate to safeguard National Security, they should also be made accountable for protecting sensitive organisations from the depredations of foreign intelligence agencies. They should pay the price if any breach occurs. At present, considerable resources of intelligence agencies are used up in ‘internal intelligence’ work, which is nothing but collection of stale political information to cater to the ruling elite. Major portion of the resources and personnel of intelligence agencies is to be apportioned for counter intelligence work.

Illegal aliens:

It is a common proactive for foreign intelligence agencies to infiltrate their operatives into the target country in the garb of tourists, students, traders, etc. and make them disappear after expiry of their VISA. It is a matter of concern, that thousands of foreign nationals had just disappeared into the general population after the expiry of their VISA. A special Task Force should be created to trace and unearth them and expel them from India. Similarly, thousands of foreign nationals have entered this country without any valid travel documents and are spread out all over the country. Political will is necessary to tackle this problem head on.

National Security and Politics:

National Security should be kept above party politics. Recent instances of Government of India interfering with the working of intelligence agencies in counter espionage work, bodes ill for the Nation. Petty political advantages can not compensate for the dilution of efforts to safeguard National Security. While stringent action should be taken against the intelligence and police agencies, in cases of undue harassment of people and violation of their Human Rights, nothing should be done to undermine the effectiveness of the intelligence and police agencies. National Security should be kept above party politics.

Involve the Public:

Without the cooperation of the public, National Security cannot be ensured. People’s role in detecting illegal aliens, presence of foreign agents etc. cannot be over-emphasised. Similarly, workers in sensitive organisations should be enthused to take positive interest in the security of their installations.

Let us realise that I.S.I. or no I.S.I., efforts will be made by all and sundry, to steal our secrets. We should be on our guard to prevent this. No price is high for safeguarding National Security.

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