India’s coastal security
Governments may congratulate themselves on the ‘comparatively better’ coastal security since the 26/11 attack, but we are safe more because of the shifting priorities and calculus of our enemies, than because of any dramatic reduction in our vulnerabilities.
Post 26/11, coastal security has improved marginally
By Ajai Sahni
A Russian yacht recently entered Indian waters without authorisation and, undetected, dropped anchor barely 500 metres from the shore near a location no less prominent than the Gateway of India in Mumbai. Till this point, it had escaped security scrutiny. This is eight and a half years after the 26/11 attacks, which were initiated after infiltration from the sea, and after coastal security was declared to be one of India’s highest counter-terrorism priorities.
The 390-tonne US-owned Seaman Guard Ohio, operated undetected as an illegal anti-piracy ‘floating armoury’ in Indian waters for 45 days, prior to its detention off Tuticorin on the Tamil Nadu coastline on October 12, 2013, while illicitly refuelling on subsidised diesel.
To continue reading, please click here.
Source: hindustantimes.com
