Another terror alert!

Indian authorities have deployed thousands of security personnel following warnings that Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant group, is planning an attack over the New Year weekend. Police officers and paramilitaries were on high alert across the country, including in India's financial capital, Mumbai, Indian officials said. House-to-house searches were under way in some areas of the city, which was attacked by Lashkar-e-Taiba in November 2008. Airports and railway stations, the city of Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat and the popular beach resort state of Goa were also on high alert following the warning, said to be based on "human" intelligence and received in recent days. Most of the locations covered by the alert had been visited by David Headley, a Pakistani-American and member of Lashkar-e-Taiba who travelled widely in India before the Mumbai attack.

Source: www.guardian.co.uk, December 28, 2010

India has been plagued with myriad problems, but none as devastating as the problem of cross-border terrorism. No simple solution can be offered. The government must be on high alert at all times, improve intelligence and tighten security processes.  But these are only reactionary measures. Countering terrorism requires a comprehensive solution, one that involves policy changes, systemic reforms and tough implementation.

Police and other security forces reforms

• Improving the salary and benefits of security forces is extremely important. Facilities like good schooling for children, housing and adequate retirement benefits will enhance the ‘national sense’ in the people who are going to cover our backs. Patriotism and the sense of sacrifice cannot be cultivated on an “empty stomach”, especially when you can see your political bosses stuffing themselves!
• The police force must be equipped with high quality armour, weapons and other gear so they can effectively counter well-funded and techno-savvy terrorism.

Legal reforms

• A strict law must be passed to control and bring to book the activities of every organisation in the name of religion or charity. Security agencies must be empowered to periodic review and monitor these organisations.
• We, as citizens, must also co-operate in the processes that provide us security. Every citizen must have National Identification Card with a biological code, and produce it on demand without any ado.
• Where terrorism is concerned, quick judicial action and severe punishment are necessary. Once caught and interrogated, judicial action should be finished as quickly as possible. Quick deliverance of justice will ensure that terrorist organisations do not get the opportunity to free their imprisoned fellows through routes like hijack or kidnap.

Education system reforms

• The entire nation must have a common education syllabus up to high-school. This way, a common history, compulsory languages and a common ethos can be cultivated among children.  Religious bodies should not be allowed to open institutions of basic schooling, and religion should not be taught in schools; religious education must, entirely, be a personal and private matter, to be dealt with at home.
• Ideally, every adult youth, male or female, must be conscripted in to the army for a minimum period. However, there are infrastructural and resources issues involved in this. Hence, at least NCC training during the three years of college must be made compulsory.

Policy Reforms

• Vote bank politics must take a back seat to long term perspective on this issue. When it comes to national security, investigating agencies should be given complete independence and support by the all political parties.
• After the Mumbai Terror attacks, we have seen the lack of co-ordination and brick batting among the top security and intelligence spy agencies of our country (Navy, RAW, etc.) There has to be a common framework designed for these different authorities to come together on sharing information, planning and action, including disaster management.

Terrorism must be eliminated wherever it exists. It is an on-going process and cannot be successful without the support and everyday involvement of all the citizens of the country.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Negative Messaging

You want to be successful. Close your eyes and envision your dream life! Now ask yourself, can you make it come true? You already know what it is going to take to achieve your goals; the only thing you now need is to cultivate the ability to take consistent action.

You must have noticed that, in your head, you are continually talking to yourself. There is a lot of power in positive thinking, but equally powerful is the vice-like grip of negative messaging that you may be giving yourself.

Every personality is a manifestation of nature, nurture and experiences. Your natural instincts are often overshadowed by negative messaging that is set-off by this conditioning, as also by the fear of non-conformance. Over a period of time, you get accustomed to inaction.
Here’s a short story

“Eight monkeys are put in a cage. In the middle of the room is a stool, leading to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling. Outside the cage, an observer has a hose filled with ice water. 

Within a few minutes, one monkey climbs on the stool to get the bananas. This effort is rewarded immediately with an ice cold shower for all of the monkeys. 

Several minutes later, another monkey tries, with the same result. 

Each time a monkey tries to climb the stool all the monkeys are sprayed with ice water, which makes them miserable. Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempts to climb the stool, all of the other monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed, set upon him and beat him up.

The monkeys quickly learn the relationship between 'get on the stool' and 'an ice cold shower', and choose a way to protect themselves.

One of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in the room. Seeing the bananas and the stool, he wonders why none of the other monkeys are doing the obvious. But undaunted, he immediately begins to climb the stool. All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him. He has no idea why. However, he no longer attempts to climb the stool. A second original monkey is removed and replaced. The newcomer again attempts to climb the stool, but all the other monkeys beat him up. This includes the previous new monkey, who, grateful that he's not on the receiving end this time, participates in the beating because all the other monkeys are doing it. However, he has no idea why he's attacking the new monkey.

One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced. Eight new monkeys are now in the cage. None of them have ever been sprayed by ice water. None of them attempt to climb the stool. All of them will beat up any new monkey who tries, without having any idea why.”

This is how negative messaging breeds inaction.

Avoid negative messaging. You can change your negative self-talk simply by being conscious of it. Whenever you notice a negative message, consciously change it for a positive message. Your strengths are your assets, appreciate them and use them. Work towards overcoming your weaknesses; get help if needed. Learn to separate real threats from perceived threats. Move on!

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Painless Execution

A shortage of sodium thiopental, a fast-acting barbiturate and general anesthetic used in lethal injections of death-row convicts, has delayed several executions throughout the U.S. and reignited a long-standing debate over the combination of chemicals used to carry out capital punishment. Most recently, Arizona inmate Jeffrey Landrigan was executed Tuesday night only after a delay caused by a legal battle over the source and quality of the sodium thiopental used as part of the lethal injection.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com, October 27, 2010

The lethal injection is a  three-drug cocktail consisting of barbituric, paralytic and toxic agents.  Sodium Thiopental is used to induce unconsciousness, purportedly to spare the prisoner pain and suffering from the other two drugs. Pancuronium bromide (Pavulon) is administered second. Pavulon causes paralysis in less than a minute, including the paralysis of respiritory (breathing) muscles. The third drug administered is potassium chloride, which stops the heart, causing cardiac arrest. Beginning at the injection site, potassium chloride can be excruciatingly painful.

The debate is, is  Capital Punishment by lethal injection really quick and painless? If the dose of the short-acting thiopental has diminished by the time potassium chloride is administered, the prisoner will be subjected to unbearable pain, but unable to express it due to being paralyzed by the Pavulon. So far, the FDA has avoided any ruling on the cocktail's efficacy in delivering a merciful death.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.