How common man can play its part in curbing terrorism:
Last year on this very day, 10 gunmen arrived here from Pakistan with their weapons to snuff out the lives of 166 people. India has been worst terrorist-hit country for past decade. All these terrorists used to hide in public and execute their plan from our country itself. Now BIG QUESTION is can we (public) can help in any way. I think YES! I was thinking about this idea which will not only reduce burden on intelligence and police but if implemented can be very effective.
Idea: We are having websites of all major cities maintained by municipal corporations. Idea is to have a subscription type facility on each of these websites. We need to have moderator for each city website, let us have some local intelligence guy. Now people i.e. residents of the city can subscribe themselves on this facility and are allowed to send any mail to whole city community, which have subscribed, about some suspicious character or activity. That mail after approval from moderator will be sent to all the members, who have subscribed. What that will do is that there will be more eyes keeping track on the activity of suspicious guy in a particular area.
Example: Let us say Varanasi city is having such system and assume 20 members are subscribed in Lanka area. If a member finds about some doubtful person in that area, he will write a mail describing about the activity and action area, then moderator will review the mail and will forward the information to subscribed member in that area. Now, there will be 10-20 eyes keeping track on the activities of that doubtful character.
Advantage:
1. More comprehensive watch
2. A reduced amount of burden on agencies
Idea: We are having websites of all major cities maintained by municipal corporations. Idea is to have a subscription type facility on each of these websites. We need to have moderator for each city website, let us have some local intelligence guy. Now people i.e. residents of the city can subscribe themselves on this facility and are allowed to send any mail to whole city community, which have subscribed, about some suspicious character or activity. That mail after approval from moderator will be sent to all the members, who have subscribed. What that will do is that there will be more eyes keeping track on the activity of suspicious guy in a particular area.
Example: Let us say Varanasi city is having such system and assume 20 members are subscribed in Lanka area. If a member finds about some doubtful person in that area, he will write a mail describing about the activity and action area, then moderator will review the mail and will forward the information to subscribed member in that area. Now, there will be 10-20 eyes keeping track on the activities of that doubtful character.
Advantage:
1. More comprehensive watch
2. A reduced amount of burden on agencies
Hi Devender,
ReplyDeleteWhat you have suggested is very similar to a "neighborhood watch" program. Google for it and let me know if there is a similarity.
Good thinking. However, how do you propose to prevent:
1. Someone from the "bad guys" infiltrating this network, and coming to know in advance that he is being tracked, therefore escaping.
2. An overzealous member of the city community taking law into his own hands and harming someone who was being tracked in error.
Would be interested in knowing your comments on these.
cheers,
-A
I agree with Animesh. Such a program will be easily take over by "goonda politicians" and vigilantes. Both will harm the fabric of democracy immeasurably.
ReplyDelete@ Animesh bhaiya,
ReplyDeleteMy idea and this "neighborhood watch" program are based on same concept. Difference is in its way of execution. "neighborhood watch" program is more like informing about a crime and in my idea we are tracking a doubtful character; more like spying.
What I am going to propose may appear unrealistic but that is just for the sake of discussion.
Rater than online registration we can ask people to come to municipal office or any other building and get themselves registered. Now, once a suspicious character has been reported moderator can call a meeting of subscribed members. Moderator can first verify if there that suspicious guy is not One from subscribed members. Once he assures himself with this; he can give members some guidelines and warnings (not to take law in their hand). Also, moderator can even allocate different time for different members, like from 9am-12am will be duty of member X.
I know this is getting too complicated. I think "neighborhood watch" program is more realistic and motivated citizens should themselves made such groups and can register their group to government.
Hi Devender,
ReplyDeleteYour suggestions above still does not solve problem #2 in my comment. Also, how do we prevent unscrupulous people from becoming members and selling information to the bad guys? (Think of it as a modified version of #1 with proxies ).
What say?
-A
It is great to see you think for the society and a possible solution. However, I think you need to work it out a little more. The idea is very naive.....
ReplyDeleteNever mind! I see your writing skills gradually improving post after post. Keep up the good work.
@ Animesh bhaiya,
ReplyDeleteRegarding #2, we can only brief citizens not to take law in their hand. We can't really stop any over-enthusiastic guy, can we?
Regarding pseudos and proxies: All the members in neighborhood know each other pretty well. In a meeting with moderator, we can talk about any suspicious guy within the group.
@ Rakesh bhaiya,
Thanks :-) I am kind of writing these posts for GRE preparation ;)
Devender: Yes, you can (stop an over-enthusiastic guy), by NOT giving him a list of suspects to focus his anger on. Even in the case of pseudos and proxies, talking of "suspicious guys" is risky. What if someone raises a simple question of civil rights in the group, and due to his background, gets labeled as "untrustworthy and with the terrorists"?
ReplyDeletePeople, sadly, are potentially very dangerous; even more so if they have not done due research and are acting in a reactive manner. Giving them so much power, then, might get risky very very soon.
My 2 cents.
-A