Letter to BS: Govt should bring in some leaders from Opposition into CCS

This is with reference to Shekhar Gupta’s “India gets a National Security Adviczar” (October 13). The 18-member strategic policy group is unwieldy. It will achieve little. Perhaps that is the objective. Have a huge committee so that just one or two individuals actually run the show, while the blame can be thrown around as necessary. It would be wise to divide the SPG into two —  one, the real intelligence functionaries comprising the Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing, Director Generals of Intelligence of the Armed Forces, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the four top secretaries; and two, the JIC or the Joint Intelligence Committee. They can summon anyone else if required. On top of the JIC sits the NSC with the NSA, Cabinet Secretary and the three chiefs. Period. The government should also bring in some leaders from the Opposition into the CCS. Further, there is one aspect of security that the government needs to focus on quickly — water and food security. It needs a separate body with a head who understands what it entails. The sooner we implement this, the better. 

T R Ramaswami, Mumbai

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