Letters: Disturbing questions

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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's admission of "gaps in the security" apparatus at the Pathankot air force base and the material recovered from the slain terrorists indicating that it was made in Pakistan should serve as wake-up calls for the Indian authorities.

The big question is how the terrorists managed to sneak into the base despite intelligence inputs. It is also incomprehensible why the government handed over control of a sensitive air force near the country's border to the National Security Guard personnel from New Delhi, who are not trained for a defensive role, instead of the Indian Army and its special units who are.

The glaring lapses once again expose the chinks in India's security armour. No wonder the terrorists were able to smuggle in a huge cache of arms and ammunition besides taking up residence at the base. The terrorists could not have made their way into the base without local support. The government would do well to probe this angle.

N J Ravi Chander Bengaluru

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