A country with a 7,516-km coastline and 1,328 islands to guard cannot but feel vulnerable in these turbulent times beset by the nefarious activities of terrorists. And yet, for all the length of that coastline, India hardly qualifies as a nation of seafarers, save for poor fishermen who eke out a living from the sea. The importance of guarding the nation from marine vulnerability cannot be stressed enough, particularly since the 26/11 attackers came from the water. However, “the more the merrier” dictum does not always make sense.
The creation of a Central Marine Police Force to protect ports and institutions along the coast, like nuclear power plants, seems a very good idea, but the matter of coordination remains as the Navy, Coast Guard and the state marine police forces are already in this field. The vastness of the sea mandates first-rate navigation and surveillance equipment as well as supervision of landing points, besides “sail” power. Training is another key aspect for a country without great maritime traditions.
Towards this, the setting up of the National Marine Police Training Institute in Dwarka, Gujarat, and Marine Police Training centres in states and UT police training academies is crucial as high technology must be employed. It would be wise to prepare the manual for proper definition of jurisdiction, chain of command and coordination first. The states must be in a position to make best use of three Central forces besides strengthening the local police, which invariably is the first line of defence as intelligence flows from the grassroots and the sands of beaches.
