The recent security incident that happened on 13th December 2023 at the Parliament underscores the critical need to safeguard the integrity and security of this vital democratic institution. During the zero hours of Lok Sabha’s session, intruders broke into the room and disrupted the house. The infiltrators jumped into the chamber and opened their canisters, letting out the gas of yellow smoke. It is quite the irony that only a few minutes before this attack, the leaders were paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the terror attack on Parliament in 2001.
Photo Credits: Aaj Tak News Archives
Historically, there have been a few other past incidents where the outsiders in the visitor’s gallery have jumped to the floor of the house. In May 1994, there was a similar attempt made by a man, but he was caught before he could do it. However, he was let off with a strict warning only. In August of the same year, two other men, named Mohan Pathak and Manmohan Tiwari, began yelling slogans from the visitor’s gallery. These slogans were directed towards creating a separate state of Uttarakhand. But, in this case, they were sent to Tihar jail and granted rigorous imprisonment.
In the aftermath of the incident, the defense minister, Sh. Rajnath Singh, urged the Members of Parliament to be cautious while giving out visiting passes to outsiders. Though it is a fairly common exercise, it is needed to ensure that only the right people enter the premises.
Who were the infiltrators? What was their motive?
The police managed to identify six trespassers behind this conspiracy. They had known each other for a long time and had been planning this for many years. One of them received the entry pass from BJP MP Sh. Pratap Simha. According to Police statements, the culprits had been frustrated with their unemployed condition, farmers’ challenges, and the violence in Manipur, which resulted in resentment against the government and led to their attack on the Parliament. Some leaders have resonated with the same sentiment and raised the issues of unemployment in the country.
Security concerns
During the time of the 2001 terror attack, a committee was set up which gave clear mandates as to what precautions needed to be taken to prevent such a situation from happening again in the future. However, the Parliament still witnessed a security breach. It is even more perplexing because there was a recent scrutiny of the security of the Parliament after the Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu threatened that there might be an attack in Ahmedabad during the World Cup finals, but nothing materialized.
Security breach: Social and Economic fallout
There is a mismatch between the education system and the labour market in terms of skill because of which the young graduates become unemployable. Only one in four management professionals, one in five engineers, and one in ten graduates in India are employable, according to the World Economic Forum. The infiltrators shared a common grievance and wanted to act upon it. However, it remains uncertain whether they acted on their own or associated with any organization.
Photo Credits: Aaj Tak News Archives
This incident brings to light some significant issues that are prevalent in the Indian economy currently. According to data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Ltd., in October 2023, India’s unemployment rate rose to 10.05% from 7.09% in September. Rural unemployment jumped to 10.82% from 6.2%. Recently, major tech companies like Infosys and Wipro froze their recruitment of recent college graduates, raising concerns about job prospects for thousands of young engineers.
It is crucial to focus on the underlying factors, such as elevated youth unemployment, which may contribute to feelings of frustration and helplessness. In some cases, it may even lead to undesirable and extreme actions.
Legal charges to be faced by the intruders
Five out of the six accused have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA Act). They could have also been booked under sedition charges, but there were no links found with any terror organization. Only two out of the six intruders were issued visiting passes to enter the chamber by one of the members of Parliament. The police have registered an FIR under Section 153 for provocation to cause riot, Section 120-B for criminal conspiracy, Section 452 for trespassing, Section 186 for obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions and Section 353 for using criminal force to deter public servants from discharge of his duty under the the Indian Penal Code. Lalit Jha, one of the intruders, was also booked under Section 201 of IPC for destruction of evidence. n this incident, eight security personnel were eventually suspended for negligence of duty.
Reaction to the incident
The opposition parties have fiercely condemned the security negligence. They directly held the ruling party accountable for the intrusion, citing the fact that MP Sh. Pratap Simha from their party issued visiting passes to two of the individuals involved. Many of the MPs were suspended as a consequence of the situation. A total of 141 MPs were suspended this winter session, including both houses of the Parliament.
Incidents like these can erode public trust and require a thorough review of procedures. The new Parliament building, inaugurated recently is considered to be more secure than the previous building. It has all the security measures intact, such as CCTV cameras, barricades, and electric fencing, similar to the old building. However, what happened recently highlights a critical flaw in the security system itself.
There have been changes in structure of the building such as the height between the visitor’s gallery and the floor of the house has been reduced, which has increased the security risks. The new building has also seen a rise in the number of visitors, further exacerbating the risk of a threat. In such a case, a thorough investigation is crucial to understand the contributing factors and ensure necessary accountability.
Photo Credits: Economics Times Archives
Conclusion
Parliament is the symbol of India’s democracy, and it is paramount that its sanctity be maintained. The recent intrusion could potentially be linked to broader socio-economic issues, such as unemployment in India. Consequently, it has also come with multiple legal and political repercussions. In the end, the safety and security of the citizens is a top priority for all stakeholders, including the government, which actively seeks collaboration to implement robust preventative measures.