Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, TIPRA Motha chief recently posted a screen shot and disclosed the identity of the SPG lady of the Prime Minister – her name, village , state etc.
Recently TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma posted a screen shot and disclosed the identity of the SPG lady of the Prime Miniter – her name, village , state etc. And in this process, he made a serious mistake. I fully understand that he did not give much thought about the security protocols etc that bind an SPG. He was, like me or for that all from this North East region, take immense pride for the lady concerned—that our North East daughters can, indeed, compete at all levels and do take up toughest jobs after toughest trainings. It was out of this pride that he posted it.
He in his social media platform gave the picture and wrote :
“Extremely proud to see a Mao, Naga lady XXXXXXXXXXXXX as a SPG bodyguard for the Prime Minister of during his recent trip o UK. As a Northestern to see our naga sister in this place gives us a sense of pride. “
But the problem is such open disclosure of the SPG officials’s identity who protect the Prime Minister from close proximity (or for that matter officials assigned for other VIP securities also) is hugely detrimental and dangerous. Usually, the SPG officials’ identity is not disclosed in public as it may cause harm not only the Prime Minister but also the official concerned. The SPG officials, especially who discharge duties from very close proximity to the Prime Minister are supposed to remain incognito for a reason. For example, if his or her identity is disclosed any terrorist organization that is desperate to go after the Prime Minister, ‘’may attempt to abduct him/ her or the family members and force him/ her to do the harm to the Prime Minister” using their accessibility of the VVIP. This vulnerability is not lost with the SPG authorities and others too.
I have some friends who once served the Prime Minister as SPG – some walking by his side, others planning the security for him .. ( all done as their Bible, “Blue Book” says) . and I know while the SPGs were chosen after strict and all-encompassing security checks in secrecy, they had also to undergo severe psychological training and tasks so as to ensure that in such an ‘abduction or other similar scenario’ they do not give in.
But humans are humans, one may not mind to (and the SPGs certainly do not) to sacrifice their own life in the line of duty protecting the Prime Minister but when it comes to his or her family members like old father/ mother or a small daughter or son – there ‘may’ always be a ‘possibility factor’ of break down. But then, it is also true that they were chosen after they pass all these checks and trainings with full satisfaction. Yet, the common wisdom demands their identity still remains undisclosed in the public. That’s why identity of the former SPG official of late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who was from Manipur and always seen by his side, was never known when in service. His identity was disclosed much later when he was seen after Vajpayee died. The concerned officer was seen in white kurta Punjabi walking behind the later Prime Minister in his last journey.
There is one more point — while it’s undesirable to identify the security official in this manner, which might jeopardize the SPG lady’s personal safety, we or for that matter Pradyot Kishore, perhaps, does not know the lady in question very well be an Intelligence Bureau sleuth/agent as well ( though SPG is largely made of Police and central forces personnel) assigned for a particular task while acting as SPG.
In fact, even when a peripheral security staff member of the Prime Minister -not SPG- goes on leave, before he joins the duty again his antecedents/activities during the leave period is meticulously scrutinized through the Special Branch of the state where he or she belongs to and also by the Intelligence Bureau.
The point is, it is evident from Pradyot Kishore’s post that he was proud of the lady but he was careless and did not really apply his mind. He should have. After all world leaders like Indira Gandhi or Anwar Sadat were killed by the assailants who were in their close proximity.
When I asked a friend, a former senior SPG officer he said : Security matters are not an overt concept, and it is better to speak less about them for obvious reasons.
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