Why is a federal agency needed? As can be seen from Delhi October 2005 to Jaipur May 2008, conspiracies are hatched on an international scale with inter-state ramifications. But as no state police or Central agency has the powers of hot pursuit, the investigation becomes an exercise in letter-writing, with the affected state seeking assistance from another state, with a copy duly marked to North Block. And by this time the culprits are far away from the scene of crime. This stands substantiated by the fact that none of the bombers have been caught for the Delhi, Varanasi, Mumbai, Hyderabad or Samjhauta Express blasts.

The original proposal for a federal agency, before it was buried, recommended giving the power of hot pursuit to the new outfit. India, according to the US National Counterterrorism Centre, has lost some 3,715 lives on account of terrorist attacks. And the latest Jaipur blasts show that the situation is going from bad to worse, with terrorists now sending videos of targeted police stations to the media.

Even though the states vehemently oppose the idea of a federal agency, the time has come for at least the Congress and the BJP to forge consensus on the subject as both have voiced support for it. There is a need to convince the states that this agency would not become a tool of the ruling government in New Delhi but that it would be in the larger national interest. After all, even Manipur is today crying for a Central agency to tackle the underground militia that is mixed up with the ruling state leaders. The Jaipur serial blasts are a wake-up call for the Central and state governments. One hopes they do not lose their sense of focused urgency any time soon.

... contd.