[Reader-list] Citizens against Terror: Top 10 suggestions for Govt

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear all,

Last week the CNN-IBN news channel together with the Hindustan Times news
paper, submitted a citizens charter to the union home minister of India. The
second suggestion in the charter was:

Uniform electronic identity cards for all

Please read the story pasted below for more.

Best

Taha



http://ibnlive.in.com/news/citizens-against-terror-top-10-suggestions-for-govt/81306-3.html

Published on *Thu, Dec 25, 2008*

*New Delhi:* A month after 60 hours of horrific Mumbai siege ended, there is
widespread fear and anger amongst the country's citizens.

A CNN-IBN and *Hindustan Times* campaign Citizens against
Terror<http://cj.ibnlive.in.com/citizen-against-terror>gave voice to
that anger and compiled a citizens charter containing all
anti-terror recommendations, which is now ready to be presented to the Home
Minister.

Here's a look at what went into the process of bringing your voice to the
country's leadership.

Thousands sent in their suggestions to hindustantimes.com and CNN-IBN
website IBNLive.com. Hundreds spoke at web kiosks that were set up in all
major metros.

"You don't need political interference into security agencies deployed at
any place," an angry citizen suggested at one of the kiosks. Another said,
"We don't want our policemen dying of bullets. They are not even equipped
with proper helmets."

An independent panel comprising former top cop Kiran Bedi, anti-terror
expert Major General Afsir Karim and former Jammu University vice chancellor
Amitabh Mattoo chose the most practical and concrete suggestions.

The charter comprising the 10 best recommendations will be presented to Home
Minister P Chidambaram on Friday. Here is what it suggests:

   - Better crisis management and emergency response systems
   - Uniform electronic identity cards for all
   - Extensive use of technology to fight terror
   - Fixing accountability for previous lapses
   - Urgent modernisation and reform of police
   - Provisions for citizen-driven anti-terror initiatives like widespread
   survival training programmes
   - Corporate help to overcome anti-terror resource crunch
   - Trained citizens' vigilante groups
   - Citizen-led observation posts for coastal areas
   - War book for emergency situations

"All must keep pressure on the political executive to deliver. Every three
or six months, we need to know directly from the Home Minister what has
happened," Kiran Bedi says.