BENGALURU: A mechanism to alert the public about the threat perception levels across the country would be an invaluable asset in helping people prepare for emergencies, former director of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) P K H Tharakan said on Saturday.He was addressing a panel on internal security on the second day of the Synergia security conclave being held in the city.
The panel discussion revolved around intelligence collection and dissemination. It included panelists such
as M K Narayanan, former National Security Advisor and Dr Uzi Arad, National Security Advisor to Israeli Prime Minister. Tharakan told reporters that a system on the lines of Homeland Security Advisory System, in place in the US, should be implemented in India.
“This will alert the public and give them time to prepare accordingly,” he said. “While intelligence agencies have specific inputs, these levels, which can be colour-based or level-based, could be increased or decreased accordingly,” he added.
The UK also runs a terror threat level programme which is managed by MI5. Currently, in India, while sporadic information is released about threat perception and ‘red alerts’ across cities, there is no national or state-based index which can be referred to by citizens.