The calamity of the Nowgam police post explosion that resulted in nine deaths, count them, not only is a tremendous loss to the bereaved families who grieve, but also communities as a whole. The grim irony that it was an accidental explosion of explosives that had been seize in an anti-terror operation, is striking. Officially, we are told that the explosion was not connected to terrorism, but more is needed than grief and indignation. A full serious, commensurately appropriate, transparent, and uncompromising investigation is in order to ensure that this does not happen again. Merely to say, that a “huge cache of explosives, chemicals and reagents was referred to as “unstable and sensitive” is unworkable. Claiming they were “kept securely in an open area” is oblivious to serious human devastation and an indication of the power of the explosive materials. An explosion powerful enough to blow parts of loved ones destroyed, houses, and houses hundreds of meters away.
The statement that officials were following an “prescribed procedure” by taking samples for forensic examination raises troubling questions. What are the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for storage and handling for such an unstable contraband? Surely police station, located in civilian neighbourhoods, do not have the sophisticated facility that dangerous contraband requires for modifications, it seems logical that the scale of the actions got ahead of the systems in these processes. This shows that there is a gap. Should there not be separate, isolated and secure areas for storing and examining these kinds of materials recovered from terror modules?
The distress from the LG and the inquiry are good initial steps to take. There needs to be a viable body, with a technical level of expertise of explosives management, acting as terms of reference, with thoughts on possible deliverable reforms, and they must meet in public. There needs to be accountability along the decision chain that eventually led us to this incident.
The country stands united with the families of the deceased and the injured. The lost police personnel and officials were in the front lines, and their sacrifice in the line of duty will be honored now and never forgotten. However, the most meaningful tribute would be to ensure that such a tragedy never occurs again. They represent the grievous reminder from the Nowgam blast. The threat from terrorism not only requires courage in theater, it requires careful planning, the scientific handling of evidence, and strict adherence to safety protocols. The government must now show that it has learnt this gut-wrenching lesson by changing its systems and providing comfort that the lives lost were not lost in vain.
