The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai (old name being Bombay) have unleashed a barrage of criticism and protests against the authorities in India. The seething rage of people is unprecedented and is mounting. The head of Government in the Indian state of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, and his deputy have resigned. So also the minister in charge of security in New Delhi.
In some quarters, the fury is turning into a pointed question: "After 9/11, there haven't been any terrorist attacks on the US. Why can't New Delhi emulate Washington's example?"
The question reminded this writer of an anecdote involving then Indian minister Murasoli Maran (who is no more). Legend has it that when Maran was in Seattle in November 1999 to attend a World Trade Organization meeting, the US city had been affected by massive street protests. "Summon the police from India," Maran retedly told US officials, as the protests continued. "They will restore normalcy in a jiffy."
Juxtaposed with the rising terrorist violence in India, such statements may now invite cynicism in view of the fast eroding credibility of the Indian ruling class.
Nobody in India has any doubts about the capabilities of Indian security forces. They have been doing a brilliant job despite dated equipment and lack of supt and direction from Government authorities.
What people have been upset with is the political leadership. There is a complete breakdown of trust between the Government and the people. A couple of influential journalists have been leading online discussions on the need for a new set of leaders while people have taken to streets protesting against inadequate action from the Government. "This is the lit," seems to be the consensus.
"It has been one of the most traumatic experiences in my life," the CEO of a leading Indian company has told this writer. "Women and children are the worst affected. The wounds will take te to heal."
This is a classical case where an alarming performance gap has been compounded by communications breakdown, pushing reputation towards the nadir. Structured communications does not seem be to the forte of Indian governments even in normal tes. One can agine their plight in grave situations like these.
To understand where things are going wrong, let us look at Patrick McGee's triangular model of crisis communication messaging. In the centre of the triangle is empathy for stakeholders with the three cors reserved for the following questions: What happened? What are you doing about it? What are you doing to make sure it doesn't happen again?
There is little ambiguity about ‘what happened'. But there is little confidenceinspiring communication about ‘what is being done about it' and ‘what is being done to ensure that it doesn't happen again'. Complicating the situation further are confusion, speculation, innuendos (not in the media, but offline) and rumours.
The political leadership of the country has itself to blame. The messaging, even a week after the attacks, is rudderless and still driven by rumours. According to ABC News of the US, "Newspaper headlines underlined the frustration felt by many Indians, with one saying, ‘Our Politicians Fiddle as Innocents Die'."
India's age as an emerging superpower is taking a battering. "China and India were touted as the saviors of world growth, but very quickly they're looking third world again, so investors are stampeding for the exit," writes Bloomberg News columnist William Pesek quoting Son GroseHodge, a strategist at LGT Group in Singae.
Only urgent steps can arrest further slide. What people of India and the world at large expect is a robust wayforward security plan revolving around measures being taken to end terrorist attacks. Equally tant is planned, sustained communications about the initiatives. Involving people in the campaign, explaining the dos and don'ts, is of paramount tance.
New Delhi can easily make India a much safer place. This had been demonstrated on several occasions. One example that is being bandied about now by several angry citizens is the end of militancy in the Indian state of Punjab in the late 1980s. Ancient Indian wisdom believes that the enemy within is far more difficult to handle than an external enemy.
India has all it takes to decate such terrorists. The required intellectual bandwidth and expertise is available in the country. So also has a committed and brave security machinery… What is more, the world is fully backing India in this hour of crisis. So what is the Indian Government waiting for? Ceaser's wife must first set her house in order. And then, without any hesitation, let the world know about her achievements.
J S Sai, CEO & Director, Mumbaibased RoI Public Relations Pvt Ltd
