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On Security..

by Homer

A team of masked robbers, armed with guns and a machete, burst into a luxury hotel in Germany yesterday where a poker tournament was taking place and made off with some of the million dollar prize.
The men raided the European Poker Tour tournament which, according to the EPT involved 1,000 players and a million-euro grand prize ($1,400,000) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin's Potzdamer Platz around 2:30 p.m. local time.
Reports vary as to the number of men involved and the amount of prize money stolen. The Associated Press reported that a spokesman for the Berlin police said that four men raided the hotel while the official EPT statement said that six men were involved.

This happened a day ago. In Germany.In a 5 star hotel. Less than 2 years after the Mumbai atrocities.

Which begs the question - how does one respond to a statement like this
"You can't rely on local authorities. You need people who don't have a vested interest in the event taking place. That doesn't include governments, who either want people to come to their country or, for diplomatic reasons, can't ask hard questions.
If assurances from the people providing the security, and those having a vested interest in the success of the event, is not enough then who is the final arbiter on security?


And just how secure is secure?

11 comments:

straight point said...

there is no point in reasoning with superiority challenged peoples...

they would come up with one theory or another to satiate their itch... you are wasting time and energy on them homer...

Mahek said...

SP,

I think there is a slight difference between robbers out to get some money and terrorists who will stop at nothing to kill someone. It's getting really tiresome now; should Pakistanis use the same argument and say Indians screwed them out of hosting the World Cup?

There are bombs going off in Pakistan. There was even one in Pune a few weeks ago. What makes you think everyone in the world is okay with visiting such places? It's a shame that we continue to accuse foreigners of double standards instead of securing our own land. The only reason they CAN have double standards is there have been terror strikes in India in the not so distant past.

Homer said...

Mahek,

Pakistan's failing was not in bombs going off, it was in not delivering on the Presidential level of security promised to the Sri Lankan cricketers.

And while there may be a slight difference in robbers out to get some money and terrorists who will stop at nothing to kill someone, had the robbers aimed straight instead of in the air, it was Mumbai all over again.

I have nothing against people choosing not to visit certain parts of the world. It is a decision each individual has to make.

But spare us the sanctimony please. Especially from people and bodies who have as much a vested interest in the failure of the tournament as the organizers and the Government have in its success.

Cheers,

straight point said...

mahek... so by your argument... the security of five star hotel specially after mumbai precedence let them in coz they were robbers and not terrorists who will stop at nothing to kill...?

funny isn't it...

what you are clearly missing the point is that there was laxity in security and its just by sheer luck that they, as homer said, didn't fire at someone's head instead of in air...

Mahek said...

If they wanted to kill someone they would have fired at their heads. If you still think both situations are same then so be it.

Homer

You talk about these organisations that have a vested interest in the failure of the league. Doesn't the league have a vested interest too? I would even argue your point about FICA wanting the league to fall on its head: It's a major payday for a number of its clients. We are so quick to play the race card everytime something happens. It really gets annoying after a point of time and serves no purpose.

Homer said...

Mahek,

Did I not mention that the league has a vested interest in the success of the tourney because, I clear remember writing "Especially from people and bodies who have as much a vested interest in the failure of the tournament as the organizers and the Government have in its success."

The FICA "clients" are also contracted by the respective Boards and/or states/counties.And the IPL has made it mandatory for players to seek sanction from their respective Boards before playing. Also, the Boards are on board with discussions on security and other player issues unlike the FICA, which is persona non grata as far as the IPL is concerned.

So, unlike the Boards, the FICA and associated player associations have no locus standi as far as the IPL goes. And not having a voice in the whys and wherefores of the IPL is a strong reason for the FICA to see the IPL fail.

After all, all of the posturing the FICA has been doing since the inception of the IPL is nothing but jockeying for a voice in the overall proceedings of the IPL.

" We are so quick to play the race card everytime something happens." - Exactly who is we? I haven't said anything about race nor implied that security has racial connotations. Then what prompts you to make such an outrageous statement?

Cheers,

Mahek said...

And why exactly is FICA having a say in matters such a big issue? Ravindra Jadeja might well have had better representation had FICA been part of the process, isn't it? The players are the biggest reason for the success of this league and yet they have no structured say in matters. Compared to other leagues around they world they are paid a much smaller percentage of overall revenues. There are a host of issues that can be settled through involvement of a player body. Unless you're trying to imply that FICA consists of a bunch of sadists who would like nothing better that to see the entity that pays their clients handsomely, I don't see a sound argument there.

You know just as well as I that a major chunk of Indian fans play that card all the time. If you don't, well, good for you.

Homer said...

Mahek,

"And why exactly is FICA having a say in matters such a big issue?"

Because the FICA has no say. Not in the IPL atleast.

If this were the ICC, FICA is more than welcome do what it chooses.

But since it is not, and since the IPL has defined legitimate channels to address player concerns, the question to be asked is - why is the FICA imposing itself and trying to subvert a conversation that it is not part of?

"Ravindra Jadeja might well have had better representation had FICA been part of the process, isn't it?"

That is pure conjecture.No one, and by that I mean nothing documented in the public sphere has documented the sequence of events in chronological order for any clear cut inferences to be drawn.

"There are a host of issues that can be settled through involvement of a player body."

I grant you that. And said player body can be created from the mix of players affiliated with the IPL.

And the same argument can be extended to the franchises too. Franchises do not really have a seat or say in the Governing Council of the IPL.

The Governing Council could and should be reformed, but why should FICA be the only way?

Cheers,

Mahek said...

FICA does not have to be the only option, but it shouldn't be ruled out as an option. Afterall, a number of IPL players are already onboard with it. I just don't know why it is portrayed as some evil organisation intent on bringing down the IPL.

Rohit said...

@Homer and SP

I am not entirely sure where this discussion is heading with FICA et al, but I have to throw in my lot with Mahek on the security issue.

We all know the subcontinent is much much more vulnerable than the Westernized world when it comes to terrorism. It's a fact. I mean, just compare the number of casualties. It's so obvious that I feel silly stating it.

Anil Singh said...

Homer,

although I agree with you that it's the people like Govt etc. who have vested interests in any event's successful completion, whom participants should have faith on. I also believe that the level of security in general in Indian subcontinent is not very good.

Even if we don't suspect the intentions of the Govt and the security agencies; the general attitude towards one's work (security) is shoddy.

Not very far in the past, the speaker of our National legislative assembly, fumed when airport personnels at some Australian airport frisked him.

Logic says a person who holds, such a high office, should be immune to such security measures.

But it's equally true that if people in such high offices don't respect another person's work obligations (airport personnels'); it also speaks of general law abiding psyche of people.

hence security is again a trivial matter for us; and No matter how much we shout, we still don't understand the value of a human life. And this I think creates much problem.