by reciprocal arrangement with Star of Mysore

New Delhi, Apr 22:A security personnel at Taj Mahal, Agra, recently gave me an insight into one of the reasons for security lapses in our country.

A couple with two daughters were made to pass through a metal detector, were frisked and their carry bags were checked separately by women and men security personnel.

The elder daughter was carrying a handbag in which she had her mobile phone in a pouch. The woman who checked the bag just made a cursory check and let her through the barricade. The girl, new to the procedure, walked upto the monument and happily started clicking the Taj with the phone. Suddenly, a Policeman appeared and began shouting at her in Hindi-Kaise mobile andar aya, ise kaise layi, etc.

When the father of the girl came to the scene, the cop started threatening him with fine, jail etc. He said a fine of Rs. 5,000 could be imposed.

The father, who knew a little Hindi, told the cop that the bag was checked before his daughter passed through the barricade and the girl thought it was okay to carry the cell phone inside. When the cop saw that he could not badger the tourists and when the daughter who could speak good Hindi started arguing, he said, "hum compromise karenge". "Kaisa compromise?" the father asked. Rs.5,000 fine hoga, tum batao, the cop said. The tourist then knew the cop was planning to swindle him and refused to compromise and asked to see his chief.

The girl and her mother went back to the check post to speak with the woman security personnel who frisked them.

Seeing things getting out of his control, the would-be swindler asked the father to deposit the phone at the prescribed counter and pointed out that there was a notice board banning cell phones inside the premises.

When the father looked at the board, which was all of 1x 11/2 ft. with half inch letters and surrounded by the milling tourists, he understood how terrorist attacks take place in spite of the so-called tight security in India.