INTERVIEW | Monday Talk | Most devious types of people found refuge and shelter in Al-Falah University: Ex-DGP Vikram Singh to Anurag Sason
Interview of Vikram Singh: Recently, we have seen a spike in terror-related activities in India. First, the Pahalgam terrorist attack, now the Delhi blast. Are there lapses on our part, or is there something else driving this surge? To talk about this and many more issues, journalist Anurag Sason has an in-depth conversation with well-known former bureaucrat from Uttar Pradesh and President’s Police Medal for Gallantry awardee Mr Vikram Singh (retd DGP-UP).
Interview of Vikram Singh: Here are important excerpts from the exclusive interview. Scroll down to watch the full conversation.
Q1) There has been a spike in terror-related activities in India. So, are there lapses on our part at the intelligence level, or is there a failure of policing at the ground level?
Vikram Singh: Every terror attack is a cause of great concern and introspection. And there cannot be anything that is one hundred percent perfect. We should assess ourselves and identify our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Every such incident should pass through a stringent and strict SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis.
You mentioned Pahalgaon and Delhi. I would be living in a fool’s paradise and would not be doing my duty if I could say that everything was well under control and the terrorist got a bloody nose.
No, it’s not that. In Pahalgam, there were multiple security failures. The district authorities, perhaps, were blissfully unaware, and the reinforcements and the QRT (Quick Response Team) were not there.
And whatever I’m telling you is on the basis of facts and whatever is in the public domain. I would say that we could have done much better. And I’m a little disappointed.
As far as the Delhi Blast 2025, I would say that, yes, we could have done much better. Al-Falah University, its recognition, its starting, and its initiation all have a huge question mark.
Such a university should never have come about. The promoters have served for three years in Tihar. And then all the accreditations and the approvals are basically fake.
The most devious type of people found refuge and shelter in this university. And the police were blissfully unaware.
Q2) How do you assess India’s current internal security environment?
Interview of Vikram Singh:: I deem it to be A+++. It couldn’t have been better. Never has internal security been as robust as it is today. Naxalism is almost at its end, breathing its last.
And that is a matter of satisfaction. When I was the DGP in the year 2008, no other than Mr Ajit Doval mentioned that 40% of the landmass of India is impacted by left-wing extremism. Today, it is just the basics.
You have this unfortunate incident on 10th November. It was the first of its kind in 14 years. I would say the last Delhi blast was in September 2011. And this is the first blast after that.
Therefore, I would say that we are working on it. We are working on Pahalgam. But on the scale of one to 10, I would say it is very robust and A+++.
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Q3) Has the nature of terrorism evolved recently, and how are security agencies dealing with it?
Vikram Singh: Shifting of gears is the standard operating procedure of all the terrorist organisations. And Jaish-e-Mohammad and Azhar Masood are known to be shifting gears. They have a 24*7 R&D wing that continues to research.
It was a devious and malicious game to hire radicalised doctors. You can see how devious the minds of terrorists are, how the mind of a terrorist works.
Q4) Are there still lapses between the centre and states when it comes to intelligence sharing?
Vikram Singh: The Intelligence Bureau, RAW, and other intelligence agencies have a robust system of exchange of intelligence. But, there are certain states, primarily like Kerala and West Bengal, which perhaps would be very reticent and reluctant to share intelligence for obvious political reasons.
I would say that it leaves much to be desired when it comes to the sharing of intelligence in respect of states like Kerala and West Bengal.
Q5) Do you think India is adequately prepared for coordinated multi-city terror strikes?
Interview of Vikram Singh: Very much. The current strike that you had on the 10th of November in Delhi – the plan was D6, whether it is December 6 or demolition 6 – but they had programmed for 32 simultaneous attacks at 32 sensitive locations that would include Varanasi, Prayagraj, Mathura, Vrindavan, Delhi, Red Fort, Gauri Shankar temple, etc., and the iconic places. But India is fully prepared.
The locations of the NSG camps and the paramilitary forces all over are fully geared to take on any misadventure planned by the terrorist organisations.
Q6) What reforms are most urgently needed in India’s policing system?
Vikram Singh: Firstly, Prakash Singh vs Union of India, the seven points given by the Supreme Court in the year 2006.
Now, it has been almost 20 years since the judgment was passed. It should have been the law of the land. Let us faithfully implement what was given by the Supreme Court – the model police code. Also, there should be security of tenure for all field officers, starting from the station house officers to the DGP.
Also, extra budget. Futuristic technologies like machine learning, AI, and Augmented Reality should all be part of the curriculum now. The days of the Lathi and Dand are over.
Cybercrime has overtaken the traditional crime of robbery. Therefore, the police need to be, if they have to be successful, people-friendly.
Q7) To what extent do misinformation and propaganda pose a challenge to national security?
Vikram Singh: Very much. The fake news, disinformation, and absolute lies seem to have overtaken social media. A smaller percentage of the population is now reading the newspapers daily. So, they are being fed by social media. The content is almost, I would say by a rule of thumb, I don’t have the statistics, but I feel that 70% are doctored, fake, and malicious.
Therefore, I would say that cyber patrolling, social media patrolling, which has been started by UP and many other states, is not only a requirement, but it is a compulsion today.
Q8) What lessons has India learned from its past terror attacks?
Vikram Singh: Good question. Every terror attack has its own set of questions. Complacency has no place in policing today.
You should anticipate and be prepared for a worst-case scenario. The response time has to be minimal. And even before the terrorists are able to flee, your systems and your procedures should be there to prevent panic, apprehend the culprits, and restore normalcy.
Therefore, the standard operating procedure will have to be rehearsed and rehearsed in a manner that repetition, internalisation, becomes a habit.
Therefore, a lot more needs to be done, and we have miles to go before we sleep.
Last but not least, the technology. You see, the type of technology the terrorists are using today, the police will have to be at least a generation ahead of them. Otherwise, the police will lose the game.
Q9) After decades in policing, what one weakness in the Indian security apparatus concerns you the most?
Vikram Singh: Corruption. With the capital C. If there is one thing that is even worse than corruption, it is complacency. You see the two incidents that you have in Pahalgam and Delhi, it is complacency.
Nothing is going to happen to me. Nothing is going to happen here. And in the process, we allowed the grass to grow underneath our feet.
We allowed those undesired elements to have a base and a launching pad in Al-Falah University. Al-Falah University got its approvals from three successive governments.
What were the compulsions? Was it corruption, complacency, or both? I mean, nothing shocks and surprises me any longer.
I could tell you that policing is a full-time job. There is no possibility of making reels or going for fashion shows. If you are so passionate about your social life, then the police is not a job for you.
Q10) As a veteran bureaucrat, what advice would you want to give to the IPS officers, those who are joining the services now?
Vikram Singh: Be the best where you are. Keep away from the malignant influence of social media. And to be the best, you have to invest in yourself, in upgrading your knowledge and skills.
And these are the skill sets that will keep you. One examination has made you an IPS officer, but to navigate yourself for 36 years, look at what Dr. Sundeep SSP Srinagar did. The focus, the energy, and the dedication.
Q11) The Indian police system and political pressure. Your comment.
Vikram Singh: Political pressure is synonymous with illegitimate expectations and unrealistic orders.
Firstly, verbal orders are unacceptable. No verbal orders need to be taken. And, I would also appeal to all officers. All verbal orders will have to be translated into writing, questioned, and verified from the immediate superior.
As far as legitimacy is concerned, that is not a pressure. That is a recommendation, and that should be accepted because it is legitimate.
Unless there is a weakness in you, no politician has the right or even the temerity to put any illegitimate pressure on you. The biggest influencers in the political system would think ten times before asking you something illegal or immoral.
As Mrs. Roosevelt said, nobody can humiliate you unless you are a willing accessory.
Q12) Do you think there is an improvement in UP’s law and order under Yogi Adityanath? – Interview of Vikram Singh
Vikram Singh: He himself is absolutely beyond income, beyond expenditure, beyond family.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath said “mitti mein mila dunga” (will reduce to dust) for mafias, and he literally did that…Atiq, Ashraf, and all are reduced to dust.
Q13) India has declared the Delhi blast a terror attack. So, do you think we are close to another war with Pakistan?
Vikram Singh: If anybody has ventured into the unknown and dialled the wrong number, well, there will be consequences. And the nation would be very much prepared for Operation Sindoor 2. That is on the card. But whether it be Pakistan, whether it be Bangladesh, or both, that remains to be seen. But I’m sure there will be consequences.
WATCH: Anurag Sason interviews Vikram Singh
About the author: Anurag Sason is an Indian journalist with experience in mainstream journalism. He has worked in newspaper, news agency, TV, news app (short video sharing app) and digital media. He tweets at @AnuragSason
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