Nationalsecurity bodies are supposed to anticipate the future, not report on it when it is already in danger of becoming the past. With the second Himalayan blunder in history, the Council had already demonstrated its prognosticative value. It is reported that its board of advisors had been lunching rather relentlessly in the period when Pakistan was breaching the Line of Control, completely oblivious to the development. In fact, months of activity, usually peaking between one and two in the afternoon, have not produced a single useful insight or document of value. Sadly, our national security establishment blends the self-deluding flaccidity of Whitehall between the wars with the macho naivete of The Dirty Dozen (pace Lee Marvin). In the months leading up to the infiltration in Kargil, it should have taken note of the early-warning signs that were coming in from various agencies. In the days after the engagement began, it should have had something more to offer than regurgitated newspaper headlines. In thedays in between, it should have be-en the most visible agency of the government -- after all, national security crises are supposed to be managed by national security agencies. The NSC has failed on all three counts.

The body must begin to appreciate its role and develop the right grammar for it. At present, even its body language is all wrong. Its meetings are supposed to be held behind closed doors, not at venues that look like a bad copy of Apna Utsav. With respect to security matters, its voice is supposed to be that of the government. A considered, unified voice would be very welcome in a situation where everyone seems to be speaking his own mind. It would also help stem the flow of sensitive information that the government leaks like a burst bilge. The slogan `careless talk costs lives' was coined exactly six decades ago in the context of another war but people in power, including the National Security Advisor, do not seem to have heard of it. And finally, please, a well-crafted menu is a wondrousthing, God wot, but in this time of insecurity, a considered plan of action would inspire so much more confidence.