Shadow political and military leaders

 

Had written the following in a social media post:

Has the time come for India to have a shadow PM and shadow Cabinet?  Not like UK (as opposition), but of treasury benches but identites not known by public.

Similarly, shadow positions up to Corps Commanders and of similar rank in other Services?

It generated some interest, and also some bemused replies. Here is my rationale for the above requirement:

In December 2001, we saw attack on the Indian Parliament by terrorists. By God's Grace, he terrorists couldn't enter inside the Parliament building. Had they been able to enter, the top rank of Indian political leadership would have been eliminated in one fell swoop. 

Quarter a century later, in 2026, one after another, political and religious leadership of Iran are being taken out by the Israelis and Americans. How? Through the aerial route, of course. No, clandestine whiskey poisoning, or, frontal attack from the Buildings' gates by the renegades.

Connect it with drone and arms trainers arrested by the NIA recently. These guys were operating in Myanmar, before they were picked up from different airports in the country. They were training rebel groups in Myanmar, the groups who are inimical to India's security. Now the aerial route elimination of political and military leadership of India can well be their next step.

That is why I suggest we have shadow Cabinet Ministers, who are from the ruling party. Everyone knows there are shadow Ministers, but no one (in the public) knows who they are. It is a full time job for the shadow Ministers. They attend every crucial meeting, but only online, away from the public eye. In other words, they are up to speed regarding the political thinking of the country. They could be the ruling party's heavyweights who did not get a ministerial berth during swearing in... I don't know, the details can be worked out of course.

So, in case of any assassination /assassination attempt, they step in as real Ministers. This way the erstwhile shadow Ministers quietly and unobtrusively slip into the Cabinet ranks. That way, 'where were we?' type of questions to bureaucrats in their departments would not be required by the newly appointed ministers.

Similar is the case with military leadership: Up to and including Corps Commanders (and their equivalent in other Services, that is, Navy, and Air Force)should have shadow military leaders for each  post. Theirs also would be a full time job: attending all crucial meetings online, away from the public eye. They could be just-retired Corps Commanders and equivalents, appointed for fixed tenures. I don't know...The logistics can be worked out, of course.

This is my proposal in a nutshell.