Thursday, April 8, 2010

Government should have a uniform and opeartional policy against Maoist insurgency

Dentwada is a wake up call, in fact a costly wake up call. The sheer number of security personal killed - 76 persons - shows the magnitude of the problem. According to the history, India doesn’t lose these much security personals in a single day during the decades long Maoist insurgency. The alarming fact is that, it’s not the fist time we are facing these much losses. We are facing this for a long time and the death toll is increasing. Take a look at the chronology of Maoist attacks against security forces.

16th July 2008 - 21 police personals - Orissa.
June 29- 38 troops -Orissa
October 8, 2009 the death toll was 17 - Maharashtra
June 16 -11 police personals were killed due to land mine blast - Palamau
June 13 - 10 police men were killed - Bokaro
June 10 - 9 policemen killed - Jharkhand.
May 22 - 16 Police men - Maharashtra
April 13 - 10 security personals killed - Koraput.
Feb 15, 2010 - 24 personals of EFR (Eastern Frontier Rifles)
April 4 - 11 security personal of SOG - Koraput
April - 76 Security personals - Chhattisgarh

 Apart from this a lot of security personals and civilians are died in these attacks. This problem is not started today or yesterday. History travelled a long way from the mountains of Naxalbari in 1967 to the forests of Dantewada.

It is true that they are naxals are mostly operating from the forests. As it is guerrilla warfare, it will take time to stop it. But what is the government strategy about it? After long silence central government woke up against naxals; declaring them as the single most threat to India’s security. The irony of the fact is that we find them as the single most security threat after they spread in more than 30% of the republic.
Now as the operation ‘green hunt’ is going on - but a lot of people already questioned the strategy against Maoist insurgency; especially the coordination level between different states. At this time when the technology is readily available - I don’t think it will take much time to create a detailed satellite map of the region. But why we are not ready to using it fully? One thing I didn’t understand fully is the use of Bullet proof jackets and mine detectors.

Every one knows that bullet proof jackets can reduce the number of deaths. And mine detectors can detect mines to a great extent. But to what extent we are using it? I will highly recommend the home minister to see this year’s Oscar winning film "The Hurt Locker". The instruments which are using in the movie are not alien one, it is working in Iraq, Afghanistan and in many other countries. In fact countries like US are funding highly for the instruments like that. But how far we moved forward in the technological warfare against insurgents, in which government have huge advantages?

The problem is about security personal’s communication facilities. How long it took the news of attack to reach the base camp? And why? It’s true that we can’t use land lines or even mobile towers. Blasting mobile towers are already become a hobby for Maoists. But what about satellite phones? Government can easily provide satellite phones to the police men and paramilitary forces them.

The other factor is about the coordination and intelligence activities. Now-a-days intelligence agencies are successful in arresting many terrorists who are waging war against republic, that too from different countries. But what is happening in Eastern - Central India? How can a Maoist leader can call media persons at any time he wish and intelligence officials are still not able to pin point the location?

Most of the paramilitary troops may not be local people, they are all coming from different parts of India - so it is natural that they will not be familiar with the terrain - which is a huge advantage for Maoists. So whenever officials are conceptualizing an attack they have to include small but critical number of personals who are local to the area, even if it may be civilians. It will not be a good strategy to launch attacks in different states at different time. Coordinated attacks will be highly beneficial. Along with this use Airforce for greater and fast mobilization of troops.

But this recent attack may prove to be the beginning of an end. In any case now government can’t sit idle after facing this insult. It is certain that the public support for Maoists will be reduced to a great extent after this attack. But what we required is a political will to go on.

Above all it is the will of the people, if they are with the government; there will not be any problem for the government to go on. One more thing to add here is Government should not be a party in the land acquisitions for the private sector. If private sector wants land they can directly approach the people, if required government can mediate. The lands in the central - eastern India have trillions of dollars of mineral wealth, but above all we have to consider the will of the people.

Sajeev

2 comments:

  1. You should probably read http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/TheSiegeWithin/entry/you-can-t-pass-the
    for getting a different perspective

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  2. thanks... Sreehari.. I read it completely.

    I believe that "Humans are bascally driven by the need to satisfy themselves, mentally and physically". What will happen if they cant full fill even their basic needs? What will happen when people in huge numbers are being forced to remove from their natural habitats?

    If tribals are asking - what we got even after six decades of independence? I dont think authorities have a good answer for this question.

    We have to take this as a chance. We have to build communication, education and tasportation facilities to the remote districts and have to protect that paths.

    If we can do this in the remote Afgnistan where AK 47 and other guns become an extension of for many people, we cenrtainly can do it in our own nation.

    Ther is no doubt that central - eastern India will remain as a part of India. Republic will certainly win the war in the end. But what after that?

    Then again land alocation will come to front end. Is not advised to allocate hills which tribals regard as their god for mining. Not only it will be disastrous for nature , but will hurt the sentimnts of local people.

    So we have to develop the area, but the prime focus should be the development and empowerment of local people.

    Government can do that, the war may go on for some time, but as the war continues it is sure that Maoists will become more and more unpopular in the area. After all who will like the distruction of the available schools and communication towers by the ultras?

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