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Analysis
India’s
Top Driven Internal Security Strategy
by
Col Rahul K. Bhonsle
Post Mumbai 26/11, India’s counter terrorism
capacity has enhanced exponentially thanks mainly to the drive and
determination of one man, the Home Minister Mr P Chidambaram. The Prime
Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has given Mr Chidambaram a free hand, thus we
saw the rare sight of a country’s internal security chief meet the US
Secretary of State in Washington trying to put across the case for more
pressure on Islamabad. Mr Chidambaram has galvanized the Ministry of Home
Affairs and the central police forces into action. However with a security
challenge that is spread from Kashmir to Kohima and law and order being a
state rather than a federal responsibility how far will top driven
strategies work remains a moot question?
Take for instance the
Annual Director General’s of Police Conference coming approximately a
month after the Chief Minister’s Conference held on 17 September in New
Delhi. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister Mr P Chidambaram provided
a top down perspective with Dr Man Mohan Singh focusing on larger issues
of socio-political convergence while the latter touched more on the
operational facets. Police modernization was a central theme with
technology and human resources requiring qualitative and quantitative
up-gradation.
The objectives of the Conference were to provide an
interactive platform for senior police professionals and security
administrators in the country to freely discuss and debate diverse
national security related issues, as also various operational,
infrastructural and welfare related problems faced by the police in India.
But what were the take aways for the police chiefs with their boss in the
state capital being the Chief or the Home Minister, even states ruled by
the Congress may not see eye to eye with the Centre on law and order
issues.
This was evident with the Prime Minister’s remarks on
Naxalism, he was clearly disappointed with the results indicating that,
“We have discussed this in the last five years and I would like to say
frankly that we have not achieved as much success as we would have liked
in containing this menace. It is a matter of concern that despite our
efforts, the level of violence in the affected States continues to rise”.
So why the results not forthcoming, a soul searching would reveal that the
differential approach by states to the problem with lack of capacity
building has allowed the wound to fester over the years.
This was
evident with the statistics provided by the Home Minister with Left Wing
Extremism spread in 2000 police station areas in 223 districts in 20
States partially or substantially affected by the menace. The CPI (Maoist)
the largest and the most potent of the Naxal groups had a presence in 17
states and a 90% share in Naxal violence and was determined to expand its
activities. Violence has been consistently witnessed in about 400 police
station areas of around 90 districts in 13 of these States. In 2008, a
total of 1591 incidents of Naxalite violence resulting in 721 killings
were reported from 399 police station areas of 87 districts of 13 States.
In 2009, 1405 incidents of Naxal violence resulting in 580 killings have
already been reported (up to August 27) from 355 police stations in 78
districts in 11 States as per the Home Minister.
80 SF personnel
killed in 53 landmine-based attacks by the CPI(Maoist) in 2008. while 123
SF personnel have already lost their lives in 2009 in 61 landmine-based
Maoist actions. The increase in the level of violence is indicated by loss
of lives of 231 SF personnel in Naxal violence in 2008 while 250 SF
personnel have lost their lives in 2009 up to August or September as
indicated by the Home Minister. The Naxals have established linkages with
North-East insurgents and has begun to lend support to their secessionist
ideology and demands thereby creating a synergy with other terrorist
groups.
Take another area, the North East. The Prime Minister
highlighted the situation particularly in Assam and Manipur where criminal
nature of terrorism with extortion and intimidation hampered
implementation of a number of development projects
The Prime
Minister as well as the Home Minister has provided a very focused and
clear cut view of internal security challenges faced by the country. Their
prescriptions have also been holistic based on the cardinal principles of
synergy, operational efficiency through numbers and quality and motivation
of the force. A modern research based approach has also been recommended.
However with law and order being a state subject, implementation is
left to the Chief Ministers, Home Ministers and Director General Police of
various states. The main rub in the top down approach lies at this level
raising many questions of effective implementation. While the Centre can
influence by providing para military forces and funds for police
modernization, it is states that have to ensure peace and tranquility. The
response of the States in this respect has been to say the least largely
pathetic.
And this is not related to political differences alone.
Take for instance Manipur a Congress ruled state where violence has become
a way of life for the people continuously subjected to extortion,
encounters and kidnapping with a car bomb discovered in the Governor’s
residential complex this month. Maharashtra is another state which in 2008
had more number of civilian deaths than Jammu and Kashmir, though these
included the numbers who died in the Mumbai 26/11 attack, as the most
industrialized state in the country this remains a dubious distinction.
Naxalism has been touted as the biggest challenge over the past five
years by the UPA government but the threat is growing each year. The Prime
Minister has indicated concern over the Naxal situation in particular and
it appears that the government has not got many options at present given
that there is a difference of opinion in the political parties on the
manner in which this is to be treated with a large number of people
including the liberal class indicating support for the Naxal cause.
While “flushing out” or “sweep” is being planned with a coordinated
approach across Naxal affected states, with governance failing to reach
the masses in the Naxal areas there is continued spread of the Red
influence which is translated into acts of terrorism against the state and
thus the overall contagion is spreading. The government’s at the Centre
and the State would have to come to some speedy political conclusions and
consensus to spread governance and be more effective if better results are
to be achieved.
September 27, 2009
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