E-Paper
Naxal militancy: New front for Army?
Beginning this year and up to March 12, Naxal-related violence has already claimed 170 lives in various parts of India. This death toll is just 19 less from casualties in the same period which have taken place in the high profile proxy war going on in Jammu & Kashmir. Taking cue from history, it is only a matter of time when Indian political bosses will start crying for the deployment of the Army, already over stretched by its involvement in fighting insurgencies in J&K and North Eastern States, against this new menace.
Beginning this year and up to March 12, Naxal-related violence has already claimed 170 lives in various parts of India. This death toll is just 19 less from casualties in the same period which have taken place in the high profile proxy war going on in Jammu & Kashmir. Taking cue from history, it is only a matter of time when Indian political bosses will start crying for the deployment of the Army, already over stretched by its involvement in fighting insurgencies in J&K and North Eastern States, against this new menace.
Naxal Insurgency is today almost three decades old. It has engulfed 13 States in the country and has accounted for approximately 1000 deaths. Naxals have succeeded in creating a wide red corridor connecting States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhaya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, jharkhand and some parts of West Bengal.In this corridor police prefers to barricade themselves in their respective Thanas at night and the Naxals rule the country side.
Naxal Militants registered their presence in a big way last year in November when they captured the Central Jail of Jehanabad in Bihar and freed their comrades. In February 2006, Naxalits blew up a vehicle in Dantewada district of MP killing 26 persons and wounding 40.
These were the tribals returning from a rally of Salwa Judum (Peace rally) a mass movement launched by Mr. Karma in Bastar against Naxalites.In early march this year Naxalites in Latehar district of Jharkhand hijacked a train and kept its passengers captive for whole of the night. On March 24, 2006, 400 heavily armed Naxal militants simultaneously attacked the Police Station, The Central Jail and Police Training camp of Gajapati district in Orissa. They killed two policemen, freed 40 of their hard-core comrades from the jail and looted the police armory before departing.
Late last year the Maoist Communist Center Of India (MCCI), the Naxal group having sway over Bihar and Jharkhand and CPI-ML peoples’ War Group (PW) having presence in other 11 states joined hands to form one single group the CPI (Maoist). This is an ominous development that has brought all naxal related activities under one roof and has resulted in sudden spurt of Naxal oriented violence. ISI of Pakistan, Maoist of Nepal and Bangladesh duly help this movement. This cohesive and organized movement is currently being countered by the ill equipped and ill trained Key Stone Cops of the state police forces of these 13 states.
By these acts of violence the message that these Naxals are conveying to the people of the affected states is that any resistance is futile and it is time the population falls in line and accepts the supremacy of the Naxalites. The next step will be the tax collection and forced donations from the people for the cause. Needless to say the situation is fast deteriorating and getting out of hand. Question is do our politicians understand the seriousness of the problem staring them on the face?
The Naxal problem is basically a socio-economic problem with Law and Order overtones. The entire Naxal affected belt is underdeveloped, peopled by mostly tribals. With the advent of civilization and moving into these remote areas the unscrupulous land sharks, combined with corrupt administration, these tribals are fast loosing their land holdings and hearth. Lack of any development work has further complicated the problem.
One expected our political leaders, both at the Centre and these affected states, to come out with a clear cut cohesive policy to deal with the situation.
However all that has happened in last two years are two conferences at Delhi, which were chaired by home Minister and attended by the Chief ministers, and DGPs of these 13 States. Every chief minister in these conferences emphasised on coordination of effort in tackling this problem but this is one factor that continues to be most prominently absent on the ground level. Now next such conference is scheduled for April 06.
As the things stand today it is only a matter of time before Army will be called in to curb the Naxal insurgency. If this happens than unlike other insurgencies which Army has successfully fought in last 60 years of India's independence, this will be very challenging task. First the insurgency spans 13 states with different tribes, customs and dialects. Second any action, which is purely law and order oriented, will not succeed unless it is simultaneously accompanied with land reforms. This will require resolute political will and good local administration.
If this task is given to Army, it should not rush in till our political masters lay down all the ground rules that are mutually acceptable. The entire belt needs to be declared disturbed so that Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 becomes applicable. A Joint command at Delhi under the guidance of Defence/Home Minister must be set up. Same set up should be repeated at state level with all paramilitary forces and state police working in tandem with Army. Army must have powers to monitor the entire development. Halfhearted measures will not succeed.
Even if currently there are no plans to call the Army and the police forces want to continue muddling along, there is no harm if our political masters keep the Army in picture so that as and when required the transition is easy and smooth.
Today with our march to prosperity we in India have to understand that in a multi racial, multi ethnic society that we are.
