Latest News

India’s flawed policy and Maoist adventurism

Thursday, April 08, 2010 , Posted by PBJ at Thursday, April 08, 2010

The massacre of 75 CRPF men by the Maoists in Chattisgarh came as shock to most of Indians. The loss of lives and grief and sorrow thereafter brings forth many questions about the country’s strategy to deal with extremism. Gandhiji’s India should remember the fact that the language of violence has never been able to answer the questions on extremism.

Recent Surge in ‘Maoist Violence’

On April 4, 2010 in Behrampur district of Orissa 9 jawans of Anti-Maoist Special Operation Group (SGO) were killed and 8 seriously injured when 3 mini buses carrying them blasted by remote controlled explosives set up by the Maoists in Govind Pillai Ghat Road at about 10am. The attack came just as the Government was preparing for a major offensive against the Maoists. Reports say that the SGO men were on their way to sanitise the Maoist-prone Govind Pillai Ghat Road so that CRPF personnel coming at Govind Pillai in Malkungiri district could move from there to Koraput.

On April 6, 2010 came the most shocking of Maoist attacks in recent history when 75 CRPF men were killed in in the Maoist attack in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.

The troupe was returning after a usual domination exercise in the region. AN Armoured Personal Carrier was also destroyed when the Improvised Explosive Device planted by the Maoists detonated.

Government response

The government response to the incident was obvious with the Prime Minister expressing” shock and grief'' over the loss of lives of security personnel and Home Minister seeking detailed report from the authorities at the same time Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai reiterated the government's resolve to carry out the fight against Naxals. “We will give them a firmer reply”, said he.

Firmer reply; is it the same old clear, hold and build strategy?

What does the government mean by this firmer reply? Whom they are going to fight now? What will be the status of Operation Green Hunt now?

As I have mentioned already in another article in this blog, while dealing with the issue of rebels and uprisings every nation and every government it seems is learning nothing from the past. We cannot face insurgency with insanity! India’s own history teaches us that extremism cannot be contained by mere use of force. So far Mr. chidambaram’s dramatic pursuit of success and high-sounding polemical attacks on the Maoists has resulted only in jeopardizing the lives of hundreds of police and para-military personnel who are ill-trained and ill-equipped to fight a battle in forest. Now all that they do is protecting their own logistical line and camp perimeters, as The Hindu put it on the editorial published on April 8th, 2010. Even the counting of causalities give Maoists a lead with only 294 Maoists killed as against 312 police and military personnel. Lesson from the American experience in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan and our own experience in Manipur, Andaman, Kashmir and Nagaland should enough be for our policy-makers to understand that in asymmetric wars, it need not be the strong who always win. But what if we prefer not to fathom?

The clear, hold and build strategy by which the government intends first to clear the Maoists off the region and then hold it and build and bring development to that region has failed miserably. Neither could the government force the insurgents out nor could it bring development to the region. Now that it is clear that it simply won’t work, then why can’t the government accept the truth and seek alternatives?

Unclench our fist!

To draw out a strategy to deal with extremism first we should shed our prejudices and differentiate it from Terrorism. Terrorism is unjustifiable, but as far as left extremism is considered there is some sort of legitimacy for their demands. This we should accept. That is why it has become a mass movement. Over one third of total numbers of districts in India are under Maoists influence now. It is the unequal distribution of resources that has given the Maoists a chance to grow. Wherever there was indifference from the part of rulers for the cause of the downtrodden and total disregard for social justices there all flourished extremism. That is why states like Kerala where Human Development Index is high are free from the threat of left extremism.

Now that it is too late to bring development and reduce the Maoist influence, the only way out is talk. Talk, talk and talk unconditionally. Or at least a mutual ceasefire is possible. In an exclusive interview to The Hindu, the spokesperson of CPI (Maoist) has reiterated their stand they are ready to talk and is keen on cessation of hostilities by both sides simultaneously. Now it is for the government to act. And lets hope it would act prudently.


read more from P B Jijeesh at pbjijeesh.in

Currently have 0 comments: