Abductions by Maoists - Enough is Enough

The abductions of Malkangiri Collector R.V. Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi by the Maoists, has reiterated the fact that, when it comes to tackling the Maoist menance, the state governments are yet to demonstrate a firm determination to crush it with all our might.

It was a known fact that the Malkangiri district is a Maoist infested area, besides being Orissa’s remotest flank. As per reports, Krishna and Majhi were on a two wheeler when their abduction took place. How come the state government not consider it prudent to provide adequate security cover to both of them? That the Maoists have been using abduction as a favorite strategy to put the state governments on the backfoot, is a well established fact.

Now, within hours of the abductions, Orissa government halted all the combing operations against the Maoists, and is now also considering the release of some of their cadres to secure the release of the two officials. Whether or not the cadres who are being considered for release, were booked on serious charges, is a moot point.

What merits serious concern now is that, such a swap deal would only reinforce the fact that, the best way to tame the state governments, is by carrying out such high profile abductions, and then getting some Maoist cadres released, thereby making a complete mockery of the anti Maoist strategy deployed by the various state administrations.

Secondly, another matter of serious concern is that, if Krishna could be abducted despite doing an excellent work in this remote area of Orissa, then how could we expect to bring about the necessary progress and development in such remote areas, which are at present infested by the Maoists? It is no surprise that many administrative posts in such areas are vacant, as no official is willing to be posted there.

That more than 10,000 tribals in the area covering fifteen villages along the Andhra-Orissa border, besides several others, held peace rallies seeking the release of Krishna and Majhi, speaks volumes of the kind of popularity which Krishna enjoys, all due to his dedicated efforts in bringing about a transformation in those remote areas of our country.

By ignoring such appeals, the Maoists have proved it beyond doubt, that they are nothing but a band of ruthless criminals, who are bent upon challenging the might of the Indian state, to serve their own interests.

The Orissa government should have first upped the ante against the Maoists, by deploying as many forces as possible in the region, where Krishna and Majhi are suspected to be held, followed by a heavy air surveillance by the IAF or Army choppers, so as to put pressure on the Maoists. Besides, the government should have also capitalized on the support of the tribals, to zero down on the area, where the two could have been held hostage by the Maoists.

This would have given the state government the necessary psychological advantage, before getting down to negotiations. Simultaneously, the state government should have also threatened an all our war if Krishna and Majhi were harmed in any way. But then who has the courage to take this kind of a bold stand?

That will be the day when the various state governments in coordination with the Centre, make a firm resolve to wipe out this menance once in for all, by a well coordinated action, which may include assistance from the defence services if required. But till then, let us be prepared to see more of such abduction dramas and release of some important Maoists, who have been captured at the cost of the supreme sacrifices made by our valiant security personnel, not to overlook the innumerable civilians, whose lives have been so ruthlessly snuffed out by such criminal elements.

And finally, what is really worth noting is that, while there was a brief drama in the Orissa assembly over this abduction, there has not been any voice of condemnation or protest by the political bigwigs in New Delhi. Perhaps, for such political bigwigs misappropriation of funds and corruption, are far more important issues than misappropriation of the priceless lives of our security personnel and all those helpless victims of such ruthless Maoists.

Tragic Casualities in Our Defence Services - Let's Do Something

A Cheetah helicopter crash in Nasik claimed the precious lives of two Army Majors, one of whom was a qualified flight instructor. According to newspaper reports, preliminary investigations suggest, that the chopper’s rotors developed a snag within minutes of the take off.

The same report mentioned that seventy Cheetah copters have been lost in the past nine years, and the Defence Ministry plans to replace the entire fleet of Cheetah copters by 2017.

The tragic casualties involving our young and promising defence personnel, either in crashes involving flying machines from all the three services or anti terror operations, have become a routine affair now. The sad part is that, even our mainstream media does not consider it worthy enough of a sustained campaign, to force our political Bosses to do something, which could save the lives of all those who have been valiant enough to opt for such high risk careers.

To take the case of anti terror operations. Young Army officers like Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Captain Devinder Singh Jass and others losing their precious lives in various anti terror operations, have become a routine news item for most of us, who by now have perhaps become immune to such costs, which we the people of India have to bear, for what seems to be an eternal problem confronting our nation.

Apart from an occasional visit by a politician to the bereaved families, and a short lived public sympathy, there is nothing really much which attracts the attention of the powers that be, either at the Centre or the states. No one in the highest echelons of our political bureaucratic apparatus seems to be really concerned at the loss of such precious lives, nor considers it prudent to reflect upon the following:

• Could we have avoided such casualites ?
• Was the intelligence inadequate regarding the quantum of threat in such encounters?
• Did we not have adequate information on the number of terrorists and the kind of destructive materials and arms at their disposal?
• Were our security personnel assigned for such encounters not well equipped with the right bullet proof protective gear, night vision goggles etc?
• Did they go overboard while taking on the terrorists thereby suffering so many casualties in the bargain? Was it necessary?
• Was it not possible for them to be equipped with gas masks and gas spray or any such equipment, so as to immobilize their targets and getting them alive without harming themselves?
• Have the authorities such as the Army, conducted a thorough and meticulous probe into the particular encounters to identify the possible loose ends, and make the learnings part of their SOPs to be strictly adhered to in the future encounters? And most importantly
• Is the Defence Ministry aware of the same, and has pledged all support to our security personnel involved in such ongoing war against terror?

A satisfactory answer to the above questions would depend upon how we as a nation are committed towards the overall safety and security of our fellow citizens , who perhaps despite all odds and opposition from their loved ones, followed their heart to join the Defence Forces, and have put their own security at risk, for the safety and security of our nation, and for we the people of India.

In this context, it would be worthwhile to reflect upon some newsitems which appeared last year in ‘The Times of India’. These have been reproduced word by word from the respective news items, and are indicated in italics as under:

Dated 4th March, 2010

State of fleet across services a matter of concern( Against the backdrop of the crash of a Kiran MK2 aircraft in Hyderabad in March 2010, which killed both pilots each having over 1000 hours of flying experience)

While the Indian Armed Forces that include the IAF, Navy, Army, and Cost Guard do have a flight safety record that is satisfactory, the material state of the fleet across the board is cause for deep concern. Vintage aircraft that have been assigned a place of pride in museums abroad are still flown by the IAF and IN. The Kiran, the primary trainer for Navy or the MiG 21 for the Air Force are case in point. The basic design and technology for both these aircraft are almost 50 years old and yet they form the mainstay for training of fighter pilots in India.
The reasons for this kind of obsolescence that puts lives in jeopardy on a regular basis may be ascribed to the strategic culture of India and the protracted procurement processes that plague Indian Military since the days of the first Prime Minister , Pandit Nehru. Specific to the aircraft inventory, it merits recall that the IAF mooted the need for an advanced jet trainer as far back as 1983. It took the Indian elephant a good 20 years before the AJT became a reality in 2003, and that too because of the many crashes and lives lost. Even now, the number of AJTs in the inventory is far short of what had been sought, and as far s Navy is concerned its original request for an AJT is still to be realized. Hence, Kiran still remains the work horse for training for the IN.

The policy issue that is crying for attention is the total inadequacy of the Indian political bureaucratic apex to deal with procurement issues in an objective manner which is politically bi partisan and driven by the single consideration of enhancing national security. From the needless Bofors scandal to the current submarine and Gorshkov delays, and the much anticipated fighter deal, major procurement decisions have been marred by delays, steep price revisions, and charges of kickbacks and corruption.

But life alas is cheap and the Indian apex rarely accountable for their transgressions.

Barely had we managed to get over this tragic loss of two well experienced pilots, the plight of their bereaved families, and this pathetic state of affairs of our political bureaucratic set up as illustrated above, we were greeted with another piece of news which shocked us beyond words:

Dated 12th March 2010

Government quietly inks deal for 12 VVIP copters
The Defence Ministry has quietly inked a Rs. 3726 crore deal to acquire 12 three engined AW 101 helicopters from Agusto Westland, for IAF’s elite Communication Squadron which ferries around the President, PM and other VVIPs, “All the 12 helicopters would be delivered in three years or so” said a source.

The ministry as usual remained silent about the deal, leave alone the exact contours of it, despite repeated claims made by the defence minster A.K. Antony of “ total transparency”. The Cabinet Committee on security apparently gave the nod for the exorbitant helicopter deal despite objections from the Finance Ministry, due to security concerns by the Special Protection Group as well as IAF .

One wonders :
• What was the life and death kind of a situation which prompted our Defence Ministry to go about it in such a hush hush manner, disregarding the objections of even the Special Protection Group and the IAF ?
• Why is such kind of an urgency lacking for more critical requirements, like the latest Advanced Jet Trainers for the IAF and IN etc.?
• How can we ignore the fact that the crashes of IAF fighter jets, mainly of the MiG series have claimed so many promising young lives? As indicated above in the newsitem dated 4th of March, such vintage aircrafts now deserve a place of pride in the museums, but unfortunately are still being flown by our pilots thereby exposing them to unnecessary risks, and
• What’s wrong with our priorities ? Are the lives of our young and promising fellow citizens serving in the Defence Forces not valuable enough for us? Are the VVIPs so important that we can bend rules and disregard even the security concerns of the Special Protection Group and the IAF ?

The tragic crash of a naval jet in Hyderabad in March 2010, which claimed the lives of two young pilots who had over 1000 hours of flying experience to their credit, was yet another reminder of the kind of avoidable and unnecessary risks faced by some of our Defence personnel.

Such state of affairs in our overall security apparatus in general and with reference to our Defence Forces in particular, concerns the interest of our public at large.

For one, it has a direct bearing on the precious lives of our loved ones, who perhaps despite the availability of other attractive career options, and perhaps despite strong reservations of their parents etc opted for such a career in the Defence Forces,

Secondly, it is an open secret that our Defence Forces are woefully short of officers as compared to the sanctioned strength. This situation could only get worse if we do not take the corrective measures right away, most critical being the need to send out a clear message to the nation that:

“ When it comes to the overall security and welfare of our defence personnel, there will be no compromises whatsoever from our end. We value each and every precious life which is at stake to protect our territorial integrity and the security of our citizens”

If we have to secure our borders, effectively deal with the insurmountable challenges posed by our internal security situation , cross border terrorism , and above all an untrustworthy neighbourhood, then we have no other option but to move heaven and earth to do everything possible to restore the pride and dignity to a career in our defence forces, besides of course raising the morale of our combat units by eliminating as many threats as possible to their lives during the course of their operational roles.

Needless to add, the most critical step towards the same would be to ensure adequate and timely investments in the right equipment and the right military hardware, which as indicated above leaves a lot to be desired as of now.

If such state of affairs are indeed a matter of concern and do impact our national interests ultimately, then its time for a Public Interest Litigation in which our Defence Ministry is made a respondant to explain the reasons behind such state of affairs, and the steps being taken to eliminate as many risks as possible to the lives of all those who have embarked upon such a noble mission of defending our motherland from various threats.