Ghosting for the civil administration : Beyond the helping hand
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 07, 2012 -

Down the years it has become more and more visible that counter-insurgency operation in the North East region, particularly in Manipur, has moved beyond the classical understanding of engaging the rebel groups in gun fights, cracking down on their activities, busting their camps, breaking their backbone militarily and has come to mean something much more than this.

Back up plans today means something much more than fanning out the security personnel to areas where the rebels are thought to be active. The fight against militancy has moved beyond the jungles and the ‘battle fields’ and has today literally entered the civil space of the public, albeit not in the conventional sense.

The realisation may have dawned earlier, but its manifestation with all its glorious visibility is something that has been significant more recently.

Gradually it has become clear that winning the fight against the underground outfits is no longer seen through the prism of only neutralising them militarily and financially but in winning over the trust and confidence of the people, something which the military has been actively pursuing. Win over the public and the rebel outfits will fold up in no time is the latest mantra that has come buzzing from the spin doctors of the Indian military.

In many ways the year 2004 proved to be a significant year, for different reasons, to the military and the people.

From the ashes of Th Manorama rose a renewed cry to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the attention of the international community was drawn not only to the bullet riddled body of Th Manorama but to the military Act.

If this was the response of the people to the bullet riddled body of the battered remains of the woman, the Prime Minister of the country personally flew down to Imphal to announce the constitution of the Jeevan Reddy Commission and ensured the hand over of Kangla to the people.

The Union Home Ministry responded by opening the office of the IG Assam Rifles (South) along with its own Public Relations Officer. Probably, for the first time in the history of the oldest para-military force, the Assam Rifles had its own designated spokesperson.

It was much more than merely appointing an officer to take over as the PRO of the Assam Rifles to issue statements contradicting the claims of the rebel outfits. It was more about impacting on the thought process of the public.

The first impact could be seen in the manner in which the media, print and electronic, were in a position to officially interact with an officer from the Assam Rifles as its spokesperson.

Clearly the birth of a new strategy was complete. Simultaneously there has also been a corresponding rise in the civic activities of the Assam Rifles. The Army, under the administration of the Defence Ministry and the GOC posted at Leimakhong has not been lagging either.

Gradually troops who were sent in here to help the civil administration maintain law and order gradually started stepping into the domain of the State Government. Military Civic Action programme is perhaps the most visible face of this new strategy.

On the face and rightfully too, the security forces sought to convey the message that they are here to help the people in their times of need and want. Today it is no longer about the men in olive green providing security and protection but also ensuring that the people do not die of snake bites.

It is also about ensuring that the people, particularly the poorer section of the people, do not go thirsty during the dry season. Taking up responsibilities which should ideally remain in the domain of the civil administration may not amount to interfering in the job of another Government agency but this nevertheless leaves some interesting insights.

The most visible and prominent point is the military stepping in to fill a void created by a defunct civil administration.

In as much as the measures taken up by the security forces have helped the people, it nevertheless leaves an open and uncomfortable question over the duly elected Government.

This is a question that should be raised in the right platform and it would be in the fitness of things for the political leaders to study why and where the civil officers have allowed such huge gaping voids to emerge.