Day 75 – Q 5.Critically evaluate the existing framework for tacking extremism in India.

5. Critically evaluate the existing framework for tacking extremism in India. 

भारत में चरमपंथ से निपटने के लिए मौजूदा ढांचे का समालोचनात्मक मूल्यांकन करें।

Introduction:

Extremism means, “the quality or state of being extreme” or “the advocacy of extreme measures or views”. The term is used in a political or religious sense, to refer to an ideology that is considered to be far outside the mainstream attitudes of society. For instance Left Wing Extremism, terrorism, ISIS, Hindu fringe organisations etc

Body

Existing framework for tacking extremism in India

• SAMADHAN

Central Government announced a new strategy against the Maoists—SAMADHAN. The acronym SAMADHAN is – S-smart leadership, A-aggressive strategy, M-motivation and training, A-actionable intelligence, D-dashboard-based KPIs (key performance indicators) and KRAs (key result areas), H-harnessing technology, A-action plan for each theatre and N-no access to financing.

• Smart leadership

In the LWE-affected areas, there is a need of leadership which, despite adversity, can keep the jawans enthusiastic and teach them only to win. The central forces and the local police were asked to work under a coordinated plan.

• Aggressive strategy

It is necessary to analyses incidents where security forces suffered heavy losses. Proactive approach along with aggression in thinking, operations and development such as road construction should be adopted.

• Motivation and training

It was important for the stakeholders to make efficient use of resources and have knowledge of enemy’s strengths and weaknesses. Focus should be on training of security forces and providing them adequate facilities. Security forces must learn the culture and languages of the locals to earn their trust.

• Actionable intelligence

It is important to establish a good network with the locals. Surrendered LWE cadre should be used for intelligence collection and there was a need to depute “Shadow Intelligence Officers” to trace prominent LWE targets.

• Dashboard KPIs and KRAs

These should be determined for the state police and the central forces to assess their preparedness as well as performance.

• Harnessing technology

Technology is a force multiplier and there was a need to use more of it such as as UAVs. Along with it high-resolution cameras, GPS tracking and satellite images must be used. To prevent looting of weapons by the extremists, there is a need to have trackers in weapons and biometrics and unique identification numbers for explosives.

• Action plan for each theatre

To counter LWE in different states, there is a need to fight on multiple fronts and create separate action plans for each front.

• No access to financing

Choking LWE’s financial resources was the “basic mantra” in this fight to prevent them from getting weapons, ammunition, and food. “The 9/11 incident was not a “failure of intelligence but the failure of imagination”. We have to work to “outthink” and and “outmanoeuvre” the LWE.

• Operation Green Hunt

It was an operation in Central India, an all-out offensive by paramilitary forces and the state forces. The operation is believed to have begun in November 2009 along five states in the “Red Corridor” namely Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

In September 2009 the press reported on the progress of “Operation Green Hunt”: a massive 3 day joint operation in which the central CoBRA force and state police battled Naxal forces in Dantewada.

• Salwa Judum

Salwa Judum (meaning “Peace March” or “Purification Hunt” in Gondi language) was a militia that was mobilised and deployed as part of anti-insurgency operations in Chhattisgarh, India, aimed at countering Naxalite violence in the region.

The militia, consisting of local tribal youth, received support and training from the Chhattisgarh state government.

As a development strategy the government has stressed on the urgent implementation of development projects/policies of the government including

• Backward Regions Grants Fund –  it is designed to redress regional imbalances in development. The fund will provide financial resources for supplementing and converging existing developmental inflows into 250 identified districts. This aims at filling local infrastructural gaps, strengthening local government institutions and building mechanisms for professional help to these local bodies.

• Panchayat (Extension to Schedule Areas) Act of 1996 (PESA) – This act (PESA) exempted scheduled areas (schedule v) from certain provisions 73rd amendment. It also modified certain other provisions. Through PESA certain powers are given to gram sabha, which under 73rd amendment might not have been available to them (because of state’s discretion).

• National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme 

• The Schedule Tribes and other traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 – The law concerns the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and other resources, denied to them over decades as a result of the continuance of colonial forest laws in India.

This act recognized rights of tribals over minor forest produce. Recently, Forest Minor produce was also covered under Minimum selling price regime.

• New land acquisition act which includes, consent, enhanced compensation, social impact assessment and Rehabilitation & Resettlement of displaced.

With all these efforts in place, reports have indicated towards poor implementation and translation of these schemes to the grassroots, primarily due to conflict prone environment.

It should be noted that Maoist too has their agenda in form of a manifesto, which include almost all those things which State includes, such as addressing caste based discrimination, protection of religious minorities, No displacement by big projects etc.

In order to secure better co-operation, Chief Minister’s Conference on Internal Security is being held since 2009. There has been Prime Minister Rural Fellowship Scheme under Ministry of Panchayati Raj for affected areas. Also, infrastructure spending in these areas is also being promoted, for ex. by Pradhan Mantri Sadak Gram Yojna.

Conclusion 

It is obvious that there is two pronged approach to counter it, one at ideological level and other at physical level. In former case, good governance by government and delivering good results in fields of Education, Health and overall standard of living will be instrumental.