India's non-military approach to terrorism

By B. Raman

India adopts a comprehensive approach to terrorism, which makes a clear distinction between domestic and international terrorism and between indigenous and foreign terrorists and believes that counter-terrorism can be effective only if there is a multi-pronged approach based on a national consensus.

Nearly 40,000 innocent civilians have been killed by terrorists in India. The first act of mass casualty terrorism on the ground (not on an aircraft) targeting economic nerve centres and innocent civilians took place in Mumbai in March, 1993, resulting in the death of 250 civilians. An average of 950 foreign terrorists, the majority of them Pakistani nationals, are killed by the Indian security forces every year since 1999. There have been 46 acts of suicide terrorism or fedayeen attacks since 1999, 44 of them carried out by Pakistani nationals.

India has consistently adopted the classical approach of treating terrorism as a part-political-part-criminal, law and order and internal security problem--- despite the external support received by it--- to be countered through a mix of the political, administrative and operational approaches, with the police as the main instrument and the Army only as the instrument of the last resort.

"Counter-terrorism" and not "combating terrorism" and "campaign against terrorism" and not "war against terrorism" are still the key phrases in the lexicon and thinking of India's internal security managers. India's avoidance of a military approach to terrorism is based on the following principles:

An Army is meant to be used against an external Army of an adversarial State and not against non-State insurgent and terrorist groups, except in exceptional circumstances where the police and the para-military forces are not able to deal with them. Where the use of the Army is considered unavoidable, it should be confined to infantry elements using light and medium-powered weapons and there should be no use of the Air Force and no use of weapons which could cause large casualties unacceptable under humanitarian laws.

In the past, the Army had played an important role in maintaining internal security in India's North-east. It even now plays an important role in J&K. However, its role is more as a counter-infiltration force to prevent the infiltration of terrorists and the smuggling of arms and ammunition from neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh and not as a counter-terrorism force, which role continues to be performed by the Police, with the assistance of the para-military forces.

India's comprehensive counter-terrorism policy has two strands---the counter-terrorist and the counter-terrorism. The counter-terrorist strand treats terrorism as a threat to national security and as a law and order problem and focusses on weakening the domestic terrorist organisations and their members till they realise that violence is not an option and become amenable to a compromise political solution through dialogue and on neutralising the foreign terrorist organisations operating in Indian territory through the use of effective and sustained force against them.

The counter-terrorist policy of weakening domestic terrorists provides for an ultimate solution through dialogue. That of neutralising foreign terrorists does not provide for a dialogue since they have no locus stand in India.

The counter-terrorism strand, which applies only to domestic and not to foreign terrorists, treats terrorism as a phenomenon with political, economic, social, perceptual, psychological, operational and diplomatic aspects, all of which need equal and simultaneous attention. It also holds that the responsibility for the prevention of the spread of terrorism is not that of the intelligence agencies and the police only. It is equally that of the political leadership and the civilian administration, which have to ensure that unnoticed pockets of anger do not arise and that unattended and unredressed grievances of a reasonable and negotiable nature do not build up resulting in resort to terrorism by the aggrieved.

The following are some illustrations of India's political approach to counter-terrorism:

Ensuring that the terrorists are not able to disrupt the democratic process. Terrorist violence has not been allowed to come in the way of elections in India's North-East, Punjab and J&K. Despite threats by Pakistan-based terrorists to kill the officials and voters who participated in the election process, elections were successfully held to the J&K Assembly last year.

Constantly improving the quality of internal security management and governance. In December, 2002, India's third non-governmental National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) made recommendations as to how to improve internal security management. The fourth NSAB is expected to recommend in February next as to how to improve the quality of governance. Amongst factors receiving attention are increasing efficiency, removing corruption, better monitoring of grievances, improving the machinery for grievances redressal, effective policing, better police-community relations and better co-ordination amongst agencies responsible for counter-terrorism.

The following are some illustrations of India's economic approach:

Ensuring that the terrorists are not able to disrupt the normal economic life of the affected areas and the country as a whole. During the 1980s, the terrorists in Punjab tried to disrupt the agricultural economy of the State through targeted killings of farm labourers from other states and other means. Through adequate security measures, the Government thwarted their efforts. As a result, even at the height of terrorism, Punjab maintained its reputation as the granary of India and produced record harvests year after year.

In J&K, the terrorists tried to disrupt the examinations. The Government had the students flown to Jammu at its cost to take the examinations so that their career did not suffer.

The terrorists also targeted traders and businessmen from other parts of India going to J&K to buy the local produce. The Government organised Kashmiri Trade Fairs in New Delhi and other parts of India and had the Kashmiri producers, along with their products, flown to those fairs so that they could sell them. The terrorists disrupted the tourist economy in J&K by targeting foreign tourists in 1992 and 1995. To compensate for the loss of revenue due to the consequent decline in tourist arrivals from abroad, the Government took special measures to encourage domestic tourism. During the summer of this year, 300,000 tourists from other parts of India visited J&K.

Ensuring that preoccupation with counter-terrorism does not result in a neglect of the economic development of the affected area. The Government of India prepares special economic packages for the terrorism-affected areas in order to ensure that their economic development keeps pace with that in the rest of the country not affected by terrorism. Since tax revenues tend to fall down in the terrorism-affected areas.

The Government of India generously subsidises their economic development. Some counter-terrorism experts have argued that the implementation of such expensive economic packages even before terrorism has been controlled might result in some of the money earmarked for spending in the terrorism-affected areas leaking into the hands of the terrorists, thereby rendering counter-terrorism difficult. The Government has rejected such arguments.

Ensuring that the Government's preoccupation with terrorism in different parts of the country does not hamper the economic development of the country as a whole. Despite the intensification of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in J&K since 1989 and the extension of it to other parts of the country, India's economy has continued to develop. During the period when India was confronted with the worst kind of externally-sponsored terrorism, its economy continued to grow, it emerged as a major information technology power of the world, its schools and universities produced some of the best IT experts in the world who are in great demand all over the world and its foreign exchange reserves increased from less than US $ five billion to US $ 92 billion plus. They are expected to cross US $ 100 billion within the next three months.

There are no quick-solutions to terrorism. It took India 19 years to bring the insurgency-cum-terrorism in Nagaland under control, 20 years to restore normalcy in Mizoram and 14 years to put an end to terrorism in Punjab. Firmness and determination in action tempered by a civilised, democratic and patient behaviour by the State have been the hallmark of India's counter-terrorism policy. It has already paid dividends in Nagaland, Mizoram and Punjab. There is no reason why it should not in J&K and other areas where terrorism is not yet totally under control. (adni)

Neglecting ex-servicemen

By Maj Gen V K Madhok (retired)

The reality which shocks a servicemen on retirement is, the economic disparites between the civil and military, no matter what he rank! He realises that his meagre pension is peanuts when compared to what those employed in the corporate sector, or others like actors and politicians or those working as supervisors , clerks and agents make. At this time he questions whether he was wise or foolish-with pride, to have served in the armed forces, after mortgaging his personal freedom, at great risk besides privation to his family.

Some 60,000 to 70,000 servicemen retire every year. They are young mostly in their mid 30s (leaving aside the top ranks), action oriented and highly motivated. More importantly, they are a political and trained to function in adverse circumstances. At any one time there are nearly 50 lakh ex- servicemen of various ranks and expertise on the pension rolls of the Indian Exchequer. Selected on merit from amongst lakhs of applicants, only those who qualified in the stringent selection tests were able to join the Services. Take the NDA, for every course of nearly 150-200 cadets, more then a lakh of candidates apply. In 1992, 42,000 women had applied for women officers Short service commission course in the Air Force, only 42 were selected. The situation in the Army or the Navy is no different.

Further, as many candidates are unable to make the grade during training or while serving, many have to leave for these or other reasons such as on becoming a casuality as a result of wounds before even they qualify for pension. Besides, it is a pity that the Society has yet to realise that amongst Ex-Servicemen, there are engineers, communication experts, mechanics, doctors, advocates, nuclear medicine experts, drivers, artificers, pilots, aircraft maintenance specialists, navigators, computor operators, weapon designers, teachers, management experts, thinkers and thousand other trades. Name it and you have it. Yet the Society and civil employers in general have to come associate an Ex-Servicemen's image with that of a mere sentry for security duties or for fire fighting as reflected in the media advertisements. No wonder, neither the people's representatives in the Parliament nor for that matter the industrialists and the Government have failed to make use of this vital national resource.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in turn has left the problem to the Resettlement Directorate functioning under it. Which at best, can be described as an outdated and obsolete employment registration agency, functioning in a groove. Its other representatives at the state and district levels in the shape of Rajya Sainik Boards and Zila Parishad Boards respectively, designed to resettle and help Ex-Servicemen haven't covered themselves with glory either. We must realize that Ex-Servicemen are the only trained and readily available manpower resource which the country has at its disposal. Retired at an early age, when their counter parts in the civil start picking up momentum, 80-85 percent of ex-servicemen land up in civil life waiting for call up notices for a job from the Resettlement Directorate or the Employment exchanges which do not materialise. The question to be answered is, why has the country failed to make use of their disciplined minds, leadership qualities and talents honed during their Service?

The services must of course share a major share of blame for this situation alongwith the bureaucracy and politicians. During his service, a soldier remains isolated because of rules and regulations mostly inherited from a colonial past. These restrictions prevent servicemen from stretching out to the media thus isolating them completely from what lies outside their environment. It is to bridge this chasm that the media, bureaucracy and the polity have to play an important role of which they seem to be completely oblivious. Further, a feeling of neglect has a psychological effect on tomorrow's Ex-Servicemen. Failure to addres the issue cannot but create a large number of frustrated Ex Servicemen. On the other hand, those in uniform, seeing the plight of their ex comrades cannot remain unconcerned. Because this will be their lot too sooner or later. They would thus be compelled to start spending an increasing number of hours in training themselves for a civil vocation on retirement while in service. This needs to be avoided as soldiering is a full time profession and not a nine to five affair.

In a country which has already become ungovernable due to ill discipline, poor administration, terrorism, over population and corruption, the contribution which can be made by a disciplined body of men hardly needs any emphasis. In the prevailing scenario of chaos and total mess in Kashmir for instance, where the civil administrators and Cabinet ministers dare not move freely or visit rural areas due to fear of reprisals from the militants a dedicated band of 8000 to 10,000 Ex-Servicemen, recruited solely to assist the government in administering the Valley of discontent would have done wonders. In addition, composite task forces of engineers, electronic specialists and other skilled personnel, if created in various states would ensure that the citizen is not held to ransom during electricity and water strikes or other natural or man made calamities which hit us periodically.

The existing mechanism to make use of Ex-Servicemen lacks coordination, accountability and long term perspectives. There is no visible or substantial achievements from organisations like the IESL (Indian Ex-Servicemen's League). Although some states like Maharashtra have assigned the task of looking after the Ex-Servicemen to one of the ministers but they have to show visible results. Besides, although the Society contributes liberally and willingly to the Flag Day fund, there is seldom an open announcement regarding the specific purposes for which these funds have been sub-allotted. The progress on the previous projects and as to how the newer ones are being financed from these donations need to be monitored. It is important that the Society and the Ex-Servicemen get a clear picture regarding expenditure from donations from those who are supposed to administer these.

Reverting back to the issue as to how and where Ex-Servicemen can be used most effectively needs to addressed with concern. Leaving aside the youth programmes such as sports. trekking, physical fitness and adventure training, there are a variety of environmental issues, relief work, construction work and administrative coordination tasks which await the involvement of Ex-Servicemen. Further, any soldier, whether serving or retired, is an excellent implementor of plans. It is a fact that in India, a majority of projects or plans get bogged down no sooner these take off from the black board after funds have been alloted. because we are poor implementors as our past records show. It is this vacuum which can be filled most effectively by the Ex-Servicemen whose chief asset is to see a mission through and they are trained for it. But somewhere on the line, efficient mechanism have been missing to avoid leaving this national resource in the lurch.

Finally, the MOD is not in a position to comprehend the psyche of an Ex-Serviceman. But the Service Chiefs can. Somehow they too-alongwith their personal staff officers have been keeping away from the Ex-Servicemen. In fact whenever they visit an important station they must address their former colleagues as a matter of moral responsibility. It would reinforce brotherhood and certainly not compromise security. It is time that the Service chiefs took upon themselves to look after and use Ex-Servicemen through a special branch instead of leaving them in the hands of disinterested bureaucracy or polity.