Civil society as a weapon

Dr Satya Dev Gupta
There has been a tremendous change in warfare by the end of the 20th and the commencement of the 21st century. The new era of relationship between civil society, violence and war has come into play. Violence and war, which although and always remained endemic to human society, now have been modified to an extent that with fewer expenses and efforts, higher scaled unmanageable destruction can be done. State-sponsored organizations, groups, individuals, even a single person ( lone wolf) can now marshal the means to do violence on a scale and intensity never seen before.
Some states have adopted terrorism and violence to horrify other nations by manipulating civil society in their own way and at the same time, civil society traditionally a useful module has become the feature of the modern world that cannot be ignored, as it has capabilities and capacities to develop or flourish a nation. Civil society is a double-edged sword that can be fruitful as well as hurtful as it can become a tool by the enemy state to harm or demonize the native country. What exactly is civil society? A report of the World Economic Forum of 2013 entitled “The Future Role of Civil Society” states: “NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) labor leaders, faith-based organizations, religious leaders and other civil society representatives play a critical and diverse set of roles in societal development. In the last two decades, particularly in India, these roles have shifted, as the external environment for civil society has changed.” During Covid-19 pandemics, some productive social societies played a commendable and appreciable role along with the government while others played a negative role.
Methods of Warfare
Conventional or First-generation warfare refers to a formal battlefield war, second-generation to artillery fire, and third generation to speed, surprise and infiltration into an enemy’s military. Fourth-generation warfare is the strategical conflict imposed by the hostile country where the state is thrust into a situation where she has to fight against the non-state actors, such as terrorist groups and insurgents.
Ajit Doval’s Comments
Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor of India on 13th November 2021, while reviewing the parade of 73rd batch of outgoing IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad said in the present time the higher expensive conventional war is replaced by the new methodological war engaging the civil society that can be manipulated to harm the national interests. National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval stressed on present new warfare strategy i.e., new frontier of warfare or 4th generation warfare (4GW). In his oration to police personnel, he emphasized that they must do more than their conventional work and be vigilant and do special endeavours to protect the people from being subverted, divided and manipulated. In his address he conspicuously stated, “You are for India and India is for you. Every other identity gets subsumed to this Indian identity,”. NSA Ajit Doval expressed the importance of the enforcement of the law as it works only well when it is executed and implemented in the right direction and not in a corrupt, weak and partisan way. The enactment and enforcement of the law are more important than making a law itself. Although people get elected by the ballot box and make laws for the benefit of the state but the true essence of democracy does not lie in the election processes but the application of laws as ” no nation can be built where rules of law have failed.
Civil Society in Indian
Since ancient and medieval times whenever and wherever the civil society played a positive and constructive role the state progressed, and whenever it remained indifferent, careless, detached and callous, the country had to face destruction and devastation. One can quote the instance when Alexander in 326 BC invaded India.
Chanakya, an ancient Indian teacher, philosopher, economist, jurist and royal advisor, inspired and motivated the civil society to drive the Greeks out of the country and succeeded. Contrary, we were doomed when such resistance was not designed.
Before 1947, a movement for a separate homeland for the Muslims emerged in the political scenario of India. The initial protagonist of this idea was Sir Sayad Ahmed Khan, and legendary poet Mohammad Allma Iqbal, whose famous national song ” SARE JAHAN SE ACHHA HINDUSTAN…..”; and later Ali brothers (Mohd Ali and Shohkat Ali) took the issue forward.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah appeared in the scene thereafter. Our national leaders at that time failed to estimate its progress or consequences and more so didn’t involve the civil society to fight against this nasty demand of secessionists and sedationists resulting in the bloody partition of the country. India had to face the civil society scourge and horror of conflicts as a civil war. About 3.5 crore people had to leave their home and hearth, and about 3.5 lakh Hindus/ Sikhs and Muslims died in the name of ethnic cleansing. The civil war that emerged after the partition of the country, was one of the ever-biggest episodes of violence and cruelty that occurred in world history. In these doomed days,CSO (CIVIL Society Organizations) played a crucial and significant role in Rehabilitation, establishment and developmental projects. Many NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) on community, national and international levels have contributed conspicuously and significantly.
Role of left and divisive forces
In 1962 during Chinese aggression, Chinese troops pushed back the Indian forces in both eastern (Tawang) and western (Rezang la in Chushul) Himalayan regions. When a wave of anger spread against China infiltration in the whole country and public and CSO (Civil Society Organizations) left no stone unturned to help the Indian government and army then the ‘Communist parties’ staged a civil front for appreciation or welcoming Chinese and declaring the Mao-Zedong’s Chinese forces as Liberating Army from democratic non-communist India.
In 1975 during the emergency, theLeft parties happened to make an agreement and arrangement with the Indira government and congress that leaving the political power,all effective key agencies, educational institutions, bureaucracy, judiciary, media etc. should be open for the Left to operate on their own will. This endeavor of ‘Left’ fragmented and deplored the basic constructive or fruitful fundamentals of chauvinistic Civil Society. The Left parties occupied two citadels, Kerala and West Bengal for decades, remained in power with Congress and other parties for a considerable period. During this time they were controlling the polity, administration and social fabrics of the country. The Leftists have been working overtime to damage the reputation of the nationalistic stream with wickedness. They have made inroads in every nook corner of the world and are masters in generating false narratives as they have a grip on trade unions, academia, judiciary and press. Their philosophy lies on principles, like Demoralization, Destabilization, Crisis, Anarchy and Power by bloodshed. When Left parties lost governing political power, then they adopted agitational ways of confusion, crisis in the state; taking the instance of Bhima Koregaon, 1st January 2018, they exploited Mahars against Marathi and tactically projected “Bhima- River” flowing nearby, as “Bhim” which is a reflection towards Dalits, more so (Bhim- Meem alliance i.e. Dalits and Muslims) In that violent agitation “Amar Jawan Jyoti” was plundered and destroyed. CAA (Citizens Amendment Act) December 2019 was strategically chosen by the divisive forces as a tool to create violent disturbances in the whole country by creating confusion among the Muslim community, generating false narratives, galvanizing the academia, involving Bollywood industry, opponent political parties, media, Muslim Clergymen, TukreyTukrey Gang etc. In this violence 53 innocent civilians lost their lives, more than 200 were left injured, shops and houses were burnt down, places of worship were attacked. It was a war front created by the so-called “Civil Society” where foreign funding was infused and innocent civilians lost their lives. Recent Farmers Agitation, where the country capital encircled for 10 months. All the methodological instrumentation was used as was done in Shaheen Bhag, CAA agitation. Malegaon- Amravati violence resulted by spreading false rumors of violence in Tripura.
NGOs and FINAL MESSAGE
NSA Ait Doval expressed the role of some NGOs with foreign funding working against the interests of the nation. Intelligence Bureau report on June 3, 2014, on “The concerted effort by select foreign-funded NGOs to “takedown” Indian developmental projects”, names Seven Protest Movements, as significant Anti-Developmental Activities. The report was commissioned by the previous UPA government and had been submitted to the new government. He also touched upon the challenges of technology as a Civil Society frontier that officers need to excel in. “Without your success, the nation cannot succeed. If internal security fails, no country can be great. If the people are not safe and secure, they cannot rise to their potential, and probably, the country can never grow,” he underlined.
(The author is Ex-Head of Intensive Care Unit & Department of anesthesia Government Medical College Jammu)

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