Why are we losing precious lives of uniformed men in Chattisgarh time
& again?
Time has now come to look into the problem areas squarely &
carry out a deep & honest introspection. This is an attempt to appraise
critically as to where does the faults lie. These views are entirely personal,
unbiased & have no prejudice towards any one. Nor there is an intent to cast
aspersions or letting down any Armed Police Force or any individual connected
with these. It is a matter of National concern that there has been a spate in
such unfortunate incidents recently. Apparently, we do not seem to have learnt
lessons from these mishaps to take corrective measures. There is just no point
in running away from the truth. We must pin point the reasons behind such avoidable
lapses & take corrective measures.
Excluding two Special Action Groups of the National Security Guard- that
comprise of hundred percent Army All Ranks on deputation, the remaining
personnel of the CAPF earlier known as Central Police Organization(CPO) are the
largest such variety & mix of Armed Police Force available to any single country in the entire world. Each Armed Police Force was raised as & when their
requirements were felt by the Home Ministry.
In absence of any holistic
National Security Policy, these have become tools in the hands of the MHA. Consequently,
these lack the much needed leadership, motivation & professionalism. It is
a sad spectacle to see these Armed Police Forces to handle various terrorists’
related situations in a lackasadical manner. Their leadership does not identify
themselves fully with the men on ground-the cutting edge. This leads to frittering & poor management of resources coupled with a wide gap in inter- personal relationship .As a
result, these Police Forces remain mostly directionless.
Above notwithstanding, there
have been examples of raw courage displayed by these Armed Police Forces
personnel.These, however, remain as exceptions when compared to their strength ,
magnitude & potential- if tapped to its maximum. It would not be out of context here to mention that in most of the
advanced countries of the world, terrorist related operations are carried out solely
by respective Police Forces in a highly professional manner.
Armed Forces are
not meant to be employed for such operations. It would, therefore, not be
incorrect to state that full cogency & dynamism of the CAPF is not being made use of.
Where does the fault lie?
There is little ‘Group Dynamics’ in Ranks & File since these Police Forces
work as mathematical entities. More often than not, the requirement/deployment is
measured & spelt out in number of companies. This is not directly related
to the tasks ‘per se’ ,but generally denotes the visible presence of Khaki
Personnel wielding weapons as a deterrent force in the area of interest for a defined period of time .Will
these personnel be able to shoot straight when required or how often they
practice firing at the Ranges, is yet another important issue!
The IPS officers very seldom
command these battalions. Mostly, they are posted in appointments of DIGs & upwards. Because of dissatisfaction in
Cadre Officers, a few higher appointments have now come in their kitties.
Surprisingly, in the functioning of CAPF, the Operations Directorate holds lower priority
than Administrative Directorate. IPS Officers mostly
hold administrative posts & have huge financial powers. This separation is instrumental in generating a total mismatch
between the IPS & Cadre Officers;the latter are deployed on ground/field duties. These duties at Company
or equivalent levels are led by Cadre officers assisted by Inspectors /Sub
Inspectors.
The Director Generals of the CAPF are located in New Delhi .The
Badges of Rank of CAPF resemble those of Indian Army, so much so, that the
combat uniforms are also very much similar . CAPF has introduced more or less
similar customs & traditions including dress patterns from the Army. The
CAPF & their Officers Cadre remain in very close touch with the MHA, unlike
Armed Forces do with the MOD. This subservience to their Masters in the Home
Ministry has ,perhaps,affected their self esteem & professionalism to a great extent.
Thus, their focus in providing good leadership & hard professional training
to their men has taken a backward step. It is good & impressive to see tall , well built & smart CAPF personnel in Bright colours marching on the Raj Path, showing eyes to their counterparts at the Attari
Border– both performing awkward drill movements, performing stunts on Motor Cycles , playing the Brass Band on
camel backs,etc, but these activities
are perfunctory & superficial.At best these can be termed as ceremonial show offs. These have nothing to do with their primary responsibilities.
I
understand that every CAPF has created its own Commando Element. These have
been given impressive names as well. All these are OK, but for God’s sake, do not compromise on your basic &
primary tasks, leadership & training angles.
Failure to do so amounts to offering
Armed Police men as ‘cannon fodder’ to
waiting terrorists.Strength of any Armed Police Force does not lie on the
numerical superiority or their flashing dresses/accouterments. It lies primarily on their sharpened teeth accrued as a result of dynamic ‘leadership
& training combo’-the ultimate winning factor.
What is the point of having
about 8000 men in the NSG & yet calling it as a Special Force? Let us not
forget that SAS, DELTA FORCE, GSG-9 & the like have a very small strength. They
are ‘die-hard professionals’, who work on the ethos -“FORTUNA FAVET FORTIBUS”-
meaning Fortune Favours the Bold.
Coming to the tragic incident that has occurred, all sorts
of reporting in the print/electronic media is being flashed with astonishing
regularity. Exact details are either not known or given. Nor, these shall ever
be known to the public. Truth is always the first casualty in such mess ups. Everyone
is covering their back & blaming some one or the other for the catastrophe.
Surprisingly, the press coverage has also waned out since Polls are more
important, & so are the weird statements & antics of the Netas & their cronies !
From the press reports given out so far, it is still not very
clear whether it was a Convoy, or a Protection Party mounted on vehicles as a
Roving Patrol. The fact of the matter is that neither any actionable
intelligence was available to the Leader & his men nor the road was cleared
& secured prior to move of these vehicles.
Road Clearance, in itself, is an
onerous & absorbing operation, wherein, the stretch of the subject road is
physically checked minutely for any sabotage, & in all its manifestation. Mine
detectors are employed along with these parties. Bridges & Culverts are
checked in details. Sniffer & Patrol Dogs are pressed in service. While
this exercise is going on by the Composite Task Force, both flanks of the
stretch of the subject road are physically combed to ensure that no terrorists
are hiding nearby. The distances from the road to either flanks has to be
beyond the effective range of small arms. These searches continue
simultaneously under constant supervision of respective Party Commanders. Commander
of the Road Opening Party keeps in constant touch with these elements. In fact,
reliable signal communications within & to the Base form the life line of
such laborious operation.
Having satisfied with the search on the road & on
either flanks & getting ‘all clear’, the Road Opening Party Commander
issues further instructions to move ahead. Small detachments that are self
supporting & self contained are left on ground to ensure that no terrorist
gets an access inside the sanitized areas.
The entire road clearing process is painfully slow &
demands a very high degree of tactical expertise, precision & junior leadership. It is only after the
clearance is given by the Commander of the Road Clearance Party to his higher
ups that the Central Control permits move of foot/vehicular columns on the
road.
As I compare the recent incident with similar incidents that
have happened in the past, I find that a certain amount of complacency has
set in. The CAPF Sector/Battalion/Company Commanders must adhere in 'letter
& spirit' to basic ‘Section Leading & Platoon Tactics’.
Obviously, no heed was paid to minor tactics in the typical attitude of ‘Chalta
Hai’. The end result is loss of precious lives.
All sorts of political
statements are being given. A number of Courts/Boards of Inquiry have been
ordered. All sorts of Press Releases are being given from the concerned CAPF
Headquarters in CGO Complex, New Delhi & Headquarters of State Police
Force of State Capital. What is unfortunate, is that there is little liaison & coordination
between the CAPF & State Police Departments.
Again CAPF shall talk of poor
weapon systems & equipment to tackle such situations. The game shall go on!
It is the men that matter, provided personal examples are given by their
Leaders. When shall that day come when a genuine desire & attempt by the
CAPF to improve their leadership & training
takes a concrete shape?
The CAPF have to get out of their “Policia Culture” at the
earliest. Hundreds of Crores of Public Exchequers money is spent on their up
keep. They are answerable to the people. It is high time that the Home Ministry
& the Director Generals of the CAPF introspect, face the truth, identify
the problem areas & take remedial measures on war footing.
Increasing desertions,
seeking premature retirements & increased cases of fratricides are pointers
to failure of Command & Control & Higher Directions.
In the larger interests of Nation Building & Integration-let
us not give alibis or pretences for our lapses. Let the Heads roll if need be!
Enough is enough!
No comments:
Post a Comment