Issues concerning internal security

FAULT LINES: Writings on conflict & resolution, Volume 3: K.P.S. Gill & Ajai Sahni - Editors; copies can be had from The Editor, Faultlines, The Institute for Conflict Management, 11, Talkatora Road, New Delhi-110001. Rs. 200.

THIS PUBLICATION contains three excellent papers by K.P.S. Gill, Lt. Gen. S. K. Pillai (Retired) and V. S. Jafa which have dissected some important issues concerning our internal security.

Mr. K.P.S. Gill who has had great experience in counter insurgency operations in Punjab, has traced the importance of technological inputs that are needed for successful operations.

In a very revealing paper he has brought out various hardware that were developed and used by Punjab police in order to score success. He has bemoaned the apathy of the bureaucracy and the various research organisations who failed to procure the highly sophisticated devices that are needed today to foil the efforts of ISI and other foreign agencies.

Lt. Gen. S. K. Pillai has analysed the causes of insurgency in Nagaland and linked it to the issues of Naga identity and ethnicity. Tracing the growth of Naga insurgency, its leaders and the present situation, he has questioned a number of measures adopted by the Government of India. He has stated that the foisting of a typical democratic state apparatus based on adult franchise is alien to the Naga culture which is based on village leadership grown out of tribal customs. However it is a moot point if the administrators can be blamed for insensitivity and lack of concern for Naga customs and tribal values.

Virendra Singh Jafa has brought out a case study of the Mizo rebellion in the 1960's when the government decided to regroup all the isolated villages and settle them in key accessible locations for administrative and co-ordinated security.

He is of the opinion that such massive physical uprooting of the villages was an uncalled for decision implemented with haste and lack of sympathy.

His findings are not very objective as after the regrouping the government was able to successfully bring down the scale of violence and ultimately pave the way for an independent statehood. The author's references to similar counter-insurgency operations in Malaya, Vietnam and Philippines provide a deep insight into the strategy of counter-insurgency operations. However in all these countries, the insurgency was mainly propelled by the people's burning desire to smoother the stranglehold of colonial powers.

Brig. A. THYAGARAJAN (Retd.)

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