[Assam] Sentinel Editorial

[Ram Sarangapani]

   A rather well-written piece from the Sentinel. I say well-written, not of
its writing style, but only of content. If there were aberrations in the
language - well, I didn't notice any:)
--Ram
**
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*The Army and the People
*Ever since the security forces were deployed to fight the Naga insurgency
in the late fifties, there has been no looking back for the Indian Army in
so far as the anti-insurgency operations in the Northeast are concerned.
Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to state that next to Jammu and
Kashmir, the northeastern region is one of the most militarized areas of the
world today. While it is true that the proliferation of militant outfits in
the last three decades or so has thrown up ever new challenges before the
security forces engaged in counterinsurgency operations in this region, yet
the unpleasant fact that quite often emerges is the behaviour of the Army as
an occupation force. And this cannot be explained away by saying that grave
violations of human rights occur occasionally because the security forces
have to operate in unfamiliar terrain amid people who are either sympathetic
towards the insurgents or unwilling to cooperate with the Army. There have
been too many human rights violations by the security forces over too long a
period of time in the different States of the Northeast affected by
insurgency to make one accept the argument that such violations are
aberrations and that they are more an exception than a rule. Amid the scores
of such violations in the recent past, the rape and murder of Thangjam
Manorama and the death in Army custody of Ajit Mahanta are but two instances
that are deeply etched in public memory. And recently there has been a new
addition.
The sustained torture of a young man of Khowang, Nipul Saikia, in the hands
of the security forces has once again highlighted the issue of human rights
abuse by the Army and has raised some pertinent questions about its role in
counterinsurgency operations. Nipul was randomly picked up and subjected to
the most barbaric forms of torture by the Army personnel who finally
admitted him in the Assam Medical College Hospital when his condition
alarmingly deteriorated. By all accounts, Nipul was an innocent villager,
though one of his brothers was an ULFA activist and had been killed by the
Army. The incident evoked such strong public ire that the General Officer
Commanding of the 2nd Mountain Division, Major General NC Marwah publicly
apologized for the inhuman treatment meted out to the young man and promised
a speedy inquiry and subsequent punishment of the guilty Army personnel.
Earlier too, in the Ajit Mahanta case the Army top brass had, in a delayed
response, accepted responsibility for the death of the person, offered
compensation to the family and promised punishment for the offenders. In the
matter of the torture in Army custody of Nipul Saikia, Maj Gen Marwah must
be credited with swift response and a large measure of transparency. Unlike
on earlier occasions, there was little equivocation and quick acceptance of
the guilt. There is no doubt that the response of the Army authorities was
largely motivated by the organized reaction of the people who blocked the
national highway. But it is also somewhat reassuring to believe that at
least a section of the Army authorities, however small in number, is finally
realizing that wanton violations of the rights of the citizen cannot always
be pushed under the carpet or taken cover under the sweeping provisions of
the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, and that the best way to defend the
credibility of the armed forces is to be transparent in such matters.
However, the admission of the crime and the apologies from the Army's top
brass do not actually take away from the highly disturbing fact that by
applying the worst forms of third-degree methods on helpless civilians, the
Army has only shown how insensitive it has become in the course of its
anti-insurgency operations. What should seriously worry the higher echelons
of the Army as well as the government and the representatives of the people
is the fact that the continuous use of the security forces to tackle
internal security situations (where the enemy is drawn from the ranks of
one's own people) has progressively eroded those very credentials and code
of ethics that are so necessary to sustain the morale of an army. Torture,
it has been rightly said , dehumanizes the torturer. It is indeed a pity
that an institution that is geared up on the highest ideals of honour and
sacrifice is today seen as perpetrator of torture and rape, however few in
number such aberrations might be. One single case of torture or rape or fake
encounter resulting in the cold-blooded killing of a suspected insurgent is
enough to swiftly neutralize a hundred acts of good done by the security
forces, especially during times of natural disasters such as floods and
earthquakes. No amount of acceptance of responsibility or financial
assistance to the victims can really compensate for the damage done to the
mind and body of the person. Therefore, quick action against those Army
personnel responsible for human rights violations must be accompanied by a
concerted and well thought-out plan to change the mindset of all those
engaged in anti-insurgency operations. It is a known fact that neither in
Jammu and Kashmir nor in the Northeast has the Army been able to win the
confidence of the people, something without which it can never hope to
accomplish its mission. Therefore, one of the major challenges that is being
faced by the Army today is to relate itself meaningfully to the people of
the insurgency-hit areas. Given the ground reality, this would be no easy
task. But it is never too late to make a serious beginning.
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