Crises Are Good For Them, Barkha

Barkha Dutt of NDTV has written an article on the latest Maoist outrage - derailing a train in Bengal, causing over 100 deaths - that advocates strong State action to neutralize the Maoists. To quote:

Like in any conflict zone — with the Maoists too— we seek a deft combination of battle strategy and smart politics operating on parallel tracks. When we see civilians under attack or poor jawans forced to be at the frontline of danger, we certainly expect our government to use force — both preventive and offensive — against brutal, senseless terror. Whether this force takes the shape of the paramilitary or the army; whether air support should be deployed to speed up the ferrying of troops and weapons — we may leave to the strategists.

Note the royal "we."

My friends at the Natural Order Blog have a thought for today that all of us should ponder over:

“Fear of disorder and love of well-being unconsciously lead democracies to increase the functions of the central government,” said Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville in a warning that should be heeded by all freedom-loving people.

Barkha Dutt's column is titled "Call a spade a spade." She wants to call the Maoists a spade. What about the Total Chacha State? Shouldn't we call the King of Spades a spade too?

In reality, such crises are great for the King of Spades and his minions in North Block - the "strategists" Dutt refers to. I recall a senior IPS officer from Assam telling me, in the early 1980s, that "law and order problems are good for us." He added that "we get more powers, more personnel, more jeeps and more wireless sets." Barkha laments the fact that poor jawans die on the field - but these senior strategists in North Block just shuffle files and make hay.

If I may pen my sincere thoughts on a "solution" to Maoism, then it is this: Get the State Police to entirely withdraw from any involvement in tribal affairs. I briefly served as District Superintendent of Police in Arunachal Pradesh in 1987 - and the great thing there is that I had powers only in the towns. The hinterland was beyond my control - and the tribals lived happily in their "natural order." That is why there is still peace in Arunachal Pradesh. This should be the model for all forested areas inhabited by tribals. Give them full powers over their lives and properties. Give them Liberty and Property Under Law. And then tackle the "ideology" of Maoism politically.

What will happen if the Maoists "take control"? (Actually, they are already in control.) They will then have no "enemy" to fight. They will have to govern under Law. With the right politics educating the tribals on their rights and liberties, the natural order will be speedily restored. Of course, this will require The Market - a social institution that no political party in India says anything in favour of.