Myth, Reality, and CRPF

http://epaper.millenniumpost.in/epaper/delhi/2017-05-02/delhi02may2017#page=8&zoom=page-width,-45,943

CRPF is in the line of fire – literally and figuratively. Its officers and men are engaged in a bitter battle with the Naxals in the Red Corridor carved out in the forested areas of a dozen states affecting over a hundred districts. Being a specialised and the most experienced force in the country in dealing with the Naxal scourge, its members are naturally deployed in the worst affected areas considered strongholds of the outlawed organisation in the states of Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Bihar. Every day is a day of judgment for the troops that go out on a patrol in the jungles without any guarantee of safe return. They are in the line of fire from the Naxals who are inhabitants of that area and are quite adept in the guerilla warfare.

The violence levels in the LWE areas have come down significantly but a few successful strikes here and there, bring the CRPF bravehearts in another line of fire from the security experts, defence analysts, intelligentsia, academia and veterans who lose no time in picking holes in the strategy, HR practices, deployment and execution without ever thinking about the morale of the officers and men who go out to perform in the same area the very next day without having much knowledge about the terrain and grimness of the situation where their brethren had shed their blood hours ago. It has also become fashionable to settle private scores through media columns by raising inter-services rivalry, mostly out of context. The silence of human rights’ activists and those who champion the cause of tribal rights and democratic values is disturbing, to say the least over these killings by the ultras.

It needs to be known to the readers that Naxal violence has been managed quite effectively by CRPF and sister central and state armed police forces and the civil police over the years. The role of local level and central intelligence agencies has also been praiseworthy. No gainsaying that there is scope for improvement in this effort. The security forces accounted for 222 LWE cadres in 2016 compared to 89 in 2015. In the first two months of this year, 50 LWEs have been neutralised in the police action. Fatalities of security force personnel have also reduced drastically from 2007 onwards. In the last two years, the figure has hovered around sixty. March and April this year have been cruel to CRPF personnel in which 37 troops have been martyred in two separate gruesome incidents. Incidentally, this is the period when CRPF remained headless.

2017 is going to be a tough year for the forces deployed in the LWE affected states for this year the Maoists are observing 50 years of their movement and have vowed to regroup themselves and come hard at the security forces and suspected police informers. The figures of civilians killed at the hands of Maoists have shown an upward trend. In 2016, more than 200 civilians mostly on the suspicion of being informers were butchered by the Naxals. The figures may be unfortunate but point to a positive trend of local population’s willingness to report Naxal movement and oppression. More and more people want access to developmental schemes, education and health services, which have long been denied to them because of the kangaroo rule of the Maoists in the tribal hinterland. Both the unfortunate incidents that have taken place in the last two months have occurred in Sukma district which is considered the last bastion of the Naxals in the state. Construction of road will surely make the whole region accessible to development and security forces which will weaken the stranglehold of the ultras in the rural areas as well. Resistance to this road project in Sukma is central to both sides for different reasons. The Maoists do not want the road which will adversely impact their writ in the region whereas the road is vital for the state to break the back of the militant outfit to usher in an era of development and resultant peace in the region. It is quite paradoxical that the Maoists who militate against the state on the ground of governmental apathy and indifference to the common man, pose the biggest hurdle to developmental activities in the region. Their mentors have also shown a conspicuous lack of an implementable roadmap for the development of the tribal populations except reinforcing vendetta and overthrowing the democratically elected government. And what were these slain CRPF personnel doing? They were merely providing protection to the labour engaged in the task of building a vital road link for the tribals giving them access to development and modern amenities!

Over 100 battalions of paramilitary forces particularly CRPF are deployed in the LWE affected states. COBRA battalions which can operate independently for a few days at a stretch are also deployed in the region. Contrary to some uninformed comments in a section of media, CRPF has a robust HR practice for the LWE areas. No one above 35 years of age is inducted in COBRA units and sustained pre-induction training is mandatory for all troops and battalions assigned to LWE duties. These units are backed by the unit level dedicated intelligence teams, local police and central agencies. The battalions and higher formations are led by highly motivated officers who have proved their mettle over the years in similar situations. In spite of all this, the adversary is sometimes able to breach our defences, be it in the Naxal areas or near the LoC. Yes, there is a case for increasing the number of COBRA battalions and a separate dedicated central armed police force (CAPF) to deal with the Red menace which this writer does not see withering away in a hurry. Also, there is merit in the argument that stronger intelligence network needs to be established through local participation. So far as the firepower is concerned, the Maoists are no match to the CAPFs. The only element that goes in favour of the Maoists is the element of surprise and use of IEDs. The aggressor will always have the benefit of surprise and initiative and the state forces can never use IEDs against their own people. The CAPFs also do not have the protection of a statute like AFSPA. The limitations of the CAPFs should not be lost on some of the commentators deriding the training, HR practices, deployment and operational acumen of the men in khaki. It may be reminded that the only state in the country which was successfully brought back to normalcy after bloody militancy was Punjab and credit for it lies with our police forces.

There is absolutely no doubt that whenever an army unit is attacked by a handful of militants from across the border or a company level patrol is waylaid by the Naxal militia numbering in hundreds, the commanding officers can be hauled up for breach of security protocol and drills. I suppose it is part of the package. We have to take it on the chin and move on. Abundant caution needs to be exercised before commenting on such incidents because incomplete knowledge of the facts and pitting one force against the other can play havoc with the morale of the force and inter-departmental synergy and overall security scenario of the country.

Off with beacons of power

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/off-with-beacons-of-power/396455.html

In our feudal system, anybody in a position of authority has been identified with his car and the colour of batti on it. One is believed to have arrived socially, economically and politically if he gets a sarkari car with a lal batti. Switching it off will be tough.

SYMBOL OF POWER: From April 30, 2017, the beacons atop VIP cars will be abolished. 

SOME are red-faced. Some see red. The harsh truth is that the red batti will be gul from the midnight of April30, 2017. In a landmark decision, the Narendra Modi government has this time demonetised the snob value of the VIPs by abolishing the use of beacons atop their cars. Detailed instructions are awaited. Since the British rule, netas and babus of all hues and shades have enjoyed this symbol of unquestionable authority. It automatically makes accessible a plethora of privileges and freebies, besides browbeating others on the road. It is natural for these people to be red-faced. A number of such beneficiaries will raise the bogey of security and the law-and- order situation in our country and the need for free passage during travel. They will present their case for the continuation of this shining beacon of authority, arrogance and privilege at the cost of the common man. 

In our feudal system, anybody in any position of authority has been identified with his car and the colour of batti on it. One is believed to have arrived socially, economically and politically if he gets a sarkari car with a lal batti. Nowhere in the world as elaborate instructions have been issued about the colour and type of beacon as in our beloved motherland. You have beacons of red, ember, blue and yellow colour and these come with or without a flasher! Incidentally, the ember beacon was born to circumvent an apex court order banning the use of red and blue beacons by so-called VIPs. A VIP with a red beacon with flasher is at a higher pedestal than the other VIPs flaunting blue or ember ones. The departmental notes, reasons offered for allowing the use of these beacons, and claims for these beacons by one and all are ridiculous, to say the least, and can be the theme of a comedy show. 

People in positions to decide such privileges have arrogated these shamelessly without assessing the functional requirement. Whosoever could frame rules for these battis has ensured that they got the most potent flashers in the brightest of the red.The worst is that the use of beacons does not stop with the VIP. It has been extended to the family and even the extended family of the VIP. Ours is perhaps amongst a handful of countries where anybody even without any official sanction can walk into a neighbourhood automobile shop and buy a beacon of his choice at a price. No questions are asked. This unreasonable and unjustified extension of the lal-batti culture and the inclusion of a large number of non-emergency services has rightly led to this outcry and strong public opinion against such flagrant misuse of privileges.

Beacons have been used traditionally by the emergency services like the police, fire services, ambulances and allied enforcement services. A crane deployed to remove debris after a natural or manmade disaster employs a beacon to keep people away from harm's way and to warn them about the situation. A police car chasing criminals is well within its right to use the red/blue beacon. An ambulance carrying a critical patient must announce itself by using the beacon. But why does a babu or a police officer, a judicial magistrate, a politician or any other government functionary need a beacon to go to workplace or to attend a social and private function? It will be good if the new set of rules on the subject limit the use of beacons only to emergency services. It is a bitter pill that India must swallow to grow as a mature society, safeguarding principles of equality and fairness. 

There is now a clamour to shed the beacons faster than the neighbour. Claims and counter-claims for initiating this positive move have already started flying thick and fast by political parties. The implementation may be easier in the central establishments and some states may take time to fall in line. A closer watch will have to be maintained on all those who are going to be dispossessed of their prized beacons. Rules can be bent, broken and twisted to please those who matter. If not the beacon, then it will be better is to get a police escort car with beacons! Yes, that is a possibility in our free country.

FOOD GOES FOUL AT THE BORDER

http://millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=351933

The social media outburst of a Border Security Force jawan must have come as a rude shock to his supervisors. Other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and State Police Forces will also carry out a reality check. Electronic media is bound to bring this news to jawans all over the country and flood the news space on their channels with the footage and comments of the troops and officers. The BSF on their part have rushed senior officers to carry out a fact-finding enquiry. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also called for a report from the Director General of BSF on this disturbing video of poor and insufficient food being made available to the troops deployed on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir.  A preliminary report has been received by MHA and the detailed report is awaited. The public as a whole is also very critical of the CAPF leadership on social media for their failure to ensure quality food to those who defend of our borders. The whole episode has unfortunately raised suspicions about the quality of life of our troops on the borders.

Inspector General of BSF in Jammu has claimed that constable Tej Bahadur Yadav of 29th Battalion is a habitual offender and has earned several punishments in his career.  The manner in which Yadav has bypassed the established channels of communication to voice his grievance is questionable as per service rules and needs to be dealt with effectively so that discipline and morale of other troops do not become a casualty in the long run. The history of delinquency on the part of Yadav does not undermine the need for an enquiry into his allegations of poor quality food, long working hours and corruption by the officers of his unit.

Of late, it has become common for officers and men of the uniformed services to post their pictures in uniform and with weapons and also disclosing their locations on social media, which calls for revisiting the social media policy being practised in the CAPFs and the state police forces. The concerned authorities have issued voluminous instructions in this regard which is seldom translated into a vernacular understood by jawans.  A gist of these instructions is rarely prepared and circulated to all the field units and posted on the notice boards meant for the jawans.  Proper briefing on such matters may also not be taking place because the junior leadership at the ground level itself is blissfully unaware of the import of such policies.

I have had the fortune of serving in the BSF and SSB where the opportunity to supervise and deploy battalions on the LoC was also part of my responsibility. I can assure the readers that the police leadership is acutely sensitive to the food served to the jawans.  All visiting officers like to share the food with the jawans at the forward locations and if any deficiencies are noticed appropriate measures are taken to correct them.  After the Monday parade in the districts, the senior-most police officer visits the cookhouse and samples the food himself to ensure its quality. Whenever any senior officer visited the forward locations, he carried sufficient amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits for the troops.  I sincerely hope that the practice still continues.

With better road communication and improved logistic support, there is no reason why fresh vegetables and fruits, condiments, tinned food and other rations should not be available to the troops. There are two systems of procuring rations in the CAPFs. Wherever the troops are deployed under the command of Army on the LC or the LoC, the responsibility to provide rations lies with the Army, as per the laid downscale. At all other locations, the messes are run on a cooperative basis where a committee representing all ranks of the unit purchases rations after market survey. Since the day to day running of the kitchen is participatory in nature, there are virtually no complaints about this system. There are certain occasions particularly during winters and natural calamities like floods leading to disruption of road and air communication which may lead to an occasional shortage of supplies, but then the hardy troops of CAPFs are used to such situations and do not complain about it.

However, the issues highlighted by Yadav on social media need to be thoroughly examined by the BSF and whatever be the loopholes in the system should be plugged immediately.

Goodbye Inspector Anant Welankar!

Confined to the cold four walls of my sarkari house due to an unprecedented snowfall in Shimla in decades, I had little to do but reflect on the recent happenings. A white out and capitulation of the state capital's infrastructure before the fury of nature made me sombre. In the dark of the night without electricity, darker thoughts crept in to occupied the mental space. One such thought was the untimely demise of the celluloid giant, OM PURI.

Om Puri is no more! World cinema has lost an actor par excellence. His departure is a colossal loss to the Indian cinema in particular as Om Puri with his contemporaries like Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil redefined the parallel cinema and drew crowds to theatres who not only accepted it as an important genre in filmmaking but longed for more and more of it.

He had his period of struggle like all newcomers. But it was just a  matter of time for the audiences and critics to hail the exceptional talent of Om Puri.  Film industry showered all its awards on him as the best actor, supporting actor and for lifetime achievement. He was also awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of our country.

Om Puri appeared in 300 odd Bollywood flicks including commercial and art cinema and Hollywood movies.

I recall a number of his films like Ardh Satya,, Agneepath, Pyar To Hona hi Tha, Vinashak, Farz, Maqbool., Dev, Mumbai Express, Don-2, Ghayal, Gupt, AK-47, Mukhbir, Dabangg, Bin Bulay Baraati and many others in which he played a cop. His portrayal of Commissioner Yashwant Sinha, ACP Malik, Inspector Udham Singh, ACP De Souza, Inspector Khan and Inspector Anant Welankar left an indelible mark not only on the viewers but on us, the policemen as well. He played different ranks of the police and types of the police with remarkable understanding and ease. He looked very much like a policeman on the street and not a super cop flaunting his six-pack abs and taking on the baddies of the world singlehandedly.

Om Puri’s stern looks and rich baritone particularly suited the police roles. The versatile actor in him provided life like presentation of the character that not many in the industry have succeeded to do. One of his National Awards for best actor came from his role as a police Inspector in Ardh Satya and twice he was nominated for the best supporting role as a police officer in Ghayal and Gupt.

It was particularly in the highly acclaimed film Ardh Satya that Puri played Inspector Anant Welankar and virtually lived the situation of a policeman in a corrupt system and society. Anant Welankar’s dilemma is the dilemma of every cop who goes through the same emotional and professional journey or chakravyuh. 

एक पलड़े में नपुंसकता

एक पलड़े में पौरुष

और ठीक तराज़ू के काँटे पर

अर्ध सत्य.

Om Puri will be missed on the silver screen.  We in the police will also miss you Inspector Anant Welankar. RIP!

TOUGH PATH TO PEACE IN THE BODO BASTION

The Tribune, 8.8.2016

Suspected insurgents belonging to National Democratic Front of Bodoland, Songbijit faction NDFB(S) killed 14 innocent civilians and injured another twenty, some critically, in a broad daylight dastardly attack in the busy Balajan Tiniali (trijuction) next to Kokrajhar the headquarters of Bodoland Territorial Council(BTC) governing the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts(BTAD). As per eyewitness accounts three militants donning army fatigues and wielding AK series rifles and grenades arrived in the market in an autorickshaw around noon and opened indiscriminate fire on unsuspecting civilians inflicting huge casualty unknown in the last two years in the area. It is also believed that a grenade was also lobbed to cause large scale damage to life and property.

The security forces and the state police patrolling the area were quick to respond and engage the militants neutralizing one and injuring the other while the other(s) managed to escape leaving behind AK series rifles, grenades and some documents. The slain militant has been identified as Monjoy Islari who had run away from home to join the dreaded outfit more than a decade ago. NDFB(S) has denied its involvement in the massacre but security agencies confirm that the attack bears the telltale signature of the banned militant group. The denial to own the massacre could be because of killing of a large number of Bodos in the indiscriminate firing and resultant apprehension of loss of support from the community.

BTAD constitutes of four districts of Assam, namely Kokrajhar, Chirang, Udalguri and Baksa. Kokrajhar and Chirang are worst affected by NDFB(S) violence.

NDFB(S) is the anti-talk group that refuses to engage with the state government and is the sole armed violent group in these districts. It broke away from the parent NDFB(R) led by Ranjan Daimary in 2012. Ranjan Daimary faction has been in negotiations with the central and state governments. Most of Ranjan cadres are in designated camps and are not involved in any violent incidents. The avowed goal of NDFB(S) is creation of Bodoland and most of its ire is targeted at the Bengali Muslim immigrants who are feared to reduce the Bodos to minority in the BTAD. This faction is known for brutality and particularly severe on suspected police informers and those showing any resistance to the faction’s demands of ransom or protection money, rations and harbor. It is not yet clear whether the August 5 assault was in reaction to the July 17 encounter in which three of its cadres were neutralized by the security forces or to re-establish its dominance by terrorizing shopkeepers and civilians to ensure steady supply of rations and cash to sustain its armed struggle. The faction’s leader Songbijit is hiding in Myanmar while the de facto leader Bedei and the Platoon Commander of Kokrajhar Mwdan are alleged to be in a safe camp somewhere in Bhutan keeping the outfit alive. The three militants killed on July 17 were also trying to cross over to Bhutan with rations and supplies.

2014 was a watershed year in the NDFB(S) related violence. The year was marked by large-scale violence at the hands of NDFB(S) and communal violence in the BTAD area that resulted in the death of 125 civilians and 16 NDFB(S) cadres. Major offensive was successfully launched in the four districts to cripple the capability and terror of the group. The state police did an excellent job by providing specific technical intelligence and carrying out numerous operations with the security forces to create disarray among the rank and file of this group. Year 2015 witnessed minimal violence and no casualty in the area except of NDFB(S) cadres, as the security forces gained upper hand. Efforts to regroup and equip itself had been going on and cross border movement of NDFB(S) cadres to Bhutan has been continuously reported.

India shares 699 km border with Bhutan. Out of this, Assam has 267 kilometer border with Bhutan which is guarded by the youngest border guarding force, SSB. The terrain between the two countries abutting Assam is difficult and particularly tough during monsoons when innocuous streams, both seasonal and perennial, become ferocious rendering them impossible to negotiate. Bhutan has also borne the brunt of NDFB violence in the past and has been pointing to frequent movement of terrorists from India to Bhutan despite presence of SSB camps every 2-3 kilometers along the border. In almost all cases of violent attacks on the civilians and security forces, NDFB(S) cadres are believed to take refuge in the Bhutanese territory which does not have any significant deployment of the Royal Bhutan. However, in 2003-2004, the Royal Bhutan Army had launched a campaign codenamed ‘Operation All Clear’ to destroy all the NDFB camps, but the porous border has remained the security force’s Achilles heel.

It is customary for the insurgent groups in the north eastern states to perpetrate violence on civil population and security forces before national festivals. But the scale and fury of the attack does not seem to be a tokenism and the group seems to have reinvented itself. The state police, the Army and other security forces deployed in the area have been successful in bringing peace to the area due to excellent synergy and intelligence sharing. Some of the assets that moved away from Kokrajhar may have to be brought back to provide proper leadership and teeth to day to day operations. In the wake of this attack, the security apparatus in Kokrajhar will have to move with utmost alacrity by once again recalibrating its strategy by assessing the efficacy and efficiency of the state police, security forces on IS duties and the border guarding force to deliver maximum damage to the brutal anti talk NDFB(S) faction. The new political dispensation in Assam will have to support its police and security forces to continue relentless campaign against this faction in the interest of peace and communal harmony in the region.

The article can also be read at the following link:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/tough-path-to-peace-in-the-bodo-bastion/277248.html

Millennium Mess

The Tribune, August 1, 2016

Gurgaon now Gurugram boasts of being the Millenium City. What earned this sobriquet could be the offices of several IT companies and grand edifices and Malls which are touted not as shopping places but as a destination and tourist attraction.

While concentration of IT companies brings in thousands of young minds to the city along with revenue, it is certainly not this alone that should earn Gurugram the sobriquet. Silicon Valley in the US is home to who's who of world IT industry. But then Silicon Valley is also known for the 6th highest GDP in the world, the best air and water supply anywhere on the planet Earth. The infrasturcture is awesome and always being upgraded.

And here is our Millennium City overwhelmed by one hour's downpour. Thousands of motorists stranded everywhere. Engines stalled. People abondoned their cars on the roads and trudged home in knee deep water. NH 8 was flooded and continues to be submerged.

And to make matters worse there was a power shutdown. The Police Commissioner had to come on the radio to request workers to exercise the choice of working from their home, if they could. In fact he was defending those whose inaction and inefficiency led to traffic chaos in Gurugram.

Most of us believe that the reason for these ills is faulty planning and engineering. Most of the HUDA sectors have been carved out by acquiring village land. Each village used to have a big pond which served as a receptor of excess water. With the disappearance of these water bodies and disregard to the natural slope of the area storm water management has become difficult.

Unlike Panchkula, Gurugram is not a zero hawker city. You want to sell fruits, just start doing so on any pavement or footpath in Gurgaon. All that you need to do is to perhaps grease the palms of a few unscrupulous municipality or police officials. It is no body's business to see how many hawkers, rehris and other vendors have illegally occupied the public footpaths. What ever trash their businesses generates, goes into the drains which are never cleaned. Cleaning of drains may be a major issue in Delhi but not in your Millennium City. Not even a single cleaning staff was deployed today to clear the plastic and bio waste that clogged the drains.

Thank God the heavens did not decide to open up today! Imagine what would have happened.

It is time the Gurugram officials were slapped on their wrists by their political masters to get their act together and take corrective measures in the next few months.

The article can also be read at the following link:

http://epaper.tribuneindia.com/892508/The-Tribune/TT_01_August_2016#page/9/2

RESEARCH CAN HELP IN TACKLING RADICALS

Following is the test of my article that appeared in The Tribune, dated 15.7.2016

Opinion » Comment

Posted at: Jul 15, 2016, 12:02 AM; last updated: Jul 15, 2016, 1:36 AM (IST) Research can help in tackling radicalsSomesh Goyal

Initiating academic research on counter-terrorism will enable a comprehensive vision rather than a blinkered security point of view. 

Somesh Goyal

THE  recent wave of violence and arrest of large number of IS sympathisers  in the subcontinent show that Muslim youth across all strata of society and level of education are getting drawn to the dangerous path of jihad and Islamic terrorism. Some of them are in their teens, from affluent backgrounds educated in premium liberal schools and colleges are being swayed primarily by the net and televangelists. They abandon normal life and join either the ranks of terrorist outfits operating locally or the IS.

The Bangladesh massacre at the Holey Artisan Bakery in the hip Gulshan area and the subsequent attack at the Idgah by the youth shocked the world and brought the focus on causes of radicalisation. 

The myth that poverty and lack of education among the Muslim youth makes them susceptible to radicalisation seems to be evaporating as smart, city-bred and educated youth from all the continents fall prey to radicalisation and join the cadres of terrorist groups. More than economic reasons, it is the exposure to jihadi literature freely available on the net and social media and distorted and nuanced commentary and speeches creating fears of persecution and need for a befitting response in the service of Allah, that radicalises the youth. They are further guided by a local field operative to the training facilities and so-called battlefields. 

Radicalisation has captured the imagination of security experts all over the globe. Police forces have been able to intercept potential recruits, arrest recruiters and block social media sites and pages with varying degrees of success. In most countries, Intelligence agencies are devoting resources to the study of this phenomenon. The Intelligence organisations and government institutions in India are known to be tight-fisted about their databases and analysis. Nothing much is allowed to spill into the public domain. In the name of security, most of the data is classified too. Whatever data on terrorism is available is through the South Asian Terrorism Portal, a non-government initiative. 

Research by intelligence agencies suffer from over reliance on the security aspect than the understanding of the problem to find holistic answers. Alex P. Schmid  a research fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) and Director of Terrorism Research initiative (TRI) hit the nail on the head when he said: “Clearly the gap between academic research and counter-terrorism intelligence needs to be narrowed. Intelligence agencies and law-enforcement agencies often have too many data but lack time and as well as the analytical skills available in academia to exploit this heap of unprocessed raw data. The problem to get security clearances makes it, however, difficult for researchers to work with primary sources. Most governments keep their in-house information close to their chest.”

We must realise that radicalisation and terrorism is here to stay in the subcontinent and in other parts of the world as well. Perceived discrimination, persecution, hate mongering and economic, social and political disparities will continue to provide fertile ground to terrorist organisations for radicalisation and recruitment of the youth. The government can consider funding research by academia in this field.

We have several good institutes and universities where promising young scholars can be motivated to undertake research and come up with their understanding of the issue which may provide a different perspective than the official version. The conclusions of the studies may even be critical of the security forces' and government's policies and strategies to deal with the problem. But these will help frame better policies and strategies. A Burhan Wani can be killed but what about the thought that produces such radicals? The Indian State needs to invest in decoding the matrix underlying the jihadi mind which is possible only when quality research in this area is initiated and sustained over a long period.

The writer is Director General of Police, Prisons & Correctional Services, Himachal Pradesh. The views expressed are personal

The article can also be read online at:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/research-can-help-in-tackling-radicals/266049.html