Lessons From Tekulguda

Major Internal Security (IS) challenges faced by India

• A proxy war and terrorism in Kashmir.
• Sub-national separatist movements in the Northeast.
• Naxal-Maoist insurgency (aka LWE) in the Red Corridor: Major causes of this insurgency are- Poor governance, lack of development in the tribal belt and an oppressive/exploitative hierarchy of the state and society.

Severity of Naxal-Maoist insurgency

• Around 15,000 lives being lost due to Maoist/Naxal violence over the last three decades.
• Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described it as the most serious security threat to India.

Strategic failures in India’s internal security management.

• Lack of meaningful policy review of the challenge: Despite India having high-octane intelligence specialists like M K Narayanan and A K Doval.
• Failure to restructure the leadership of the central police forces: This was the recommended by Kargil Review Committee (KRC) report tabled in parliament in 1999.
  • Officers lack the skill-set to “command”: Many of the senior police officers (IPS cadre) who are parachuted into the central police forces at senior ranks have little or no platoon/battalion experience.
  • Poor leadership was reflected in the recent Tekulguda incident:
    • Large force of 2,000 security personnel was trapped and attacked.
    • Police and para-military personnel panicked and fled – leaving their dead and wounded behind.
• Failures of intelligence: Evident in the Tekulguda incident, wherein local intelligence failed to predict the fire-power deployed by the Maoist cadres.
• Lack of intent from the political leadership: Resulting in a lack of capacity building to address India’s complex internal security challenge.