Lessons From Tekulguda

The Indian Express     8th April 2021     Save    
Context: The recent Tekulguda tragedy reveals strategic failures in India’s internal security management.

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.