Terrorism means the policy of striking terror in the minds of the people by violent methods to achieve some ends.

It is a law of the jungle to use muscle power and force to get things done. It is a barbarian act. Of late, terrorism has become the order of the day. People who are disgruntled and who are unable to get their desires fulfilled by normal and accepted methods in society are resorting to terrorism. Some othe4r causes for which terrorism is resorted to may be genuine like a protest from people to come out of bondage or fight for freedom. Even such causes do not support terrorism, when there are other channels and methods to solve the problem. Terrorism has now become an international phenomenon. There are terrorists in developed and advanced countries as well as developing countries like India. We must find out the reasons for emergence of terrorism. There has been exploitation of the weak and the poor for centuries by the rich and the powerful. All representations and appeals of non-violent nature failed to yield any response. Hence the frustrated and the oppressed resort to violence as there is no other alternative. Such protests are also called terrorist activities. There is another type, that is, where one uses force on the weak to gain his ends; sit may be to serve the cause of a religion, a language or to establish a new pattern of government. The communist movements which resort to force, and the armed protests which Netaji subhas Chandra Bose led, in the name of eh Indian National Army (I.N.A) cannot be termed as terrorist activities. Protests like Khalistan Movement carried on earlier in Punjab, the armed protest marches of Assam and the L.T.T.E. Movement of Sri Lanka are not justifiable movements. They could always use other forums of a non-violent nature if they have any grievances to be redressed. The hijacking of the Indian Airlines Plane in December 1999 is also another ugly face of terrorism. The worst type of terrorism was that of Idi Amin of Uganda who let loose terrorism in his country to serve his personal ends. Whether terrorism is justified or not, it has of late become the normal method for achieving ones ends. Terrorism is not confined to any area or activity. It is finding its place in the elections conducted in our country to elect members to legislatures and parliament. Many a time the candidates are found taking the help of terrorists to win their elections, as violence has its own place in and election campaign. As long as violence pays dividends much more easily and is allowed to go unchecked, the animal in man favors its use instead of peaceful methods. Governments all over the world are doing their best to put and end to terrorism. There are a few who encourage and support terrorism in other countries to meet their own political ends. The U.N.O. also is unable to completely eliminate this evil, even though it is able to contain it. But use of violence to check violence is not a permanent solution. The only remedy to this evil appears to be the diagnosis of the root cause for each act of terrorism and if there is a genuine reason behind it, it is better to concede the demand. If terrorism is based on issues which are immoral and not acceptable, the sure and powerful weapon against it appears to be non violent satyagraha introduced by Mahatma Gandhi.

THE NAXALITE PROBLEM OF INDIA

s many as 455 people (255 civilians and 200 security personnel) have been killed in Naxal violence in 2009 (till June-end, and the killings

continue), reveal figures released by the Home Ministry. The Naxal-infested States of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand accounted for 60 per cent of the

total deaths in the country in this period. The figures also reveal that Chhattisgarh is the State worst-hit by Naxal violence. In the last three years, the State had topped the list. In 2008, 242 of the total 721 Naxal-related deaths in the country were reported from the State. In 2007, 369 out of 1,565 Naxal-related deaths in the country were reported from Chhattisgarh, and in 2006, 388 out of 678 deaths. The Naxals, in January-June 2009 period, attacked 56 economic targets. The increasing frequency, with which the Naxals have been hitting economic targets, is alarming. The corresponding figures for the years 2006, 2007, and 2008 were 71, 80, and 109, respectively. The brazenness with which the Naxals carried out one of their biggest attacks killing at least 36 policemen, including a Superintendent of Police, in Chhattisgarh in second week of July 2009, has left the security establishment shaken. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Naxalite problem as the single largest threat to India. The CPI (Maoist) swells the list of indigenous terror groups operating in India to 27, making India home to the largest number of domestic terrorist organisations in the world. In June 2009, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) named the CPI (Maoist) as 34th terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act; seven of these are transnational terror groups. CPI (Maoist) join ranks with ULFA and SIMI, and lesser known entities such as Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council of Meghalaya, Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup of Manipur and Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj, which though virtually unheard of are considered deadly enough by the government to be designated as terrorist organisations. Of the seven transnational terror groups, only twoal-Qaida and LTTEare truly global names. The other five are: Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Harkatul Mujahideen, Al Badr, Jamat-ul-Mujahid and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), which are all Pakistan based terror outfits fighting Indian security forces in Kashmir. Amongst developed countries, only UK has a significant number of terror groups breeding close to home in form of nine Irish militias such as the Ulster Freedom Fighters and the Irish Republican Army. The Red terror spots have begun to pop up in Indias capital and northern States forest and hilly areas too. It seems that the Maoists are interested in enlarging their area of influence outside the jungles of the Red Corridor that runs from the Nepal border down to Andhra Pradesh. Lately, they have begun targeting Indias seat of powerNew Delhiand many other cities by setting up urban bases with the aim to penetrate and influence policy makers, judiciary, media, civil liberty, human rights, cultural, Dalit, women and youth organisations. So far, the urban units are not indulging in violence. But who knows when they may start firing guns. Seized documents of the CPI (Maoist) Politburo and Central Committee talk about the need to run a secret service and unleash psychological wars through effective networking of various friendly groups in the urban areas. According to a confidential report of the military intelligence, Indias 231 districts in 13 States, including three in the NCR, are now being targeted by the Maoists to achieve their ultimate aimseize power in Delhi by 2050. So far, it is believed that about 170 districts falling under the dreaded Red Corridor, also known as the Dandekaran Belt, are reeling under the Maoist terror. In Chhattisgarh, Bastars dense jungles are considered to be the Maoists centre of gravity. In southern Basta r, the Maoists have declared the Chintainer area as their Dandekaran States capital. The Red Corridor runs through the dense forest and tribal belt, from Nepal through Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and all the way to Andhra Pradesh and to the upper reaches of Maharashtra, and some parts of Karnataka. Inside their corridor, the Naxalites run a parallel government and vow to continue their fight against the statea full-fledged war they call peoples struggle. All the Left-wing militant organisations, including the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and the Peoples War Group (PWG), after their merger are now operating under the flagship rebel partyCPI (Maoist). The Central intelligence reports have also issued a warning that the Maoists are now in the process of ide ntifying new operational areas across the country. They are keenly looking at industrial belts, where big corporate houses are planning to set up the Special Economic Zones (SEZs), an easy target to launch violent agitation. The Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist) has published a secret red book Strategy and Tactics of the Indian Revolution, which is said to be the Naxals Bible. The book says: The central task of the revolution is seizure of political power through protracted Peoples war. Talking about supporting sub-national movements in India, the book says: Lakhs of enemys armed troops have been deployed since long in J&K and the north eastern States. More and more nationalities may come into armed confrontation with the reactionary Indian State, so it will be difficult for the Indian ruling classes to mobilise all their armed forces against our revolutionary war. It further says the urban areas are one of the main sources which provide cadre and leadership having various types of capabiliti es essential for Peoples war.

Birth of Naxalism In the backdrop of organizational upheavals within the Indian Communist movement, an incident in a remote area transformed the history of leftwing extremism in India. In a remote village called Naxalbari in West Bengal, a tribal youth named Bimal Kissan, having obtained a judicial order, went to plough his land on March 2, 1967. The local landlords attacked him with the help of their goons. Tribal people of the area retaliated and started forcefully recapturing their lands. What followed was a rebellion, which left one police sub inspector and nine tribals dead. Within a short span of about two months, this incident acquired great visibility and tremendous support from cross sections of Communist revolutionaries belonging to the State units of the CPI(M) in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Though the United Front Government of West Bengal, headed by the CPI(M) was able to contain the rebellion within 72 days using all repressive measures possible, these units had a formal meeting in November 1967, as a result of which the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR) was formed in May 1968. Allegiance to the armed struggle and non-participation in the elections were the two cardinal principles that the AICCR adopted for its operations. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Naxalite movement was immensely popular. There were reports of brilliant students, including from IITs, dropping out of college to join the struggle for the rights of the tribals and landless labourers. Over the years, as the principles diluted, Naxalite movement saw much of its membership waning away. Nevertheless, it has an endless supply of men and women, victims of State apathy to their condition joining its ranks, which shows that many still believe in the cause. How to tackle Maoists The continuing inability of the governmentwhether at the Centre or in the Statesto counter effectively the spread of the activities of the Maoist insurgents-cum-terrorists was once again demonstrated by the temporary control established by the CPI-Maoist and its front organisation called the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities in 17 villages spread across some 300 square kilometres in the Lalgarh area in West Bengal. The People's Committee, with the backing or at the instigation of the Maoists exploited local anger over alleged police excesses against the tribals following an alleged Maoist attempt to kill Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee through a landmine blast in November 2008. What started as a protest movement against police excesses was transformed by the Maoists into a violent political movement. The hesitation of the governments of West Bengal and India to act strongly against the Maoist-instigated committee at the very beginning was apparently due to electoral considerations arising from the recently-concluded elections to the Lok Sabha. This was exploited by the Maoists. Although the security forces have succeeded in ejecting the Maoists and their supporters from many of the villages earlier controlled by them, the fire is burning from inside. Since Dr Manmohan Singh came to power as the Prime Minister in 2004, he and his government have been projecting the Maoists as the greatest internal security threat faced by India and calling for and promising a special strategy to counter them through coordinated action involving the Centre and States in whose territory the Maoists are active. The Congress had appointed in 2004 a special task force of the party to go into the Maoist activities in Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh to come out with suitable recommendations for dealing with the Maoist activities. Before evolving a strategy, however, one has to understand the basic differences between Maoist insurgency/terrorism and jihadi terrorism. Firstly, the Maoist terrorism is an almost totally rural phenomenon, whereas jihadi terrorism is a largely urban phenomenon. Secondly, Maoist terrorism is a totally indigenous phenomenon motivated by domestic grievances and a domestic political agenda. Jihadi terrorism is externally sponsored or aided by the intelligence agencies of Pakistan and Bangladesh and is motivated by their strategic agenda. Jihadi terrorism is a cross border threat to national security. Maoist terrorism is not. While the Maoist leaders are motivated largely by their desire to seek political power through a Maoist style People's War similar to the war waged by their counterparts in Nepal, their cadres and foot soldiers fighting for them are largely motivated by genuine grievances arising from the political, economic and social hardships. It is Indias long neglect to develop the tribal areas which has created large pockets of alien ation against the government and these pockets have become the spawning ground of Maoist terrorism. The governments concerned have to take note of the genuine grievances of the tribals and deal with them in a sympathetic manner. There has to be a system for a prompt enquiry into all allegations of excess. Also, Maoist terrorism cannot be effectively countered without modernising and strengthening our rural policing and the rural presence of the intelligence agencies. The tribal areas, which have not yet been affected by the Maoist virus, have to be developed on a crash basis in order to prevent the spread of the virus to them. The capabilities of the security agencies deployed for countering Maoist activities also have to be different from those of the urban counter-terrorism agencies. The emphasis has to be on greater mobility in the rural areas and greater protection from land-mines used extensively by the Maoists. The failure to develop the road infrastructure in the rural areas has facilitated the spread of Maoist terrorism.

Maoists mainly attack police stations, police lines, camps and arms storage depots of para-military forces in order to demoralise the security forces and capture their arms and ammunition. The repeated success of the Maoists in mounting large-scale surprise attacks on such hard targets speaks of the poor state of rural policing and intelligence set-up and the equally poor state of physical security. Unfortunately, instead of working out an appropriate strategy which will address these operational deficiencies and at the same time pay equal attention to the political handling of the problem, there is an unwise tendency to militarise the counter-Maoist insurgency management. Bandopadhyay Committee: In May 2006, the Planning Commission appointed an expert committee headed by D. Bandopadhyay, a retired IAS officer instrumental in dealing with the Naxalites in West Bengal in the 1970s. The expert committee has underscored the social, political, economic and cultural discrimination faced by the SCs/STs across the country as a key factor in drawing large number of discontented people towards the Naxalites. The committee established the lack of empowerment of local communities as the main reason for the spread of the Naxal movement. Choosing its words carefully, the report states that "We have two worlds of education, two worlds of health, two worlds of transport and two worlds of housing...'' The expert committee delved deep into the new conflict zones of India, i.e. the mines and mineral rich areas, steel zones, as well as the SEZs. The report holds the faulty system of land acquisition and a non-existent R&R Policy largely responsible for the support enjoyed by the Naxalites. On the other hand, the committee makes a forceful plea for a policy and legal framework to enable small and marginal farmers to lease-in land with secure rights while landless poor occupying government land should not be treated as encroachers. For the first time in the history of the Naxal movement, a government appointed committee has put the blame on the State for the growth of the movement. Providing statistics of 125 districts from the Naxal-affected States, the committee finds out that the state bureaucracy has pitiably failed in delivering good governance in these areas. The report recommends rigorous training for the police force, not only on humane tactics of controlling rural violence but also on the constitutional obligation of the State for the protection of fundamental rights. Making a departure from the usual government position, the expert committee concludes that development paradigm pursued since independence has aggravated the prevailing discontent among the marginalized sections of society. Citing democratic principles, the report also argues for the right to protest and discovers that unrest is often the only thing that actually puts pressure on the government to make things work and for the government to live up to its own promises. Dealing with Naxalism needs a holistic approach with development initiatives as an integral part of the security approach. Security here must be understood in its broader perspective, which includes human development in its scope, because human security is an inseparable component of any human development formula, and vice versa. Plan for Naxal-hit States: The Union Home Ministry has unveiled a new Rs 500-crore fully Centre-sponsored scheme which will be implemented by State governmentsfor Naxalism-hit States. Centre will give Rs 135-crore a year to the States under the scheme. The scheme has five important objectives: To provide mobility to the police by upgrading existing roads in inaccessible areas; to build camping grounds and helipads at strategic locations in remote areas; to strengthen police stations that have been identified as being at risk; to upgrade and strengthen approach roads to police stations and outposts where there is risk of IEDs and landmines, and to provide for critical needs, specific to the areas where holistic anti-naxal measures are being taken in a focused manner. The States have been asked to prepare integrated action plans in the most affected districts to achieve the objectives. For this, the ministry has identified 15 action points that include preparation of a comprehensive connectivity plan for the 33 districts seriously affected by Left-wing extremism. Home Minister admits to government level failure: Alarmed by the apparent failure of the State machinery to tackle Naxalites, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram admitted on July 15, 2009 that the government had failed in curbing Naxal menace in the country. Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Mr Chidambaram said the government had failed in assessing the threat posed by the Maoists, adding it also failed to tackle them with the seriousness they deserve. "Today they (Naxalites) pose a grave challenge ... We are preparing to take on the challenge. Details cannot be disclosed now," he said. "Regrettably for many years we did not properly assess the threat posed by Left-wing extremism. We under-estimated the challenge and in the meanwhile they (Naxalites) extended their influence," he added. Chidambaram further informed that a military advisor has been appointed to prepare an action plan for dealing with Maoists. The Home Minister said he was in close touch with Chief Ministers of the Naxal-affected States and would hold a meeting with them to discuss ways to counter Leftwing extremism. One could take a cue from the successful land reforms in Kerala, and to some extent West Bengal, that have not only assuaged agrarian tension, but have also undermined the clutch of ultras, while exactly to the contrary, failure of the same in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh has changed

what was essentially peasant struggle into Naxalite movements. A lasting solution to Left extremist politics cannot be achieved without addressing the socio-economic factors that contribute to its rise and growth.

580 Words Essay on disaster management

CHETAN

God has created this universe which includes earth, water, sky, nature and deep down the earth surface. There are men and nature the two most vital components of this universe. Man can do wonders. Nature has everything already done. Man creates the things which are said to be artificial. They are not permanent. But nature has created the things which are permanent. No one can alter in the design of nature. Man has no control over it. Nature has its own way. Sometimes it is soothing, sometimes it is ferocious. Whenever it turns to be in its bad temper it can bring devastation. It is known as disaster. Man has always been threatened by the fury of nature from the very beginning of his existence on this earth. Sometimes disasters like earthquakes occur repeatedly with serious impact on all spheres of life. Be it earthquake in Gujarat in 2001 and Lattur in 1993 or cyclone of Orissa in 1999 or Tsunami in 2004, they cause immense loss of human life and leave a trail of human tragedy that the society is yet to recover from. Natural disasters are the manifestation of nature and they can take place anywhere anytime. Most of the natural events are cyclic and predictable, such as the coming of yearly floods. In such a case people adapt themselves to the changing conditions. People living in a river-flood plain usually leave it when the water level is high and they come back to their homes when the flood water recedes. But if there is any change in the normal patterns either in the timing of the flood or the fury of flood we see devastating effect on the life and property of the people. Similarly earthquakes, cyclones, Tsunamis, are dramatic and very damaging in their results. Although natural calamities cannot be averted but many suitable measures can be taken to lessen the impact of these disasters disaster managers struggle to mitigate their effects on human lives and material losses. The most vulnerable sections in these disasters are the poor. Hence it is necessary to mobilise them towards preparedness. Quick and timely response is the essence in providing immediate relief and rescue operations, to save human lives and mitigate miseries as soon as possible. The response mechanism envisages that on receiving signals of a disaster happening or likely to happen, all activities related with the mitigation process are activated without loss of time. Disaster management is a collective and co-ordinated effort. A number of activities need to be undertaken in the event of disaster. These include co-ordination, command and control, rapid assessment of damage, restoration of power, tele communication and surface transport, deployment of search and rescue teams, medicals and Para-medical teams, arrangements for drinking water and food material, setting up of temporary shelters, sanitation and hygiene identification and earmarking of resources, last but not the least, maintenance of law and order is equally important. It is the primary responsibility of the State Governments to be in a state of preparedness and provide relief to the people affected in a disaster. But in case of severe calamity the Central Government supplements their efforts by providing logistic and financial support. The Central Government has set up a National Centre for Disaster Management, Community participation in rescue and relief operations and reconstruction after a disaster is always essential. And it is a good sign that everyone starts feeling the gravity of the situation and comes forward with a helping hand.

Essay On The Food Security In India

DINAYAK SHENOY ESSAY

Food security means the easy availability and access of food at all times in sufficient quantity in a safe and nutritious form to meet the dietary requirements and food preferences for an active, healthy and productive life. In fact, food security is the imperative prerequisite for the economic and social stability of any nation. Again sustainable food security requires a stable supply of good and properly functioning agricultural markets. To encourage the food security, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations celebrates World Food Day every year on 16th October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. "World Food Security and the challenges of climate change and bio-energy" was the theme for the World Food Day for the year 2008. The theme is quite relevant at this hour when changes in agriculture production and cultivation pattern is being observed in different parts of the world due to drastic changes in the climatic pattern. Increase in demand for fuel, food, diversion of good crops to fuel, inflationary peak particularly observed in food items can have a detrimental effect on the gap between demand and supply of food products and food security of the nations as a whole. The worst affected, under such circumstances will undoubtedly be the people residing in the developing and the underdeveloped nations of the world. Poor people of these countries are largely dependant on agriculture which is most vulnerable to climate change. Increase in the instances of crop failures and livestock deaths have already resulted in huge economic losses undermining food security in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. global warming and increase in the green house gas emission, deforestation for urbanization and injudicious use of natural resources are the major causes for climate change and they will directly or indirectly hamper agriculture production and productivity. This will in turn result in food insecurity and finally result in riots and unrest in different parts of the world. Thus, at present, the world is not even on track to achieve the 1996 World Food Summit target of reducing the number of hungry people from 800 million to 400 million by 2015. Moreover, the world prices have risen 45 percent in the last nine months. Although India had long back achieved self-sufficiency in food, the Government of India has launched the new National Food Security Mission 2007 with the basic objective of grappling with the persistent yield storage in the country. The mission will increase the production of rice by 10 million tones, wheat by 8 million tones and pulses by 2 million tones in five years by the end of 11th Five Year Plan (2011-2012) The desired target does not look difficult. The primary reason of this optimism is that there happens to be a substantial gap between the current average yields and the potential yields which can be bridged with the help of available technologies. The basic objectives can be achieved by bridging this current yield-potential yield gap or even by narrowing it appreciably. However, for this purpose, the newly launched mission will have to successfully deal with the factors which have kept the output static for the past many years. It is in recognizing and grappling with these factors that the real challenges lies. Another significant task is boosting the productivity of pulses where even the potential yields are not to high. In mot areas, even in the agriculturally progressive ones, the production and productivity of rice and wheat have shown the tendency to stagnate primarily because of the fatigue nature of the soil. The intensive farming practiced in these areas without adequate use of organic manures has led to the deterioration of soil health. Also lack of replenishment of depleted plant nutrients, especially the vital micronutrients, has impaired the fertility of the agricultural land. Therefore, to bring about an increase in the yields, high doses of some costly imputes will have to be brought in. However, the farmers are frequently denied remunerative returns on their produces, hence they usually find it difficult to afford those costly inputs. The fund-starved farmers have not been replacing the old seeds with fresh ones of superior varieties. Besides, the agriculture extension machinery responsible for known-how and technology transfer has remained idle in most States for a long time. Consequently even simple measures like timely seed planting, critical for a crop like wheat, have not been communicated to the farmers effectively. The new Mission, therefore, aims at addressing all these issues with a view to be able to tackle yield stagnation and working in those areas which have so far remained laggards in agricultural production. Thus, it has scope for productivity improvement. The Mission has taken up largely those districts in the selected 16 States where the crop productivity is lower than the state or the national average. It also seems to have taken care to some other areas of concern by

including units plan aspects like integrated nutrient and pest management, timely imputes supply and promotion of new technologies. On the whole, the Mission plans to operate in 305 districts of 16 states with a total 11th Five Year Plan outlay of Rs. 4882.5 crore. Of these, 133 districts in 12 States have been selected for enhancing rice yields, 138 districts in nine States for wheat and 168 districts in 14 States for pulses. The participating States include Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. What sets this mission apart from many of the other existing technology missions is that it proposes to function through designated state agencies and dispenses with the usual treasury route for the transfer of funds, opting, instead, for direct fund transfer. Besides it has evolved a three-tier co-ordination structure for facilitating convergence of interventions from various departments and schemes concerning rural development, fertilizers, water resources and Panchayati Raj bodies. The Mission, in all regards, appears to be a noteworthy step in the direction of minimizing the current yieldpotential yield gap.

Combating hunger in India through legislation ..

India is a land of contrasts. In this country, a person making a journey might come across huge piles of wheat and rice bags rotting away in platforms. Within a kilometer of this disturbing scene, one would get to see villagers emaciated due to years of low food intake moving around like ghosts. Why the rotting food can not reach the hungry mouths is a question that has defied solution. Even strong intervention from the apex court has failed to get the government moving. In short, government machinery in this country fails to deliver in areas where a little more energy and initiative can do wonders. Apathy to human misery has always been a trait of government servants in this country. The devastating Bengal Famine of 1943, during which droves of dying skeletons lay strewn in the streets of Calcutta, was caused due to government inefficiency. The same malaise haunts us today, nearly seven decades later. What does the Food Security Bill mean to the common man? It will guarantee 5 kg of rice, wheat and coarse cereals per month per person at a fixed price of Rs 3, Rs 2, Re 1, respectively. A rosy figure for the calorie-starved millions of India almost too good to be true. The central government has pushed the Food Security Bill with amazing alacrity. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that rules India, has got the Bill passed by an ordnance, not through the usual parliament route. Within six months from the date of promulgation, the government will have to seek the approval of this Bill through parliament to avoid the ordnance falling through. Nevertheless, the government known for its indecisiveness and foot-dragging deserves appreciation for this rare show of efficiency. But, there are skeptics. The question they ask is what made the government act with such haste? Is it the hunger pangs of the starving citizens or the looming state and central elections? The Food Security Bill aims to ensure supply of very cheap food grains to nearly 75% of Indias rural population and 50% of urban population. Together, it will mean that some 67% of Indians will get cheap food, subsidized by the government. What are the roadblocks? It is a mammoth task. If ever the government succeeds, it will have accomplished a stupendous task, unique in the world. But will this success come Indias way? The task is too daunting, almost mind-boggling. The reasons are as follows.

a. Do we have the capacity to grow such humongous amount of food? Once cheap food is available, people will consume more and need more. The supply side pressure will mount. b. Can we store such large quantities of food stuff? India has capacity to store just about 30 million tons of food presently. When the new scheme becomes operational, the country will need to store some 60 million tons of food. How do we create some much of additional storage capacity in short time? c. The Public Distribution System (PDS) is a gigantic government-operated machine. As a result, it is mired in inefficiency, corruption and maladministration. Estimates indicate that nearly 40% of the PDS food gets diverted to the open market, leaving serpentine queues in front of ration shops. How can this creaking machinery be made efficient enough to handle the enhanced number of customers? The PDS is operated by state governments. Very few of them are known for their good governance record. The fear is, unless something miraculous happens to inject life and energy to the PDS, it will get bogged down under the bigger load to serve many more customers. The result will be chaos of catastrophic proportions. d. Most importantly, buying such huge quantities of food at higher rates and selling them to consumers at very low rates will need government subsidies. Already the huge food subsidy has weighed down Indias public finances pushing the budget deficit to unmanageable proportions. When the Bills intended provisions are rolled out across India, the food subsidy burden of the government will jump three times. It will run to Rs. 125, 000 crores per year. Even a school boy would say that India simply does not have so much money. How will the government manage to keep the subsidized scheme going? None of these questions have been answered by the government. There has been no need for such scrutiny, because the government found it expedient to take the quick-fix ordnance route. In a way, the UPA-led government leaders are right, because the BJP with its obstructionist mindset could have blocked its passage in the parliament. So, will the Food Security Bill stave off hunger or will it be another avenue for increasing number of touts and middlemen to line their pockets? Only time will tell. -END

Will the greatest future security threats to India be afrom inside or outside the country?

The future of Indian Internal security

An essay by Manish Yadav, University of Delhi, New Delhi

Introduction India is a cyclopean nation with myriad languages, a veritable babel of tongues, and a plethora of religions and faiths. Unity i diversity is our heritage, and respect for all faiths and religions has been our innate strength and a source of survival against a odds and obduracy. The colourful assortment of Indian festivals and fairs, as diverse as its land, is an eternal expression of th spirit of celebration. Observed with enthusiasm and gaiety, festivals are like gems ornamenting the crown of Indian Culture. Indi is a mosaic in which different pieces retain their identity while contributing to a colourful collage. From the eternal snows of th Himalayas to the cultivated peninsula of far South, from the deserts of the West to the humid deltas of the East, Indian lifestyle clearly glorify its geography

Post Independence, India has emerged as a strong nation in all aspects, viz. technological, economic, defense, education, sports tourism and the likes. India has embarked upon a high growth trajectory in economic development. It cropped up as a grea economy, with a healthy growth rate of 6.7 %, amid the economic mishap that engulfed almost the entire world, with the Worl Economy dipping by 0.3 % in 2009-10. Its poverty alleviation is making slow and steady, if not a spectacular progress. It is Nuclear and Missile power. Indian Army is third largest in the world, equipping its Jawans with the requisite skills at 15 state -of the-heart Training centers. Some of the leading names in Indian arsenal are INS Viraat, Vikrant & Shakti, Prithvi, Agni, Akash Brahmos, Tejas & MBT-Arjun. The recent Nuclear Deal has given a new dimension to Indian Defense power. It is coming to b accepted as a major global player and one of the balancers in the global balance of power system

While India has established itself in the global arena and registered a phenomenal growth, specter of security threats is hauntin the nation. The menace of threats has been increasing over the years. The multi-facet, pernicious consequences of terrorism an security threats need be known to the world so as to facilitate the formulation of effective plans to ridicule it. The entire growth process will come to a screeching halt if security concerns are not timely and adequately addressed. Through this essay, an attempt has been made to bring out the various security concerns India is facing from both inside as well as outside the country which of them are more severe and what measures can be employed to eliminate them

Security Threats the two facet National security refers to the security of a nation that includes protection of its territorial integrity, sovereignty and advancemen of vital national interests. And, a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict national security is called a threat. Threat are a matter of perception. Their assessments take into account capacities, not so much intentions, of a potential adversary. Ther can be two types of threat external and internal

The two sources of security threats to Indias stability are gravely impinging on her internal law and or der situation Manifestations of threat range from communal/sectarian violence to Jihadi terrorism, separatist insurgencies in northeast an Naxalite extremist militancy. A new report from US has revealed that besides persistent and significant external threats from groups like Pakistans Lashkar-e-Taeba and Jaish-e-Mohammad and Bangladeshs Harakat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami-Bangladesh, Indi faces numerous attacks from domestic terror outfits. The report also said that over 1000 people have died from terrorist attacks i India in 2009

The nexu In the changing security scenario, it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate internal and external threats to security. Both o these are posing challenges before India to maintain the stability and security conditions in the country. However, it should b maintained that internal cohesion and strength bolsters a nations overall strength, deters its adversaries, enhances the mor ale o its citizens and safeguards its national security. No nation can be secured unless its internal security is also ensured. A nation i chaos cannot be secured from external threats. Internal strife and disorder can damage national interests, endanger the lives o citizens, lead to breakdown of law and order, make enforcement of laws difficult & the country more vulnerable to externa threats. In such a state, society cannot progress smoothly nor can citizens feel secured

Also, in the Arthashastra, Kautilya wrote that a state could be at risk from four types of threats - internal, external, externally aided internal and internally-aided external. He advised that of these four types, internal threats should be taken care o immediately, which are far more serious than external threats. The most dangerous enemy is the enemy within

Indias story of economic growth, its official entry into the nuclear club with the NSG waiver and an overall growing global clou justifies its third stand, with eight percent of global power, in the list of the Worlds most powerful nations, as per the G loba Governance Report 2025 issued by National Intelligence Council and EUs Institute for Security Studies. On the same toll, i should also be realized how the Indian Prime Minister defined the largest challenges facing India at the beginning of 2010

Terrorism, Naxalism, Communalism, Corruption and Regionalism, which can also be attributed as the various internal threat haunting the country. India is experiencing internal security problems due to insurgency movements, ethnic conflicts, religiou fundamentalism or cussed political polarization

So, lets now unpack and explore the various kinds of internal security threats India is facing, reasons that lead to these s ecurit concerns, and form a better opinion as to why internal security is a vital element to national security

(i) Naxalite Insurgenc Naxalism, synonymous with Left Wing Extremism, has come to pose the single biggest threat to Indias internal security Revolutionary Left Wing violence, which has persisted for a long time now, has assumed serious and threatening proportions. I fact, it has emerged as Indias security blind spot. Today, the Security Experts describe the Naxal Groups as a direct challe nge t the might of India. In words of Mr. Ajit Dovel, the former Director of Bureau of Ind ian Intelligence, Naxalism is now a bigge threat to the country than the Islamic Militancy in Kashmir or the Separatist Militancy in the North East.

The Naxalite problem has grown exponentially over the last few years. The recent attacks on security personnel and civilians hav shown how violent and barbaric the Naxalities have become. They have stopped being rebels protesting against the governmen machinery, and become domestic terrorists/ militants. One can never forget the biggest Maoist attack in April 2010, when at leas 70 CRPF Jawans were killed & several injured in the ambush in Dantewada District in Chhattisgarh. What started as a purel agrarian dispute in a small place called Naxalbari in West Bengal has today transformed into the biggest armed insurrection tha the State has witnessed since its inception over sixty years ago

Naxalism, in the light of its violent nature and pre-defined aims, is a political ideology, and not a socio economic movemen dedicated to uplift the poor. Naxals believe in Marxist Leninist as well as Moist methodologies. These twin ideologies extol th Naxal violence as means to seize political power. Naxals do not believe in parliamentary democracy and consider state as an agent of aberration of the elite class, which does not cater to the interests of the lower strata of society

There is what is known in India as a Red Corridor in which the Maoist are particularly present, which stretches for 2000 km along the entire length of Indias east coast from the city of Sikkim in the north to the outer edge of the southern state of Tam Nadu. The States most strongly affected by militant Maoist activity are West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. The primary reason for the success of th Maoist movement is to be found in the severe poverty and consequent dissatisfaction of the rural populations. The region comprising backward rural areas and dense forests is ideally suited for Maoists to carry out the Guerilla Warfare strategies an trainings.

Till recently, Naxalism has been considered more as a Law and Order problem of the States, and less as an issue to be dealt wit by the Central Government. The States have used inadequately armed, equipped, trained and motivated police forces and othe resources in a switch on and switch off mode. There has been a lack of lucid analysis and consistency in formulating an implementing a viable strategy. However, the Central Government has woken up to the problem now. In late January 2010, th Union government began a renewed offensive strategy to curb the escalating Naxal pressure Operation Green Hunt. The aim was to restore the Rule of Law in the Red Corridor region. A total of 42 battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) an the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are involved in the action, over 60,000 armed forces

Maoist volcano erupted in Nepal and its lava is spilling over vast Indian territories. In recent months, the rebels have succeeded i extending the radius of their actions considerably and in exploiting the social grievances of the local population. However, th Naxalite problem is not just about the violence, it is also about the States failure to adeq uately provide for the tribals. The Centra and State Governments should ensure that the fruits of development should reach those backward areas as well. Only then we ca lay down a strong foundation for an equitable, stable and peaceful society

(ii) Religious Fundamentalism and Ethnic Conflict A plethora of communal riots have plagued the nation since independence. The earlier communal discord was adopted by th British through their Divide and Rule policy, which has now been scooped by the terroris ts. Communalists of various shades an categories have consistently harped on the differences and encouraged divisive trends. This has been especially noticeable in th highly sensitive and vulnerable regions where the timber has only to be ignited by a match stick, the embers remain hot. Even minor and apparently innocuous incident is sufficed to arouse communal passions and provoke rioting

Islamist fundamentalist organizations rooted in religious obscurantism have long been prone to sudden bursts of irrationa violence at the slightest provocation. The Kashmir conflict and upsurge of the groups like Student Islamic Movement of Indi (SIMI), Harkat-ul-Jihad-ul-Islami Bangladesh (HUJBI), Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and Jamaat-e-Islam Bangladesh (JIB) is a glaring representation of a similar fundamentalist religious empowerment. Such communal conflicts hav resulted in tragic traumas and an intolerant atmosphere of hostility and hatred created by the terrorists, who bluff themselves a Jihadi in the name of almighty Allah

Communal terrorism poses yet another grave threat to Indias sovereignty and integrity. It subverts the fundamental rule of l aw denies basic rights to citizens, endangers the social fabric, and threatens political and economic stability. The crying need of th hour demands an introspective and corrective action at different levels to curb the concern that the Indian might may falter an succumb before the evil designs of caste and communal politics

Drug Trafficking With the Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle in Indian neighbourhood, drug trafficking poses yet another threat to ou internal security. Drug syndicates are generating huge funds, a part of which is being used to give financial support to some of th subversive terrorist groups. The intelligence agencies like the ISI are recruiting a number of carriers in drug trafficking as thei agents. These agencies provide legal immunity for their criminal activities in their own country in addition to giving them financia and logistical support. The serious internal security problem, if not checked effectively can develop an external dimension

(iv) Political Polarization The success of organized crime within the country is linked up with the nature of governance. Indian politics has attained a ba odour and generally implies unfair underhand dealings, exploitation of poor and the ignorant, and seizure of power by al available methods. Politics is often characterized by the dominance of the politician bureaucracy crime nexus. Most of th politicians building their careers on the basis of linguistic, caste, communal and ethnic bases are less interested in overall nationa security considerations than in the parochial one of getting money for their politics, thereby leading to caste wars and ethni conflicts. The pernicious implications of Vote-Bank Politics lead to numerous socio-economic and religious conflicts within India society, and forging unity and security in a diverse society, especially where conflicts generate violence, is no mean task

(v) Corruption It is the mother of all evils. Corruption an act done with intent to gain an undue advantage; a behavior deviating from ethics morality, tradition and law; lack of integrity & abuse of power in decision making process. Taken simply, corruption is the use o public office for private gain. It is a global phenomenon which has progressively increased over time, and is no rampant in a societies across the globe. It is a by-product of the close nexus between bureaucrats, criminals and politicians. As rightly said b John Acton Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts

absolutely.

Corruption is a vicious circle which has engulfed almost all the sections of the society under its shackles, and is continuall escalating. From Tehelka Scandal to Share Paper Scam to Cash for Votes Scam to Commonwealth trauma, the imprints o

corruption can clearly be visualized. Pelf, power and prestige, no matter what means are adopted and how many emotions ar crushed, have become the obsessive growth stairs, facilitating corruption. In nations like India, the Government will have to ca on the patriotism of citizens to fight against the evils of corruption to rejuvenate their minds and stir their sullen sole. The golde message by Rabindranath Tagore Kicks raise dust, not crops has to be instilled in their minds to ensure National Security

Effective policing for National Security It is apparent that the existing security policies and the primary instruments for tackling law and order and internal security hav not been able to cope with these growing challenges. The history of last sixty years proves that the most difficult problem i addressing to our internal security concerns is not our capability to deal with them in terms of men and material, but our inabilit to organize our national security planning and management framework in an effective manner to anticipate threats in time. If tha is efficiently addressed with foresight, half the task of managing the threat would be done. So, this section attempts to propos some suggestions that, if effectively employed, could bolster the countrys security and national integration

(i) Strengthening the Indian Polic A very basic pre-requisite of any internal security system is an adequate number of well trained policemen. The problems o inadequate number of policemen and deficiency in their training methods have been underlined time and again. Unfortunately there has not been adequate progress in these areas. The present dwindling state of Indian Police provides a fertile soil fo imperialists to hatch their plans for secessionist agitations. We have to adopt certain prudent measures to turn the situatio around, and some of these are mentioned as under

The Police force should be insulated from political interference and politicization so as to provide them an independent stature t work towards achieving the eminently desired goals for national integration. Secondly, Police training and capacity buildin should be given special emphasis. Particular attention should be laid upon sensitizing them in regard to human rights Community oriented Police should be encouraged. Thirdly, the service conditions of constables and lower ranking officials shoul be improved so as to assure them economic and social stability, & arouse their passion towards the Police and the country. Finally the proposed measures by the Central Government should be implemented as soon as possible, such as Crime and Crimina Tracking Network System (CCTNS) to facilitate the collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, transfer and sharing of data amon police stations; National Database Grid (NATGRID) to network 21 sets of databases to achieve quick, seamless and secured acces to desired information; and establishment of Unified National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC)

(ii) Role of Intelligenc Intelligence is a key to make the police effective, particularly in preventing or dealing with naxalism and terrorism, insurgency communal riots, mass migrations and other internal security threats. One cannot deny the fact that India is not among laggard since it has established strong measures to tackle counter-terrorism and counter- intelligence, and one such instance is the Mult Agency Centre. MAC shares the intelligence with other agencies, including those of the State Governments and Union Territorie on a continuous and real time basis. Reciprocally, the other agencies are also obliged to share intelligence with the Multi Agenc Centre.

However, Indias track record on internal security and counter-terrorism makes it obvious that the Intelligence establishment i the country at various levels requires revamping. The intelligence agencies are yet to develop new tradecraft and techniques fo the penetration of non-state actors through human and technical moles, for the collection of intelligence, greater expertise in collation, analysis, and better coordination between intelligence and law enforcement agencies. This effort is underway now an should produce better results in the future

(iii) Center State coordination The Union State nexus has always been a matter of controversy. The episodes of this bitter relationship have been repeate numerous times since independence, the basic reason being hunger for political power. But, this complex and sensitive situation i

adversely affecting the nation. The need of the hour is to synergize the Center State strategies and doctrines to deal wit different aspects of internal security. These could cover the law and order-related reforms, better coordination as well as th broad-based domains of national and state policies like accelerated economic development and social justice, security and medi policies in affected areas. The States, in collaboration with the Center, can create Special Intervention Units to enhance the spee and decisiveness of the Quick Response Teams. The States can also develop specialized commando forces which could be deploye to act as a deterrent to security attacks

Conclusion The present essay clearly reflect that internal cohesion and strength bolsters a nations overall strength, enhances the mora le of it citizens and safeguards its national security. No nation can be secured unless its internal security is also ensured. A nation i chaos cannot be secured from external threats, and destabilizing such a country through internal imbalances is more economica and less objectionable. Internal strife and disorder can damage national interests, endanger the lives of citizens, lead t breakdown of law and order, make enforcement of laws difficult & the country more vulnerable to external threats. In such a state society cannot progress smoothly nor can citizens feel secured In the light of various facts and instances, which have embarked upon the current scenario of internal security in India, it can prudently be concluded that if the proposed suggestions could not be implemented by the Government in time,