Indian Army

Why We Don’t Use Army Against Naxals?

After the recent Naxal attack, once again it has led us to think, Why we are not able to counter Naxals ?, and many people are saying or suggesting that deploying Army against Naxals will resolve the issue.

Today in this article, we will discuss why deploying Army against Naxals is not a good option and is there really a need to deploy our army to eliminate them………….. So Let’s discuss……………….

Is There Really A Need To Deploy Army?

The Maoist or Naxal problem is one of the greatest security threat for India, it has taken such a shape due to various reasons but the main reasons are:-

  • inability of government to fulfill demand of development in tribal areas.
  • Our CAPFs, state police forces are not able to counter them effectively.

Although our CAPFs has done a commendable work in reducing naxalite activities, but still they have not performed to their optimum.

Also read : Rise of Naxalism in India. Click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

The maoist largely fight with weapons looted from police armoury and most of its weapon are the desi ones. The security threat posed by them cannot be compared with the terrorists in the valley. The terrorists have well foreign support, hi-tech, and unlimited weapons support. But the Naxals have minimum weapon support and due to government countermeasures, their foreign support is also reduced. They have limited weapons as most of their weapons are looted from forces. But in spite of that limited support, they are successfully continuing their violence.

The primary reason due to which they are successful is that our forces are not fully prepared to counter them. Except of our elite commando forces, most of our paramilitary forces are unskilled, untrained, and under-equipped. The state police forces who are fighting Naxals, even don’t have basic training like firings.

The incompetent intelligence inputs by sources for our paramilitary forces have laid Naxals to operate swiftly. The personnel involving in Naxal operations are from different groups like some of them are from CRPF, some from State Police forces, some of them are from DRG, etc. due to which they lack coordination during the actual fight.

The Naxals can easily be countered if our forces are well trained, well equipped, have proper intelligence inputs and have good coordination between different groups. If we resolve our own inability, then there will be no need to deploy our army to eliminate Naxals.

Let’s now discuss why deploying army against naxals is not a good option…………

Long-Term Deployment against naxals

Army against naxals

The Naxal problem is prevailing since the 1970s. Several attempts has been taken to eliminate them. CAPFs, State Police forces are fighting hard to wipe them out, but still, we are not successful.

Also read : Why we are not able to eliminate naxals even after 50 years ?

Due to their large support base, their elimination will also not be easy for our armed forces. Naxal gets sympathy from local or tribal people, they act as a defence for them. They also have good knowledge about the region, topography and are experts in guerrilla warfare.

Due to all these factors, the deployment of the army in Naxal-affected areas will require time to eliminate them. They have such a large support base that if the army kills one, then ten more Naxals will come to join them. Their identification is also difficult, as they live a normal life with the villagers.

Once the army will be deployed there, it will easily take at least three to four years for our army to completely eliminate them. We can’t afford our army to be engaged in internal conflicts, leaving our borders vulnerable to Chinese and Pakistani intrusions.

Matter Of Prestige

Army is pride of a nation

The armed forces of our country are great pride for the people of India. The primary role of army is to guard borders and to protect citizens against any external threat. People’s faith and respect increases morale of army.

The role of army is not to fight against our internal enemy, but to fight against external or foreign threat. The army cannot be used against our own citizens. Yes, the naxals are enemy of our state but still they are people of India. If we use our army against naxals then there will be no difference between PLA and the great Indian Army.

The Indian Army is known for its courage, bravery and valour all over the world. Other nations matches their army’s standard with our great Indian Army. The Indian Army has achieved all this prestige by fighting major wars, defeating adversaries, in spite of difficulties. We don’t want our army to lose its prestige and credibility by fighting war against our own citizens.

Two Front War Scenario

Pakistan-China alliance

Our army is currently engaged in many fronts. Due to last year Chinese intrusions across LAC, there is a war-like situation there. The ongoing Pakistani infiltrations across LOC, is also on rise.

There is a continuous threat by Chinese, coupled with Pakistan alliance across our borders. Also the infiltrations in Kashmir has been keeping our army engaged there. Any diversion from this scenario, will give our adversaries opportunity to ramp up their movements and may gave them an edge to attack and capture our lands.

Alternative solution for eliminating naxals

Instead of direct deployment of our army, we can use various other lateral methods. We can use the training facilities of the army, to train our paramilitary forces. Instilling the army’s ethos and integrity to other defense forces have done commendable work in the past. Like in the case of BSF, NSG, and Assam rifles, it was raised and also gets training by the army and now they are doing well in their respective fields. A similar thing needs to be done in favor of our paramilitary forces, to make them more professional in their work.

The army can share its experiences gained from counter-insurgency operations in the valley with this paramilitary personnel. The officers of paramilitary forces can also get special training from the army officers.

Apart from the army’s role we can also use drones, UAV’s and helicopters of our Air Force to counter and eliminate Naxals.

Also read : Are Mi-35 helicopters of IAF are best option against naxals ?

Thank you

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Aniket Kumar

A defence aspirant, desiring to gain as much knowledge as possible by writing blogs because knowledge increases by sharing.

2 Comments

  1. Actually only one thing which I find useful in the article, i.e. external threat.
    Reason for the CAPF not able to get a good appraisal as a combatant battalion is the organisational Ethos only. In INDIAN ARMY, WE know that she works on the basis of lead by example i.e. our Commissioned Officer lead from the front but can you remember that when it was the time, when any IPS OFFICER actually who command CAPF apart from ACs, has lead from the front. Actually the highest Officer who takes part in operation is a Senior Inspector, so how you can imagine that such types of Ethos can be inherited with a small training. Actually not possible. So we need our NSG, Some Para SF units to be deployed here. It’s an operational requirements simply. Also don’t talk about the rubbishes like what is difference between others and us. We are unique not comparable to anyone because they are not of our standard to match with us okay 👍..
    Jai Hind

  2. Firstly,
    The Naxal community was totally the internal dispute that should solely be dealt by the
    “Internal security forces”( capf, bsf, j&k police state Police) for that they were intended to…
    Armed forces shouldn’t have been conveyed to the internal threats on the smallest network in that ” One Armed Helicopter ” Was enough to eradicate the entire community… It had been official one that ” Armed forces should’ve sought at the external intrusion merely ” .

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