Our aim should be to organize against, and react to, the threats we face in the way our immune system does against an intruder; always vigilant, and ready and capable of dealing with the unexpected dynamically and effectively. It is true that even the best immune system can’t prevent the onset of all disease, but without one, even the slightest of germs could have deadly implications. Similarly, we too can’t assure 100 percent security but working in this fashion we can ensure acceptable security. Fever and Inflammation etc are an unavoidable part of the process of our body dealing with an intruder which we have to accept as inevitable even as we try to control its effects, so too is the matter of collateral damage in Anti-insurgent / Naxal / Terrorist operations. Our efforts should be to provide acceptable levels of security to all with minimum collateral damage. The earlier and more comprehensively and firmly we respond to a threat, the less such collateral damage will be. We should also, trust our selection and training procedures, and command and control systems, to ensure that our Security Forces Personnel will not act in any undesirable manner and that if any do, appropriate action will be taken expeditiously against them.

It may be noted that even in training for Combat, the Military accepts that for the training to be realistic some risks have to be taken. Till recently a two percent casualties’ risk was deemed acceptable, though many in the Military deem even this as not high enough to make the training truly realistic and effective, but political correctness today has bigotedly attempted to make this ‘zero’, only resulting in a degradation of the effectiveness of the training. Zero casualties is not attainable even in any extreme sports, to ask for this in war training and even during conflict is oxymoronic.

Therefore, collateral injury/ damage should be viewed in a realistic manner considering that specific operation or action, though all practical effort should be made to keep it at the lowest levels feasible.

It may also, be noted that even in actual combat situations injury / death by ‘friendly fire’ is regrettably an often happenstance and it is no one’s case that such incidents are intentional or indication of Human rights abuse. Mistakes must be looked at as mistakes and nothing else should be read into them.

Mistakes will be made, but as long as they are really mistakes and not intentional wrong actions, they should be allowed for, though the necessary lessons, if any, can be learnt there from to prevent such mistakes from happening again. Once again it is emphasized that the benefit of the doubt must go to the Forces, especially when such mistakes occur as part of actions by the Military, as their deployment is as a last resort – when failure is not an option. Also note, that the Military Forces deployed for such duties are generally not local and can hence have no bias in the local social or political issues. They are just doing what needs to be done for our Country’s interests.

All this is why AFSPA is necessary to protect the Armed forces Personnel from being harassed and punished by armchair activists and media personnel and politicians who have vested interests and even by the Judiciary which makes no effort to understand operational situations in a field of War. In any case justice demands a trial and judgement by peers.

For more clarity (See-“Insurgency/Naxalism/Terrorism – Response to; at www.ideaz4india.in)

Conclusion

When the State accepts its inability to function, where the Judiciary or Police or Administration have no control in a specific area and hence, declares it a ‘Disturbed Area’ to be brought back into the control of the State and directs the Armed Forces, its final option, to do so, it recognizes that in such circumstances the Armed Forces may need to transgress the ordinary limits of operations and move into what may be a field of war wherein the acts of the Armed Forces need special protection from the calls of Activists for Human Rights after the End-State is attained; people who have no understanding of the operational situation in a field of War.

JAI BHARAT! – JAI HIND!

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