Naxal menace has no military solution: Ex- DG BSF

Arunima , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 10, 2010 at 17:37
Former Director General of Border Security Force EN Rammohan has cautioned the Government against deploying Army to tackle Naxals.
Courtesy NDTV
Rammohan, the head of the one-man committee that investigated the Naxal ambush which killed 76 security personnel in Dantewada, told CNN-IBN that sending in the Army in the Naxals-infested areas will lead to civil war
CNN-IBN: Is Army the solution? What's your view?
EN Rammohan: Army is not the solution. There is no military solution to this problem. The problem is basically because of the domination of the upper class on the lower class, denial of land rights to them and now denial of forest rights to them.
CNN-IBN: Sir, a lot of people in the establishment in the government including people in positions, in the authority or the decision making think it's a purely law and order problem. That's the reason why we need more weapons and more military forces, greater air support to tackle this Naxal problem?
EN Rammohan: I don't agree at all. I don't that there is a military solution to this problem or need of Army at all because it's your own people. For 60 years you have done nothing for them, they were only suppressed; taken away everything from them. First of all give them those facilities or at least announce them. Enforce the land sealing legislation. There are people who own 15,000 acre of land. In Bihar, landlords openly say with contempt that “Hum toh apne zameen kutto or billi ke nam pe laga dete hain” (We keep our lands in the name of our dogs and cats). What is the arrogance of this kind? When is this going to stop?
CNN-IBN: Do you think CRPF is well-equipped to handle a war of this scale?
EN Rammohan: My point about CRPF is a basically a law and order force. The force is excellent, the men are excellent but it needs good leadership. Paramilitary forces like BSF and ITBP - their ethos is different.
CNN-IBN: You have mentioned problem of leadership. In your report you have cited that command and leadership failure at Chintalnar and at the same time Home Ministry went ahead and gave instructions to take action against those state level officers, who you have reportedly told to take action then. There has been no action against those state level officers. What do you have to say?
EN Rammohan: I have not named any officer in my report. It is the responsibility of the Home Ministry to publish the report or not. I will not say anything about it.
Naxal menace has no military solution: Ex- DG BSF