Army
in violence hit lower Assam. The state's chief minister Tarun Gogoi
alleged that the Centre delayed in deploying the Army in time when the
clashes between Bodo tribespeople and Muslim settlers erupted in July
2012. Fresh violence erupted again on Aug 5, 2012 leaving four people
dead.
NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of the Assam fiasco where several crucial
hours were wasted in deploying the Army to contain violence, the home
ministry has asked the defence ministry
to change the latter's standard operating procedures (SOPs) for
deployment of troops so that 'procedural' delay is not repeated in
future when local administration needs assistance to deal with riot-like
situations.
The SOPs, which have been in force since the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, expect local Army commanders not to entertain requests of district magistrates unless it is routed through the defence ministry. Section 130 of CrPC, however, empowers the senior-most civil/police officer having magisterial powers in a district to requisition Army to control violence. This law makes it obligatory for the armed forces to obey such requisition and help local administration in controlling violence.
As a result of the SOPs, troops did not move to troubled Kokrajhar and Chirang despite being asked by the respective district magistrates for quick deployment on the very first day of violence on July 20. The subsequent request was made from Dhubri on July 23. The actual deployment was, however, made in these districts only after a delay of three to five days once the defence ministry issued a formal order.
Finding the 'procedure' a major stumbling block in handling such violence, the home ministry has now conveyed to the defence ministry that the SOPs for troops deployment to control violence could not take precedence over existing law and therefore it should accordingly be changed.
The delayed deployment in Assam had even prompted state chief minister Tarun Gogoi to express anguish, saying had the Army been deployed in time, many lives could have been saved.
The home ministry, during a post-mortem of the episode, found that the local Army commanders did not budge over the district magistrate's request till a formal request was made by the state chief secretary to Union home secretary R K Singh who, in turn, asked the defence ministry to rush in Army personnel to Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri.
Even the formal request could not see the defence ministry act swiftly. The ministry reportedly felt that the riots could be locally contained with the help of police and paramilitary personnel and therefore did not want Army to get embroiled in an ethnic conflict.
"This initial reluctance caused lot of damage as we later found out that most of the killings took place before the deployment of Army," an official official.
Had local Army commanders heeded these requests, troops could have reached the trouble spots within three to four hours as two major Army stations, including a full Mountain Division, are located within a distance of 150 km from the violence-hit districts.
The SOPs, which have been in force since the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, expect local Army commanders not to entertain requests of district magistrates unless it is routed through the defence ministry. Section 130 of CrPC, however, empowers the senior-most civil/police officer having magisterial powers in a district to requisition Army to control violence. This law makes it obligatory for the armed forces to obey such requisition and help local administration in controlling violence.
As a result of the SOPs, troops did not move to troubled Kokrajhar and Chirang despite being asked by the respective district magistrates for quick deployment on the very first day of violence on July 20. The subsequent request was made from Dhubri on July 23. The actual deployment was, however, made in these districts only after a delay of three to five days once the defence ministry issued a formal order.
Finding the 'procedure' a major stumbling block in handling such violence, the home ministry has now conveyed to the defence ministry that the SOPs for troops deployment to control violence could not take precedence over existing law and therefore it should accordingly be changed.
The delayed deployment in Assam had even prompted state chief minister Tarun Gogoi to express anguish, saying had the Army been deployed in time, many lives could have been saved.
The home ministry, during a post-mortem of the episode, found that the local Army commanders did not budge over the district magistrate's request till a formal request was made by the state chief secretary to Union home secretary R K Singh who, in turn, asked the defence ministry to rush in Army personnel to Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri.
Even the formal request could not see the defence ministry act swiftly. The ministry reportedly felt that the riots could be locally contained with the help of police and paramilitary personnel and therefore did not want Army to get embroiled in an ethnic conflict.
"This initial reluctance caused lot of damage as we later found out that most of the killings took place before the deployment of Army," an official official.
Had local Army commanders heeded these requests, troops could have reached the trouble spots within three to four hours as two major Army stations, including a full Mountain Division, are located within a distance of 150 km from the violence-hit districts.
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