In a major attempt at combating the threat faced by Naxal-hit States, decision was taken to set up an Inter-State Joint Task Forces in order to facilitate coordination and synergize anti-Naxalite operations including the sharing of intelligence. Each of the State affected will have to prepare an ‘Action Plan’ to tackle the problem both from a security and development angle in a time-bound manner.
The decision to set up this Joint Task Force was long overdue given the sudden burst of naxalite violence which had completely exposed the grossly inadequate state security force being deployed in the far-flung areas. The Naxalites having a better knowledge of the terrain have been able to gherao villages with arms, burnt down many houses and attack the villagers. They have also been kidnapping village leaders, for extending help to the government-sponsored drive against them. To add to all this, the worst-ever Naxal attack on security personnel, in which 24 CRPF personnel were killed, has driven fear into the tribal populace.
It is obvious that the funds and security personnel deployed by the Chattisgarh State government must be immediately enhanced. It is an open secret that Naxals have sophisticated weapons in their arsenal and the recent trend in violence goes to show that police and security forces have been taken unawares by their offensive.
The problem of Naxal violence has in some way also affected the psyche of the people in Nagaland for the obvious reasons that there is public concern over the deployment of 9th IRB of Nagaland Police to Chattisgarh State, one of the strong centers of Naxal violence.
While public criticism abounds on the decision of the Nagaland State government to send the IRB in the first place, the government also did not have much of a choice given that deployment of at least 1 IRB unit outside the State was mandatory as per the conditions laid down by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
However what is disturbing to note is the attempt on the part of the State government to muzzle the local media from reporting information relating to the 9th Battalion of the IRB stationed at Barsoor, about 450 kilometers from Raipur, the capital of Chattisgarh. This is unacceptable and infringes on press freedom which should be read with the ‘The Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression’ given under Article 19 of the Fundamental Rights. The media in Nagaland is less interested on information related to security operation. However, in the event of any casualty during operations, does the government expect silence on the part of the press? The media is also duty bound to inform the public about the well being of its citizen.
It is well understood that the government may have some reservation in relation to certain news report. As for the media, its position must be respected. While, there are some limitations even with regard to the freedom given to the press, this would call for self-restraint on the part of the press and also to be sensitive on some of the limitations which needs to be adhered to.
But beyond this, the press should be allowed to function independently without being dictated upon. At the end of the day, the government should also go about performing its function while the media also has its own mandate to fulfill.
