It is time to frame new rules for army to tackle riots

01 August, 2012

Only after the army was deployed in the riot-Assam, the situation was brought into control. What intrigues everyone is why Army took control of the situation four days after it was called for by the local government. Is it the bureaucratic wrangles that led to deaths and destruction that could have been prevented?

WHILE ASSAM was burning, Army took four days to take charge of the situation even though state government has called for its early deployment. More than 40 people died during the ethnic riots that turned communal and hundreds of thousands of people were rendered homeless. At this time, people are questioning why Army did not go to help as soon as it was called for by the government of Assam on July 20.

Brigadier Arun Bajpai questioned why was the army called at the drop of the hat? “What were 6 lakh Police force of the Centre and the para military doing at the time? How is it that the local Police of Assam was not held accountable for the murders that started the riots that had a snowballing effects?” asked Brigadier Bajpai, adding, “Army is a secular body. What is happening in Assam is an ethnic war. If tomorrow either the Muslims or the Bodo people accuse the Army of helping one side of the party then who would be answerable?”

He also pointed out the fact that armies are supposed to keep the country safe from the foreign attacks. How will they function if they are called to look at at the law and order of the country that must be handled by the Police and the paramilitary.

A friend, who works in a IT compay said, “I don't know about the legal parameters and how an army can be deployed but looking at the figure of 40 people dying in the process I feel that the Army should have done something. After all they are also a part of the nation and they cannot leave shrugging their shoulders.” One man, who works in MG Road Hudson Bay cafe and is from Assam said, “This is a every year affair although in the previous years it did not go to this extreme but if the army is being called then the matter must be quite a problem.”

Everyone has questions and the government is trying to play the blame game as well. What matters at the end of the day is the that lives are lost in the process and the point should be to bring peace and not play the blame game.