Not Just the Save Tiger Project, Please

Now, I am kind of bored writing about Naxals, so let this be my last post on them.

First thing first! Who carried out the West Bengal train attack? The Indian Government strongly suspects a Naxal hand either directly or indirectly through one of their front organizations. Somewhere, I read that, as per the Indian Government, some local members of the PCPA carried out the attack though not necessarily in consultation with the higher-ups; the Naxals and the PCPA have denied responsibility. The Naxals have gone to the extent of saying that they will call people’s court and punish the guilty. But, who is guilty has to be known first! Let’s wait and watch!

However, the more important question now is “government” per se. The most important function of a government is maintenance of “Law and Order”. Though the word “Law” is always mentioned first, but the priority is always given to maintenance of “Order”, so much so that some apparently intelligent people like Ajai Shukla, Consulting Editor, Business Standard, differentiate between “Justice” and “Law and Order”, forgetting that “Law” means “Justice”, and if the objective of “Order” is anything other than justice, it is not governance. So, in the above context, it has to be seen whether the Indian Government has lost its right to rule in certain areas of India.

I will start with Delhi, the Indian capital. The Delhi Police, followed by the Judiciary, has the most important role in maintaining “Law and Order” in Delhi. Undoubtedly, it has been able to maintain the order, but has it been targeted towards justice? Undoubtedly, not! The maintenance of order in Delhi by the Delhi Police signifies “the Survival of the Fittest.” That’s the rule of jungle, not civilization. Why do we need a government for maintenance of such an order? People can very well do it themselves! And, probably, that’s what is happening even now in Delhi. Weak people, if they want justice, rightly don’t go to the Police: They resort to self-help, form organizations like BHAI or join some already existing BHAIs to deliver justice unto themselves. Though, at the same time, they also deliver injustice unto those who are not ready to join the BHAIs. So, the BHAIs become the Tigers of this jungle, and the others become the Deers. And, the Police helps in compromising disputes between the BHAIs, completely inaccessible to the “Deers”, but available forever for the maintenance of order against the marginal attempts of the “Deers” to escape from the clutches of the “Tigers”. If that’s the “Order” which the government offers, we need no governance.

But, then comes the question: Should we bring in Naxals in Delhi? The answer is an ambiguous Yes and No: Yes, because, then, some “Deers” might join Naxals, protect themselves from the “Tigers” and somehow survive the jungle called Delhi; no, because Delhi remains a jungle, much the same.

Now, let us visit the jungles of Dantewada. There the problems may be much bigger and sharper: In Delhi, the BHAIs can create public nuisance next to my house with impunity, but can’t force me out of the house; however, Dantewada is such precious jungle where BHAIs actually want to force the “Deers” out of their natural habitat, just in order to mine some metals/minerals, all the while forgetting that these “Deers” are actually humans like them. Anybody would pick up arms in such a situation: If someone were to break the door of my house, I’ll hit him with a lathi; if someone is demolishing the habitat of the Advasis, they will naturally pick up bows and arrows. If the Police were to arrest me for picking up a lathi in self defence, I might fight it out in the Court, which are available in plenty in Delhi; failing which, I would run away to the jungle because though there are no courts in the jungle except the ones created by the Naxals (which obviously don’t qualify as courts from any viewpoint), there is lots of ammunition available with the Naxals, with which they fight the Police, and apparently do justice unto the Advasis, though, of course, in the most brutal “the Survival of the Fittest” manner. I know I have the faculties to survive in a real jungle of Dantewada without joining the ranks of the Naxals, but, in absence of legal justice, a jungle like Delhi is really too much. Given that, why wouldn’t the Advasis say yes to the Naxals when they have no access, whatsoever, to legal justice, are being targeted by the Police to maintain order in the interest of the BHAIs, and the only thing they have been left to understand is the language of violence (in all forms possible). In such a situation, I have no doubt that the Naxals have started considering themselves as a viable alternative to the Indian government, and so have the Adivasis.

So, do the Naxals have a role to play in India? Surely, they do: Every violent wild animal has a role to play in the jungle: the Tiger, the Lion, the Dog, the Wolf, et al. So, not just the Save Tiger Project, please.

NOTE: Violence means physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, economic abuse, mental abuse, social abuse, psychological abuse, etc.

©2010 Ankur Mutreja

About the Author

Ankur Mutreja
Ankur Mutreja is an advocate-cum-writer, and his blogs are amongst his modes of expression. He has also authored number of books, which can be downloaded from the links on the top menu.

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