Military approach

Sir, - This refers to the article ``Security and governance I and II'' (The Hindu, Nov. 20 and 21).

The author is absolutely right when he presents the case of political decay, ineffective governance, acquiescence to criminal pressures and criminal-political nexus posing grave threats to national security. But the view of the author that inadequacy of military approach to national security has become evident the world over, the implication that India could adopt a similar shift in policy and that South Asian countries including India tend to exaggerate external threats to divert attention from internal issues merits discussion.

First, the implications of discarding a military approach to national security must essentially be viewed in the peculiar situation India and Pakistan find themselves, rather than viewing it in the context as emerging the world over in the new world order and a unipolar environment. The peculiar India-Pak equation has been aptly summed up by Barry Buzan in his book People, States and Fear. He states that ``India and Pakistan offer a particularly tragic case of structural political threat, wherein India and Pakistan cannot afford to ignore each other because of their historical, geographical and cultural ties but their organising principles pose a `permanent' threat to each other.'' He argues and rightly so, that Pakistan, organised on the principle of Islamic unity, fears absorption by India whereas India envisages the breakdown of the Indian Union into a number of single successor states, instigated by Pakistan. It is in this context that the implications of discarding a military approach to national security must be viewed.

Secondly, the threat to India from Pakistan in J&K and anti- national elements in the Northeast is by no means facile. Recent developments, post-Kargil and hostile India bashing by Pakistan bears testimony to this. Therefore media attention on these problems of external threat are not by any means an attempt by the political hierarchy to divert attention from internal issues. The fact that all internal problems enumerated by the erudite author also exist only adds to India's cup of woes.

Thirdly, failure to provide human security, humane governance and violation of human rights are, in essence, different problems in border States facing external threat (J&K and the Northeast) and interior States like U.P. and Bihar where the causes are totally different. Effective governance in border States can come about only when fissiparous elements engaged in destabilising peace are neutralised. This can be achieved only by a military approach, as threat to these States emanates from without.

S. V. Sundar,

Chennai

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