Center too laid-back on Maoist issue

When it was reported about dozens of Maoist camps in Shilda, West Bengal or when 6 policemen were killed in Sheohar in Bihar (among the numerous Maoist insurgencies), the Home Ministry was quick to pass the buck saying that it was the duty of the respective states to tackle the Maoist problem. The Home Minister went on to say that as per the constitution, the center is helpless and cannot intervene in the states’ affairs to maintain law and order. So much so, he may be right to some extent.  The Seventh Schedule of the constitution states that” public order and police (including railway and village police) subject to the provision of entry 2A of List I”, which makes them completely a state subject. However, it does also mention, unless the situation deteriorates to such a degree that central aid becomes necessary, thus meaning that if the situation goes out of control, the center has every right to intervene. So how can our Home Ministry evade responsibility on the issue of Maoist Insurgency which has acquired such a grave shape? 

Taking hint from the constitution again, there is a caveat in the public order which states, “not including any naval, military or air force or any other armed forces of the Union or of any other force subject to the control of the Union or any contingent and unit thereof”. Simply speaking, this means that wherever (in any part of the country) the center has deployed other armed forces apart from the army, navy or air force, it should share the responsibility. The Home Ministry therefore cannot or rather must not shy away from the forces act and make the states only liable. 

If the central home ministry does not have any role to play in the states’ internal problems (how grave they may be), one really fails to understand the use of keeping such a huge paramilitary force, which is more or less as big as the Indian Army, thus wasting a significant amount of taxpayers’ money. Well these forces do remain under the state’s control when deployed there. Fair enough, but then the right to deploy the forces rests on the center, and judging the situation, it should strengthen the counter terrorism measures in full flow. “It shall be the duty of the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every state is carried out in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”. (Article 355).

Thus, constitutionally speaking, the Union Home Ministry should be more responsible, dutiful and rather accountable for safeguarding the citizens in the Maoist prone areas. A blame game or dodging responsibility will take us nowhere.