Do you think that an all out operations against the armed outfits in north east is feasible? Argue.

Model Answer:
The first notable thing is that only a handful of the total 79 armed groups have been formally called “terrorist organizations”. These terrorist organizations are generally those which have a political programme of greater autonomy or independence. Many of the smaller groups are tolerated mainly because of their opposition to the independence seeking groups. Further, the Government of India has proportionately used Indian Army in its Counter Insurgency (COIN) strategies. Indiscriminate use of forces has been avoided mainly because groups such as ULFA, the NSCN (IM), the UNLF and the PLA project a certain degree of social support and any disproportionate use of force can be counter-productive. Also, North East has a heavy dense forest, which act as a heaven for militants to hide; the multiple use of force in forest sometimes proves disastrous for the local people. Further, the porous border across north east allows the militants to move in neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh thus, making the operation unsuccessful.

Topics: GS-III: Linkages Between Development and Spread of Extremism