Why opening up of Cantonment roads is a bad idea Newslaundry 04 Jun 18

Why opening up of Cantonment roads is a bad idea Newslaundry 04 Jun 18

With one nod of her head, Nirmala Sitharaman has caused the greatest divide between the armed forces and civilian community in the country in the nation’s seventy-year history. Social media is abuzz with the pro-military and anti-military lobby, solely on the closing and subsequent opening of roads within cantonments. An editorial in The Statesman even went on to threaten that opening cantonments would pave the way for more skeletons to fall from the army’s closets. It was signalling a victory over the nation’s army by its own populace.

Initially the battle ground was Secunderabad, which has now spread across the country. A video doing the rounds on social media showed a collection of vehicles with BJP flags forcing their way into Danapur cantonment near Patna, with loud music blaring, celebrating the opening of the cantonment. Similar reports flowed from Pune. The symbolism should not be missed, it was the ruling BJP celebrating a victory over its own army. Is this what Sitharaman wanted? A national insult to the army.

Across the nation, cantonments which were sacred, secure and clean have suddenly become exploitable. Basic checks imposed even in malls and hotels are taboo. Security be damned, anyone and everyone is welcome. Drinking on silent cantonment roads, misbehaving and driving with blaring horns as police visibility is less has increased the vulnerability of residents and made them insecure. Families living alone have suddenly begun feeling threatened and the nation’s secretive equipment is now open for selfies.

Civilians and the military, who had respected one another and understood each other’s concerns have suddenly become enemies, thanks to Nirmala. Demands for access are rising and security has taken a backseat. Cantonments are now becoming a battleground between civil and army authorities and the army being considered as occupiers in their own habitat.

In March 2017, a reporter of the Quint, Poonam Aggarwal, did a sting operation on an innocent jawan in Devlali, leading to him committing suicide. She was booked for illegally entering a prohibited area and abetment to suicide. Now there are no prohibited areas, anyone can go anywhere, do whatever, including click pictures of defence equipment, family accommodation and other installations and post them on all social media sites.

Intelligence agencies apprehending Pak spies possessing photographs of military installations will never be able to obtain conviction in court as cantonments are now open for everyone to walk and click. All this because of a collection of bureaucratic crimes committed by Nirmala.

This article is not to justify the legality of the decision, but the manner adopted and the message it sent across the nation.

Her first bureaucratic crime was that on the advice of her bureaucracy to call a meeting of Vice Presidents of Cantonment Boards across the country and local MPs as also the Principal Director Defence estates. All involved were civilians, whose views were completely one-sided as they had no concern for security, since it remains a military matter. Presidents of cantonment boards, serving army officers and responsible for cantonment security were ignored, nor were their views even sought. This was because she had already planned her decision.

In attendance was a sole army representative, DG LWE, whose role was to issue directions on decisions taken. Claims of having discussed with the army chief makes no sense as the army representatives from the affected regions were not even invited, nor consulted. The army chief, ironically was in Kashmir, reviewing the security situation. If the decision was meant to be unbiased then she should have visited some cantonments to understand the reasons why restrictions had been placed and whether a unilateral decision was essential, or maybe it could have been taken on a case by case basis.

The second major crime was issuing a unilateral order, spread across the nation, opening all roads, irrespective of where they were headed. An unthinkable act, by a ministry and a minister, whose prime responsibility is ensuring national security.

The third crime was to issue a subsequent letter, stating that if any roads are to be closed in future, the MoD was to be the final authority. It clearly implies lack of trust on the military and a decision to be taken by a bureaucrat, who is neither responsible nor accountable for security. Finally, the most heinous of all crimes was that post the meeting with representatives of affected families of serving military personnel, she promised a review after a month, clearly implying, your security means little, local votes mean more.

These four crimes, when looked at in totality would hurt the BJP in forthcoming elections, despite any promises Modi may make or any action his government may take to appease the serving or veteran community. Nirmala is now jammed. Going back on her decision would anger her local politicians whom she jumped up to satisfy. It would also anger the locals, whom she supposedly helped by opening all roads.

If she sticks to her decision, millions of veterans and serving soldiers, families and near and dear one’s are most likely to vote against the government. Further, if there are no new orders within a month, it would amplify that families who met her, meant nothing, only votes did. If she feels that there is no major competition against the BJP, NOTA is strongly doing the rounds amongst all military communities and would only increase as elections draw close.

This one action has caused more hatred against the ruling party, than every other earlier decision including non-implementation of OROP, removal of rations or even no NFU. There are millions within the country who have understood what the armed forces mean to the nation, and this lobby is projecting a very strong anti-BJP bias on social media.

One criminal or militant incident where a separated family is eve teased or molested or attacked even by locals, now openly entering cantonment, would hit the government in the face. She would neither have a face to show the nation’s soldiers nor her government ever be trusted.

With her hasty decision of opening roads without seeking the right advice from those that matter, she has increased vulnerability of cantonments. Her actions have led to the nation celebrating victory over its own army, treating them as the enemy. She has highlighted that the army will be exploited for elections but ignored and dumped thereafter.

This action will boomerang as internal anger, disappointment and loss of trust are creating an anti-BJP environment within the serving, veteran and pro armed forces lobby within the country. It would be exploited by all other political parties.