He spoke for tribal rights The Tribune 16 Apr 18
There are few from the IPS who have earned respect and accolades from the army in the manner former Director General BSF EN Rammohan has. All who crossed the path of this famed handle bar moustachioed individual would have carried fond memories of him. He always came across as calm, ignoring political pressure and doing what was essentially his task, without any fanfare. Fond of a crewcut, he was visible in his uniform and combat boots. He breathed his last on 09 Apr in Delhi. Born in Coimbatore in 1940, he joined the 1965 IPS Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
He rose to become the DG BSF and headed the force from Dec 1997- Nov 2000. Apart from serving at the grassroots level in Assam and Meghalaya, he also served with the CRPF, NSG and ITBP. Very few would have matched his experience and variety in. He therefore gained invaluable knowledge on counter insurgency and its causes, mainly in the North East and Naxal belt.
For anyone seeking to understand the grits of counter insurgency in central India and the North East, should either watch the ‘walk the talk’ of May 2010 or read its transcript, where Rammohan shares his knowledge and suggestions. In simple terms he puts across solutions, based on his vast experience in the field, which governments have tended to ignore. In recent times he has on numerous occasions even commented on why the government’s policy was failing in Kashmir.
Post his retirement he settled in Delhi and was regularly seen on TV channels during security discussions. His only son, Padmanabhan joined the army and was martyred in a helicopter crash in 2010 as a young Major. This incident slowed him down initially, but he soon recovered and was back to his critical self. He was visible most evenings in the India International Centre, sharing his thoughts, based on indepth analysis and experience, with those around him.
The government nominated him to head the fact-finding probe panel which went into the lapses that took place during the Naxal ambush in 2010 and claimed 76 lives. He admitted post his visit that there were lapses. His final analysis changed the methodology by which the force would operate in the future.
In his opinion the Maoist issue is a consequence of a socio-economic conflict but has been looked upon as a security issue. He states that adivasis have been pushed into the forests, deprived of their land, thus resulting in them picking up arms. The land ceiling act, though passed in the 50’s has yet to be implemented in most states. The adivasis, who have been forced into the forest, collect and sell forest produce to middlemen, who cheat them, further adding to their misery. Establishing a cooperative would provide him a fair rate.
The tribals having been denied their rights, have been organized by the Maoists to fight. They feel alienated as the state eyes the mineral wealth in their region without any concern for their welfare. Implementing tribal welfare schemes would wean them away from the influence of the Maoists.
His advice for central para military forces operating in Naxal areas was simple. ‘Their DG is responsible to ensure excellent leadership, have his force trained, motivated and professional. He should see to it that they do nothing dishonourable.’ If they implement these suggestions, they would be respected and succeed. Post the ambush in Apr 2017 in Bastar, when twenty-five CRPF personnel were killed, Rammohan commented, ‘The CRPF has been the most poorly led force for some years. The government must look into it.’
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army