Army should be the last resort in fighting coronavirus
Over the past week, there have been so many calls to call out the army to assist authorities in the fight against the spread of coronavirus. Let the army not be an ubiquitous panacea for all crises. The army is the last resort, and should not be pressed into service, before exhausting other options.
Health services are the first responders, and are doing a great job. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the state disaster response forces (SDRF) should play their parts. These bodies are equipped and trained for such situations.
As an emergency measure, the army was the first to establish a quarantine facility at Manesar, literally overnight, when the first batch of Indians was flown in from Italy in midFebruary. However, planned responses should be assigned to those responsible to provide them. When there is a requirement to augment the first responders, as it indeed is now, the country should employ other resources before calling for the last resort.
MOBILISE RESOURCES
This brings to the fore the important aspect of mobilising all national resources to assist in crises, when required. There are several organisations whose strengths should be leveraged during such situations. Enumerating a few, let us start with the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Started in 1948, it imparts basic military training in small arms to volunteer students in schools and colleges, respectively. It is a disciplined and organised resource that can be mobilised in times of need, such as nowadays, to spread the correct messaging, or to physically assist in relief. Suitable incentives can be built in for such live situation training. During the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, NCC cadets were the second line of defence.
Civil Defence and Home Guards are twin voluntary organisations raised to provide protection to citizens in any untoward situation. Home Guards is a also tasked as an auxiliary to the police. Started in 1946, the Civil Defence and Home Guards personnel are recruited from 18-50 year old citizens from varied walks of life to include doctors, lawyers, teachers, employees of public and private sector organisations, college and university students, agricultural and industrial workers.
CREATE RESERVES
During his first address to the nation on the Covid-19 issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of blackout practices during the wars. It was the civil defence volunteers who got us to carry out these practices, and more. Those days when there was no social media, it was these volunteers that acted as society’s medium for messaging. When it comes to the army, more Territorial Army reserves should be created so that they can be embodied to meet such crises. All army reservists who retired in the last three years and all retirees from the medical field from army, navy, air force, paramilitary, police, railways can be recalled.
There is no dearth of resources and forces that can be mobilised. The National Crisis Management Committee that works under cabinet secretary should organise and coordinate them well. Rather than do all this, the simplest solution that a segment of policy makers reach out to is, call the army.
ENSURE OWN PROTECTION
Since this Covid-19 is a crisis, where those involved in rescue run the risk of being overwhelmed by the very consequences that they seek to mitigate, it is all the more important that the army must ensure its own force’s protection, as the army chief also said in his address to soldiers. The army has to remain fit to discharge its primary role of safeguarding borders, which includes the Line of Control. This is an unprecedented situation, and the nation must be prepared for any eventuality.
Of late, there is a strong public sentiment to seek the deployment of the army in every adverse situation from the antiCAA agitation to Naxal insurgency. Several years ago, some politicians even wanted the army to be deployed to nab sandal wood smuggler Veerappan! Sensibly, the govt has desisted from doing so.
Even in the present coronavirus crisis, employing aircraft and ships to evacuate, and mobilising resources from anywhere in the world is being done, recalling medical retirees to assist is fine, but employing the army to help in organising and policing effort should be left as the last resort.