Open cantonment roads will compromise security
PMO must rescind the ministry of defence’s retrograde order before a security catastrophe takes place
India faces many security challenges, yet continues to be lax when it comes to vigilance about security. Otherwise, how can anyone explain the order promulgated a few days ago by the ministry of defence (MoD) to open up all roads in army cantonments for unrestricted civilian traffic movement? The powers-that-be have opened the floodgates for terror strikes and lawlessness inside cantonments, which till today have been a haven of security for those who guard this nation and the prohibitively expensive equipment they have.
Its critics term cantonments a relic of the British raj that has no place in today’s democratic milieu. Inconvenience to civilian traffic and prohibiting unrestricted movement for citizens are cited as the reasons. This disregards the military and social significance of cantonments.
Cantonments have always been set up away from townships and cities, in open places to lodge troops and equipment of the advancing troops before they were sent to battle. Gradually these camps became permanent and were spread all over the country.
Cantonments, which spread out over large areas, have exclusive military pockets, bus- tling civil bazaars and certain pockets which have a civil-military mix. There is no prohibiting the movement of civilians in the military portion of a cantonment as long as the person shows a valid identity proof. Visiting any housing complex or hotel, citizens are put through more extensive security checks.
To veterans like me, this order is shorn of any common sense, especially with regard to security or civil-military relations. Many civil shopkeepers and those providing other facilities to large army garrisons may suffer if local civil administrations drive a wedge between the military and civilians.
Certain pockets in cantonments exclusively house headquarters of formations, units, troops and their arms, ammunition and sensitive equipment. It does not require any great strategic sense to conclude that permitting the free flow of unmonitored traffic all over the cantonment could be disastrous. It would be best if PMO has this MoD order rescinded before any major terrorist incident occurs inside the cantonments.
The army must carry out an in-depth survey of the geographical layout of the cantonments, security threats to their units and also ensure that no law-abiding and peaceful citizen gets inconvenienced. Some rumblings from civilians have been heard from the Secunderabad and Pune cantonments. These local irritants can be resolved by the military and civil officials and cantonments can be maintain their security and yet be accessible.