SOPs and Knee-Jerk Reactions

The usual accusations of SOPs not being followed has begun. Supriya Sharma of the Times of India has put the blame on the SPOs for not following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) - though not without good reason, she graciously concedes. The fact remains that unless viable options are provided to the troops, SOPs will continue to be disregarded. In my blog on this issue I had stated that SOPs must be realistic and implementable at the lowest level. There is no point in making SOPs that cannot be implemented.

To correlate, there is no point in passing orders barring the SPOs from using public transport as is in vogue, without first giving an alternative. Apparently Dantewada District Collector Reena Kangale has shot off instructions to this effect. This is a knee-jerk reaction which goes in favour of the Naxals. With the passing of this order, the Naxals have achieved their aims of this ambush - to hinder the progress of operations against them and drive a wedge between the security forces and the Naxals. Never mind it took 15 odd civilian lives to achieve it.

Rajeev Deshpande of the TOI has hit the nail on the head by his report which says that the blast aimed at widening the gap between the security forces and the locals.