That states must take the lead in fighting Maoists does not only make constitutional sense (law and order is a state subject),it is also tactically wise. More than paramilitary forces or the army,the state-run police know the terrain,interact with the local populace,and are best placed to combat the red menace. Which is why the state with the best recent record against Maoists,Andhra Pradesh,has replaced CRPF columns with a state-run force. In fact,long-term success against Maoists hinges on police modernisation,a point that has been repeatedly made,most recently in the 40th All India Police Science Congress in Chhattisgarh on June 2,where Home Minister P. Chidambaram linked improvements in police stations to defeating the insurgency. Police modernisation in India doesnt suffer from lack of ideas. Committee after committee has broadly recommended increased funds,and some distance between cops and their political masters. In 2006,in response to retired police officer Prakash Singhs PIL,the Supreme Court made seven recommendations on police reforms. They include fixed tenures for DGPs and officers in operational positions such as SHOs,and independent bodies to handle transfers and complaints. The government response was typical: committees were set up; their recommendations buried in red tape. If the Centre and states are serious about tackling the Maoist menace,they cannot avoid wholesale reform in our police services. Apart from the SC recommendations,another reform step is the Transparent Recruitment Process (TRP),an idea evolved by the UP police. Under this system,the corruption-prone interview stage for recruitments is scrapped,the written test independently monitored,aided by biometric tests. So far,only UP has implemented the TRP. While the Centre cannot directly force state hands,it can at least demand reform in Congress-run states. Besides,the Centre can peg state compliance to the funds it disperses (specifically the Rs 3,000 crore set aside for police modernisation),as Chidambaram threatened in an early-2010 letter to chief ministers. If the Naxal insurgency brings about wholesale police reforms by reducing political interference and modernising the force the benefits will spread beyond the red corridor.
