Misplaced emphasis on security

The recent Supreme Court judgement holding the appointment of Salwa Judum cadres in Chhattisgarh a violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution comes as a political embarrassment for the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which has consistently tried to upscale local resistance (read Salwa Judum) to the Maoist struggle with special funds being provided to states for the purpose. The judgement couples both the Central and state governments together in a severe and uncompromising critique of their policies. It raises concerns over MHA’s tendency to take a law and order and national security approach to complex social scenarios.