The large deployment of border security forces for elections could jeopardise national security
The Election Commission has announced the schedule of elections for five state assemblies. Elections are to be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh, two phases in Manipur, and in one phase in the remaining three states of Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand. Large deployments of security forces will be required to ensure fairness of the entire election exercise, entailing a large-scale diversion of Central Armed Forces (CAF) from their primary task. Several units of Border Guarding Forces (BGF) will be withdrawn from the borders. Similar withdrawal of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be required, by diverting them from internal and industrial security duties.
Large deployments of security forces will be required to ensure fairness of the entire election exercise, entailing a large-scale diversion of Central Armed Forces (CAF) from their primary task.
Two main reasons are cited for the deployment of the CAF to conduct various elections. Firstly, states have limited police personnel and find it difficult to spare them from law and order duties for this additional task. Secondly, the Election Commission deems it necessary to deploy CAF on the premise that the CAF are accountable to the Centre, and are therefore, less likely to be influenced by local politics. The absence of any such affiliation will, thus, ensure free and fair elections. The CRPF, the force designated to assist civil administration in internal security, is not large enough to singlehandedly ensure security for the massive exercise that elections in India are. Hence, the BGF are perforce diverted from the borders to assist in the smooth conduct of elections.
A report published in The Hindu states that as many as 1,071 companies (equivalent to 153 Battalions) of the CAF were deployed for smooth conduct of assembly elections in West Bengal last year. The diversion of almost one fourth of the CAF from their primary role is a compromise for national security. The troops withdrawn from the border remain away for prolonged periods, depending on the number of states and phases where elections are being held. For instance, the commitments for the forthcoming assembly elections will extend to almost three months—including time for travel to the place of duty, familiarisation and return—beginning with the announcement of dates and ending at least a week after the counting on 10 March 2022. The raging pandemic is further likely to delay their redeployment to the borders as they have to be tested and quarantined as per prevalent protocol. The coordination for logistics of the timely move of troops for such heavy deployment and the further move between the phases also diverts the energy of supervisory headquarters and consequent dilution of supervision of border management operations.
The Election Commission deems it necessary to deploy CAF on the premise that the CAF are accountable to the Centre, and are therefore, less likely to be influenced by local politics.
The secondary role of the Border Guarding Forces is to assist the civil administration in times of need, including assisting in smooth conduct of elections. The importance of free and fair elections in a functional democracy cannot be undermined. However, the cost of prolonged withdrawal of troops to the nation, in terms of national security, needs to be assessed. The withdrawal of troops from the borders undeniably results in dilution of vigilance due to reduced troop density, which results in increased trans-border crimes and infiltration. The diluted vigilance may also embolden hostile neighbours to indulge in activities inimical to our interests.
Frequent withdrawal of troops from the borders is, thus, seriously compromising our national security. Almost 30 percent of one of the BGF was reportedly withdrawn from the eastern borders for assembly elections last year, aside from which some troops were also being withdrawn from the western border.
The coordination for logistics of the timely move of troops for such heavy deployment and the further move between the phases also diverts the energy of supervisory headquarters and consequent dilution of supervision of border management operations.
The large-scale diversion of troops from its primary role compounds the ill effects of ab initio shortage of manpower in the Border Guarding Forces. The reduced troop density imposes heavy burden on the remaining troops as they now have to perform for proportionately larger numbers of duty hours—which already are very high—as well as patrol a larger area. The endurance of troops is thus stretched to its limits. It also disrupts the training schedule of the force resulting in compromise of operational preparedness. Not only this, it also has adverse effects on personnel management systems because career advancement in the force is linked with qualifying for mandatory training programmes prescribed for different levels. Thus, if certain promotion-linked courses get postponed to future training years, the personnel can’t be promoted and the cumulative effect of stagnation ends up denying them their rightful dues. Prolonged additional duties also disrupt rest and relief and leave schedules of the troops, leading to increase in stress levels amongst them.
The deployment of CAF for elections has become so widespread that they are frequently requisitioned even for elections to Panchayats or District Development Council (in Jammu and Kashmir) and Tripura Autonomous District Council, amongst others. The leaders of the BGF must also ensure that the troops are not encumbered with any additional tasks when they are heavily committed in duties like elections. The combined effect of a large portion of the BGF being away from the borders and additional commitment of troops for peripheral activities like cycle safari, football and volleyball matches in celebration of 50 of independence of Bangladesh, as happened last year, leads to further dilution of security levels. These must be avoided as they involve quite a lot of logistical effort and physical involvement of troops.
The reduced troop density imposes heavy burden on the remaining troops as they now have to perform for proportionately larger numbers of duty hours—which already are very high—as well as patrol a larger area.
While some commitment of BGF for elections is inevitable, they must not be deployed below the level of Assembly elections. It is desirable that the state armed forces should be trained and empowered to perform these duties for lower-level elections so that the burden on CAF is reduced.
As a nation we need to accord high priority to border security, as it being the most important component of national security. Furthermore, the eastern borders, having their diverse problems like illegal migration and influx of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) need equal attention. The importance of ensuring proper vigil along the borders at all times cannot be ignored. The policymakers should, therefore, seriously consider ways to reduce diversion of BGF from their original role.
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Sanjiv Krishan Sood retired as Additional Director General Border Security Forces BSF.
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