E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Is There an Alternative to… 179perpetrators of injustice, or against the state itself. In fact,groups that want to fight for what they consider social justice,especially when their fight involves an assault on the status quooften find that they are pitted against the state. There is nothingsurprising in this, since the state is the ultimate protector orunder-writer and defender of the "order' and 'Laws' that areapproved by a ‘legally' constituted body of 'representatives,'But it does underline the fact that all citizens' groups that areprepared to take to the path of extra-constitutional direct actionfor 'social justice' or for changing the status quo must beprepared to encounter the armed might of the state. Acomparative appraisal of the armed might and tactics of thestate and the armed might and radical tactics of citizens’ groupstherefore becomes relevant and necessary.The induction of sophisticated technology has broughtabout a massive escalation in the destructive power of weapons,in their variety, in the efficiency of delivery systems, in theresilience and range of logistical systems, and in the means ofpsychological warfare. This, In turn, has created an almostunbridgeable disparity between the quantum of armed force atthe command of the State and that at the command of citizens'groups. Citizens' groups have, therefore, had to look for achange in operational tactics that can enable them to reduce theimpact of this disparity and retain the hope of victory. Theyhave had to abandon the tactics of open, direct confrontation atthe legendary 'barricades,' and take to means that help tominimize their vulnerability and maximize their strike power toparalyse as well as to overcome. The operational necessity tooffset the overall superiority of the State (including superiorityin the variety and stockpile of arms etc.) by achieving parity orsuperiority in deployable force has compelled them to adoptsuch tactics, theatres, terrains, durations and variants ofconfrontational actions as are conducive to this objective. Thereare four such variants with which we have become familiar,