Rapid dominance in military strategy based upon overwhelming fire power and specular display of force to paralyze the enemy’s perception of the battle field and destroy their will to fight is what is called as the ‘shock & awe’ strategy. The Romans ruled through such a method. There are various historical precedents where that doctrine was followed but it was explained by Harlan Ullman and James P Wade in 1996 when the US military used it in a post-cold war scenario.
The doctrine works on a basis that there is no external adversary that can successfully challenge the extra ordinary powers of American military. It’s 20 years, now since the ‘shock & awe’ strategy of overwhelming show of strength since second world war and the biggest operation since Vietnam war with 1800 aircrafts and 1300 cruise missiles invaded Iraq in 2003. Local support did not forestall a war.
When the ‘President of India’ under Article 52 of the constitution sends and invite as ‘President of Bharat’ and ‘PM of India’, goes to Indonesia as ‘PM of Bharat’, a massive debate on whether the country’s name would be changed is triggered. The ministers of the government refer to the honour and glory of Bharat and the colonial mind set behind the name ‘India’. This is ‘shock & awe’ strategy in the political arena in an open season of speculations. The real motive it appears is to psyche out the rivals. The strategy is meant to create confusion and chaos in the opposition ranks as they attempt taking on the world’s largest party.
The debate and discussion around ‘one-nation-one-election’ was only to overwhelm the opposition. The track record of the Supreme leader shows very little regard for constitutional or legal niceties. The way state of J&K was dismantled along with the decision to make article 370 non-operational is still is debated before the SC. The demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in 2016, the ruthless covid-19 lockdown in March 2020 with the ferocity of the state never seen before, the Balakot air strike and the building of 2.8 billion dollar central-vista during covid times and Raj Path being named as ‘kartavya’ path – all bring is surprise element building the cult system in which the supreme leader becomes the embodiment of the nation.
Shock, surprises and extravagant celebrations has always been the hallmark of the supreme leader’s political strategy of governance. Mark Tully tells us that a leading Muslim told him that the choice of Yogi Adityanath as the CM of the largest state was only to shock them. He says the swearing in ceremony after his first election was so spectacular that it seemed more like a coronation than the installation of the Prime Minister of Republic. A mid night session on 1st July 2017 was grand event celebrating of one nation – one tax . The spectacle around the rotational G20 summit is to further the image of the supreme leader as Vishwaguru.
As the Teflon coat around the largest political party in the world started showing signs of wearing out in MP, Chhattisgarh and Telengana, first came the story of the Uniform Civil Code as a real game changer for the country. When UCC was not seen as feasible, came the one nation one election slogan. Adding to the surprise is the Kovind Committee on one nation- one election. The speculation was fuelled by calling for out of turn special session of both houses of parliament without announcing any agenda. It is believed that one nation- one election may not work out due to short time frame and the extensive deliberation and legislative and constitutional processes involved.
It may be easy to amend the constitution by replacing India with Bharat. The unexpected out of turn special parliamentary session has only provided a political surprise.
There are some who believe that the women’s reservation bill would find place in the agenda. Many believe that the special session shall shift session to the new building on Ganesh Chathurthi. The dramatic announcement of out of turn special session of parliament has created that shock and awe. There are rumours and speculation fuelled by ministers from the ruling party. Whatever may happen before the joint session, the message is loud and clear that the supreme leader shall decide it, all building up to his muscular leadership. When the supreme leader becomes the embodiment of the nation, politics revolve around him. The culture of public debate may not have place in that type of cult based system. It is unacceptable that a special session is called and the country does not know the agenda. But who cares? To hell with deliberation, discussion and debate and all the grand ideas of a parliamentary democracy!
The shock & awe was made popular by former US defence secretary in their National Defence University in 1996. Both US and the world paid heavily for a strategy that Americans adopted. The world has become the more dangerous place to live in. So many countries were flattened. That strategy created fertile ground for terrorism to flourish. The world is still paying a price of that misadventure.
Shock & awe does not work when there is a will to resist and when a shrewd rival takes unpredictable actions. Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan and now Ukraine showed that they were neither shocked nor awed. What the political shock and awe in India has in store for the world’s largest democracy will be known in times to come. The shock & awe has a history of failure when the underdog has local support. It is only that local support with will to fight back and failing to play by the rules set by the powerful, that can overcome the ‘shock & awe’.
(The writer is a practicing advocate and a political thinker)
