In an ideal society, the government is setup in order to provide leadership as well as properly direct resources to all members of society. Even in less than ideal societies, there are no insurgencies because people have no compelling reasons to go against the government, which has met its primary duty. But if there are more problems than benefits from the government, then, problems with leftist could exist. The primary duty of the government is to serve its people and ensure that the latter's welfare is advocated. Aside from that, the government is burdened with the responsibility of making sure that social justice is maintained by providing the citizens with the basic services that they need (American Public Human Services Association, 2015). However, there are many times when elected officials are only good in promising changes while their actual actions do not reflect their words. This can lead to dissatisfaction among the people, especially if the latter are suffering from poverty and other undue burdens caused by incompetent leadership. There are also instances when environmental, legal, political, and social conditions are such that people have no other choice but to resort to underground movement in the hope of bringing about the necessary reforms. Thus, when the people are dissatisfied with how the government serves them, the tendency of rising against the constituted authority to challenge the same may increase. They can engage in insurgency and conduct acts that are against the law. These insurgents may not wait for the “right time” to achieve change. Rather than wait for the government to make good with its promises, the insurgents would take time in their own hands so that the desired changes are achieved. Given the said premise, this paper will provide the
concept of insurgency and the insurgents. Further, this paper will discuss when there is a need to sacrifice the element of time to achieve the insurgents’ desire with regard political change.
The Sacrifice of the Element of Time
The element of time is essential in how the government is able to redress the grievances of the people. Governmental leaders in a country where problems are so deeply rooted in social institutions cannot be expected to make changes or implement reforms at the shortest time possible. It would likely take them years to rebuild a society that is greatly damaged. In this regard, people who continue to believe in the government will provide the time element necessary to implement social reforms.
But when there is really a necessity to sacrifice the element of time so that the insurgents’ yearning for political change is achieved? Insurgency stems from the absence or loss of trust on the people in government. When trust is not present or when it is gone, then, the people are not willing to provide the government with time. They would sacrifice time because for the insurgents, only forceful means will provide for the social reforms needed in society.
Also, Boutayeb (2012) believed that people have all the right to rise against the government when the latter is not able to protect the people's personal security. Basically, the government is designed to ensure that people are not only provided with the basic services. They too must be secured and kept safe. Aside from that, people has all the legitimate right to abolish the government if the public interest of the general public is not protected (Gibson, 2013). The principles behind the creation of the government should not be perverted. When the authority granted to the government becomes centralized, the people become deprived of what is due to them (Hunter, 2014). In this light, people have the right to overthrow the government and create a new one. Besides, government is fundamentally designed to ensure the common benefit of everybody. When the government is no longer responsive to the people and that it has become intolerably oppressive, people should take initiatives in making the government aware of their demands and grievances so that the latter is able to resolve the same (Hunter, 2012).
Insurgency, the Insurgents, and their Tactics
While terrorism is associated with threat and violence, insurgency, on the other hand, is a struggle between a non-ruling group against a constituted authority in that the former uses the aid of political resources, violence, and the irregular military forces (Wheat, 2011). In short, insurgency does not always involve armed fighting. Fighting can become necessary when there are encounters between government forces and insurgent forces. Insurgency can be promoted by people who remain discreet in their advocacies. These insurgents can continue living as ordinary members of society while promoting dissent against the government.
Although the definition of the term insurgency is ambiguous, it is usually associated with a civil disturbance in a certain portion of territory within a State which is supported by a number of people (Gupta, 2014). Insurgency can also be regarded as an unrecognized belligerency (Ross, 2006). Insurgency can only end when mistakes are committed by the time it is organized because their weaknesses usually results to their very own demise (Hayden, 2007). Aside from that, insurgency also dies when it loses support from its supporters; when there are structural problems and deficiencies; when the insurgent leader is killed or captured; and when there is an effective military intervention by the state (Croy, 2010).
Most of the reasons why insurgents rise against the government are due to the many injustices that latter has failed to resolve. To note, these failures should be so pervasive and must have happened for a long time in order to make people decide to take matters in their own hands. Aside from that, insurgents seek to establish their own regular force and provide public services to people so that the government's legitimacy in doing so is diminished (Wheat, 2011). Insurgents usually use guerilla tactics so that their group becomes larger and organized (Brahm, 2006). Since they cannot match the military might of the government, they often use their actions to acquire support from the general public by showing that the government cannot protect them (Brahm, 2006). As such, they attempt to hamper a reconstruction effort that leads likely to public impatience. Aside from that, insurgents also intimidate the non-government organizations and even foreign contracts so that the delivery of services is thwarted (Brahm, 2006).
Theories Pertaining to Insurgencies and the Sacrifice of Time Element
Most of the insurgents are motivated by nationalism and Marxist theory (Wheat, 2011).
Under nationalism, insurgency can rise when people believe that the government leaders are merely puppets of other nations. They could become dissatisfied with government decisions that seem to favor only a small number of elite families or even foreign investors. This can lead nationalist people to become insurgents because they would want to promote greater nationalism in the country.
In Marxism, the insurgents believe that socialism is better than other forms of government. These people usually belong to the lower rungs of society and are dissatisfied with wealth distribution or income inequality in the country. By promoting the socialist ideals, the insurgents believe that they can have a better future. For them, private property should be converted into communal property so that everyone can share in its benefits. This is usually contrary to democratic principles that support private property ownership.
In this regard, they advance their cause because they are deprived of something, or that the government is no longer responsive to the needs of the people in general. That is why they sacrifice the element of time in achieving their goals because they believe that the government has all the time it needs but is still failed to serve and protect the people effectively. According to the U.S. Government (
2012), one of the theories pertaining to the existence of insurgency is the theory of victory. In this type of theory, insurgents believed that they are able to defeat the government when they rise against the same through the use of force. By sacrificing the element of time, insurgents have the tendency of being able to provoke the government so that the latter is left with no choice but to accede with their demands.
Others also use the Islamization Agenda Theory. In this theory, insurgents seek to resist against a constituted authority so that a pure Islamic state is established (Ossai, 2012). Insurgents sacrifice the element of time in this type of theory because they believe that the government should not hinder how they are supposed to live their lives. As Muslims, they should be guided by the Islamic doctrines and the Sharia law (Ossai, 2012). Also, insurgents may be guided by the Politically Motivated Theory. In this type of theory, insurgents may rise against the government because they are not pleased with how the latter become oppressive in its service to the general public (Ossai, 2012). As such, they insurgents seek to advocate democratic means so that people in all the walks of life are protected and served to the best ability of the government.
In the preceding sections are two examples of insurgencies and the sacrifice of the time element.
The Insurgency in Nigeria’s Boko Haram and the Sacrifice of Time Element
According to Smith (2014), Nigeria's Boko Haram became popular after they have kidnapped 726 school girls in Chibok last 2014. The Boko Haram was established in 2003 and its members embraced the teachings of Mohammed Yusuf. The latter believed that the creation of Nigeria by the British colonialists made it hard for the Muslims to live their life in an Islamic way (Smith, 2014). As such, they seek to create a new society that will enable them to practice their religion. In 2013, Boko Haram targeted pupils in the northeast where dozens of boys were killed (Smith, 2014). Aside from that, the members of the group also kidnapped girls and women. They were either raped or made to be the bride of the insurgents (Smith, 2014).
In April 2014, their demands became different but according to Smith (2014), these demands focused on two areas: first, the release their fellow Boko Haram brothers who were imprisoned and second, there must me a creation of Islamic state. Also, the scope of Boko Haram's demand is on the local aspect, and insurgency has occurred because of poverty in northern Nigeria (Smith, 2014). Aside from that, hopelessness has filled the place because many people remained to be unemployed. Because of the insurgency, the government responded by declaring a state of emergency. The military also raided the Boko Haram which resulted to extra-judicial killings, arsons, and indiscriminate arrests (Smith, 2014). However, the military has denied such abuses of the people’s human rights in Nigeria.
This historical example is necessary because it shows how the Boko Haram in Nigeria utilized the Islamization Agenda Theory. Boko Haram was also guided with the theory on victory because by their actions alone, their intent in provoking the government is made clear. It is through this that the government is left with no choice but settle the insurgency. Aside from that, the group clearly sacrificed the time element because necessity demands urgency.
India’s Insurgency Movement and the Sacrifice of Time Element
In India, there were already about 30 armed insurgency movements (Siddiqi, 2010). One the insurgency movement is the Maoist movement. The Moist or the Naxalites sought to overthrow the Indian government (The Socialist Party of Great Britain, 2016). Aside from that, they also wanted to create a socialist-communist government in the said state. The Maoists insurgents believed that the Indian electoral system is not democratic. Instead of ensuring that people, regardless of their status in life, are protected equally, such electoral system has been a mechanism by which landlords and capitalists exploited those who have less in life. The Naxalite insurgency has gained thousands of supporters spreading throughout 20 states in India (The Socialist Party of Great Britain, 2016). This historical example of insurgency is more on the Politically Motivated Theory. When people are exploited, the time element is usually sacrificed so that grievances are redressed as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Along with terrorists and guerillas, insurgents have their reasons why they resist against a constituted authority too. Different insurgency movements may be politically, socially or economically motivated. For example, in Nigeria, Boko Haram sought to overthrow the current government because they were deprived from practicing their Islamic way of life. Aside from, people have also suffered from unemployment and hopelessness. Worse, people were abused as extra-judicial killings and burning of homes occurred. This insurgency depicts the utilization of Islamization Agenda Theory.
Aside from that, the Boko Haram insurgents were very much willing to sacrifice the time element so that their grievances and demands are addressed by the government immediately. In India, the Naxalite insurgency sought to overthrow the Indian government because its electoral system has been utilized as a means of enriching the landlords and the capitalists and exploiting those who have less in life. This insurgency falls under the Politically Motivated Theory. People have all the legitimate right to resist against a constituted authority when its service is more focused in protecting the private interests.
Despite the fact the government has all the right to suppress people whenever there are civil disturbances, the right of the people to rise against the same should not also be disregarded. For one, people can justifiably resist the government when it is no longer able to protect their personal security and when they are deprived of what is due to them. Further, when the government is no longer responsive to the needs and demands of the people, it most likely loses its legitimacy. As a result, people are more motivated to create a new government that would efficiently and effectively serve them. These are the very reasons why insurgencies exist. This way, the insurgents can justifiably sacrifice the element of time so that they are able to achieve their desired political change.
References
American Public Human Services Association. (2015). The role of the government in the 21st century. Retrieved from http://www.aphsa.org/content/APHSA/en/pathways/INNOVATION_CENTER/GOVER NMENTS_ROLE.html
Boutayeb, S. (2012). Should citizens have a right of rebellion against governments who do not protect their personal security? Morocco World News. Retrieved from http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/10/59427/should-citizens-have-a-right-of- rebellion-against-governments-who-do-not-protect-their-personal-security/
Brahm, E. (2006). Stabilization and the problem of insurgency. Beyond Intractability. Retrieved from http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/stabilization
Croy, R. (2010). How do insurgencies end? Small Wars Journal. Retrieved from http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/how-do-insurgencies-end
Gibson, C. R. (2013). Abolish it: It's our right. Huffington Post. Retrieved from h ttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-gibson/abolish-it-its-our-right_b_2799957.html
Gupta, R. S. (2014). Recognition of insurgent and belligerent organisations in international law. Social Science Research Network. Retrieved from http://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=84600303112110408912303000211311712 102607800004308608709700409907412612007809507208801601309912510802604211 612312506508301308511102901301101908110712703000809110807300203809102507 507007900909012012408809412112110112210210812209811309811408900700500909 9&EXT=pdf
Hayden, H. T. (2007). Insurgents vs. guerrillas vs. terrorists. ProCon.org. Retrieved from http
://usiraq.procon.org/sourcefiles/InsurgentsvsTerrorists.pdf
Hunter, L. (2012). Freedom to leave my stop oppressive government. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/lawrencehunter/2012/06/03/freedom-to-leave-may-stop- oppressive-government/#11fcfe3cab09
Hunter, R. (2014). Abolish the states. Jacobin. Retrieved from https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/08/abolish-the-states/
Ossai, O. T. (2014). Six theories of the Boko Haram insurgency by Tony Osborg Ossai. Sahara Reporters. Retrieved from http://saharareporters.com/2014/05/05/six-theories-boko- haram-insurgency-tony-osborg-ossai
Ross, A. (2006). The nature of insurgency war. Naval War College Review, 59(2), 153-156.
Siddiqi, S. R. (2010). Insurgency movements in India. Foreign Policy Journal. Retrieved from http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2010/12/22/insurgency-movements-in-india/view- all/
Smith, M. (n.d.). Factsheet: Explaining Nigeria's Boko Haram and its violent insurgency. Africa Check. Retrieved from https://africacheck.org/factsheets/factsheet-explaining-nigerias- boko-haram-and-its-violent-insurgency/
The Socialist Party of Great Britain. (2016). The Maoist insurgency in India. Retrieved from http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/2010s/2014/no-1315-march- 2014/maoist-insurgency-india
U.S. Government. (2012). Guide to the analysis of insurgency. Retrieved from http://www.mccdc.marines.mil/Portals/172/Docs/SWCIWID/COIN/Doctrine/Guide%20t o%20the%20Analysis%20of%20Counterinsurgency.pdf
Wheat, T. (2011). The difference between terrorists and insurgents. World Report News. Retrieved from http://www.worldreportnews.com/us-foreign-policy-archived/the- difference-between-terrorists-and-insurgents