Aid to Civil Authorities by Army in Bihar: A Case Study

This article tries to examine the role played by the Army during a natural disaster. India’s federal set-up tends to complicates issues and, quite often, politics dominates the humanitarian aspect, which leads to delays in the development of the army. This article is a case study of the Kosi flood of 2008 in Bihar, which was an outstanding example of civil–military cooperation. The article also analyses the successful efforts made by retired Army personnel for curbing the Naxal problems in the state. But the article also poses certain questions: Is the deployment of the army in humanitarian crises good for it? Will political controversies damage the credibility and effectiveness of the Army?