The State does not seem to be on the winning side as the Maoists are keen to negotiate from a point of view of strength, Consulting Editor Tathagata Bhattacharya says
Green Hunt has not had the desired effect in all the states in which operations were launched to curb the growing clout of the Maoists. The Maoist offer of a 72-day ceasefire can’t be taken as a mark of weakness if one sees their quick spread in West Bengal and Bihar. In Chattisgarh, Maoists have suffered some reverses though but the forces' success is nothing to write home about.
Twelve encounters in three months and 60 Maoists dead. The anti-Naxalite combat force, Cobra, comprising at least 2000 policemen, are searching the jungles of Rajnandgaon and Bastar in Chattisgarh amid human rights groups and sympathisers of the Naxalite movement strongly protesting the ongoing offensive.
According to a certain estimate, there are about 10,000 Maoist rebels active throughout the state and Bastar is their centre. Bastar is surrounded by dense jungles on all sides and has borders with Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. This has hindered police operations before. Porous borders with other states helped Maoists to escape from one state to another. But, now police is adopting a new strategy to plug this gap. If one battalion of police force is conducting operations in Dantewada, another is making its base in Rajanandgaon. This can be a long-drawn battle, DGP Vishwaranjan has said. Along with the Central forces, the state governments of Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are also joining hands to ring the Maoists. One company of force, five helicopters and Rs 100 crore have been requested from the Centre to fight the Maoists.
At least 14 districts of the state have been identified as naxalite strongholds, plans are on to surround them. While talking to TSI, Mukesh Gupta, IG, Durga Range, said that the operation was underway and it was not possible to divulge details. Green Hunt has, of late, started showing positive results. Two weeks back the state police destroyed two Maoist camps. At least 800 local policemen attacked the Naxalite-affected area in Burqlanka. The operation continued for three days and more than seven Maoists were killed. A weapons factory was destroyed. Six policemen also lost their lives during the operation. But despite the set back, Chattisgarh home minister Nankiram Kanwar said that November onwards, the attack on Maoists will be more aggressive and by the end of the year, the Naxalite problem will be wiped off Dantewada district. Kanwar has reportedly announced that if the state is not free of Maoists in one year, he would tender his resignation.
However, going by the pace of the operation, i.e 60 Maoists in three months, it seems his resignation might be the more likely scenario than weeding out 10,000 armed men in one year. Since the Nitish Kumar government came to power four years back, Bihar has not seen Maoist activities on the scale it was used to. But things might be changing fast. After the Central government unleashed Green Hunt, Maoists from Chattisgarh and Orissa are escaping to Bihar. Out of the 44 districts in Bihar, 33 has been declared Naxalite-affected. Earlier, only central Bihar was considered as Maoist stronghold. The Maoists have used this opportunity to expand their territories to districts close to Nepal. Besides, they have strengthened themselves in West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Bhagalpur, Banka, Jamui and Lakhisarai.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
Green Hunt has not had the desired effect in all the states in which operations were launched to curb the growing clout of the Maoists. The Maoist offer of a 72-day ceasefire can’t be taken as a mark of weakness if one sees their quick spread in West Bengal and Bihar. In Chattisgarh, Maoists have suffered some reverses though but the forces' success is nothing to write home about.
Twelve encounters in three months and 60 Maoists dead. The anti-Naxalite combat force, Cobra, comprising at least 2000 policemen, are searching the jungles of Rajnandgaon and Bastar in Chattisgarh amid human rights groups and sympathisers of the Naxalite movement strongly protesting the ongoing offensive.
According to a certain estimate, there are about 10,000 Maoist rebels active throughout the state and Bastar is their centre. Bastar is surrounded by dense jungles on all sides and has borders with Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. This has hindered police operations before. Porous borders with other states helped Maoists to escape from one state to another. But, now police is adopting a new strategy to plug this gap. If one battalion of police force is conducting operations in Dantewada, another is making its base in Rajanandgaon. This can be a long-drawn battle, DGP Vishwaranjan has said. Along with the Central forces, the state governments of Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are also joining hands to ring the Maoists. One company of force, five helicopters and Rs 100 crore have been requested from the Centre to fight the Maoists.
At least 14 districts of the state have been identified as naxalite strongholds, plans are on to surround them. While talking to TSI, Mukesh Gupta, IG, Durga Range, said that the operation was underway and it was not possible to divulge details. Green Hunt has, of late, started showing positive results. Two weeks back the state police destroyed two Maoist camps. At least 800 local policemen attacked the Naxalite-affected area in Burqlanka. The operation continued for three days and more than seven Maoists were killed. A weapons factory was destroyed. Six policemen also lost their lives during the operation. But despite the set back, Chattisgarh home minister Nankiram Kanwar said that November onwards, the attack on Maoists will be more aggressive and by the end of the year, the Naxalite problem will be wiped off Dantewada district. Kanwar has reportedly announced that if the state is not free of Maoists in one year, he would tender his resignation.
However, going by the pace of the operation, i.e 60 Maoists in three months, it seems his resignation might be the more likely scenario than weeding out 10,000 armed men in one year. Since the Nitish Kumar government came to power four years back, Bihar has not seen Maoist activities on the scale it was used to. But things might be changing fast. After the Central government unleashed Green Hunt, Maoists from Chattisgarh and Orissa are escaping to Bihar. Out of the 44 districts in Bihar, 33 has been declared Naxalite-affected. Earlier, only central Bihar was considered as Maoist stronghold. The Maoists have used this opportunity to expand their territories to districts close to Nepal. Besides, they have strengthened themselves in West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Bhagalpur, Banka, Jamui and Lakhisarai.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
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