B.RAMAN
1. Start a crash programme for the development of road and telecommunications infrastructure in the entire tribal belt of Central India. The Chinese realised that without effective road and rail communications, the internal security will be weak. They poured billions of dollars into infrastructure development programmes in the areas with internal security vulnerabilities. If one has only one usable road in a district, it will be unfair to blame the police for using the same road for their to and fro movements.
2.Provide effective security to road construction engineers and workers. They will become the target of attacks by Maoists to disrupt the construction.
3.It will be futile for the present to undertake operations to free the so-called liberated zones from the control of the Maoists. The State will incur large casualties without making headway. Prevent the terrorists from expanding the "liberated zones" which they have already set up by strengthening the State's presence and control in the areas where the Maoists have not yet been able to make inroads. The programme for the prevention of the expansion of the "liberated zones" should provide for physical security enhancements and a development-cum-humanitarian component to address the grievances and needs of the inhabitants. Maintenance of internal security and prompt identification and redressal of grievances should go hand in hand. Strengthen the grievances redressal machinery in the areas still under the State control.
4. Every district in the tribal belt should have two Additional Collectors. One should focus exclusively on internal security and the other exclusively on development and grievances redressal. They should work under the overall supervision of the Collector.
5.Undertake a programme for the rapid expansion of the police presence and capacity in the tribal areas still under the control of the State. Widely scattered police stations with small strengths will be counter-productive. Have a smaller number of well-located and well-connected police stations with substantial strengths and a good communications network. Issue mobile phones to all police station staff to facilitate quick communications. Connect all police stations with each other and with the District Police Headquarters through video-conferencing link-ups.
6. Prepare an urgent database of the modus operandi used by the Maoists in different incidents for setting off landmines, explosive devices and booby-traps. The Maoists are learning their modus operandi and skills not from the Internet and from Al Qaeda and other jihadi terrorist groups. They are learning them by studying the MO used by the Chinese PLA, by the Vietcong in Vietnam, by the Pathet Lao in Laos, by the White Flag Communists in Myanmar, by the Communists in Malaya and by the Maoists in the Philippines and Nepal. The jihadis' MO are urban-specific for use in urban conglomerations. The Maoists' MO are jungle-specific. They are making effective use of material available in the jungles for their booby-traps. Update this data-base after every incident and create widespread awareness of these MO in the police force. Teach the police force appropriate techniques for countering these MO.
7.The Maoists are building up their holdings of hand-held weapons through successful raids on police stations and armouries. It is a matter of serious concern that they are repeatedly able to do it. Enhance physical security in all police establishments where weapons are kept. Hold officers in charge of armouries responsible and take action against them every time the Maoists launch a successful raid for the capture of arms and ammunition.
8. Don't make an unintelligent foray into Maoists "liberated zones" and strongholds and get trapped. Think of ways of trapping the Maoists by goading them into attacking the strongholds of the State and be prepared to inflict heavy casualties on them when they do so.
9. Think of ways of preventing the flow of essential articles like rice etc into the Maoists "liberated zones" and strongholds in order to starve them.
10. Set up an Auxiliary Intelligence Corps like the Territorial Army or the Auxiliary Air Force. It should consist of part-time volunteers for intelligence collection by people in other professions who want to or are willing to help the intelligence agencies. Their links with the intelligence agencies must be protected by making the training of short duration and one-to-one instead of in a class where everyone becomes aware of the identities of others. After the training, give them mobile telephones and instruct them as to how to remain in touch with their controlling officers in guarded SMS messages using domestic codes. Pay them well---- a certain amount unrelated to their production of intelligence plus an additional amount for each piece of useful intelligence collected by them. They should be capable of operating autonomously without the need for frequent briefings by their controllers. This would be the State's answer to the sleeping cells of the insurgents.
11. Decimation operations inside the "liberated zones" should be centrally planned and implemented without the local formations taking the initiative for such operations. In this way, operational security could be better maintained. (8-4-10)
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Popular support leading to Maoist attacks on security forces
Indo-Asian News Service
Hyderabad, April 06, 2010
First Published: 22:48 IST(6/4/2010)
Last Updated: 22:50 IST(6/4/2010)
Security forces in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa are coming under more attack from Maoists because the rebels enjoy considerable support among people especially tribals, feel some former police officials in Andhra Pradesh.
These officers blame the lack of development in remote tribal areas and lack of coordination between police and paramilitary forces for the rising number of attacks.
According to a former police chief, both intelligence failure as well as lack of coordination between local authorities and paramilitary forces were responsible for Tuesday's massacre of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Chhattisgarh.
Former director general of police P. Ramulu said local police officials should have accompanied the CRPF men in the dense forests where they had gone looking for Maoists.
"During such operations local officials should accompany the paramilitary forces to guide them and give suggestions as the forces may not be fully well-versed with local conditions and topography," Ramulu said.
He felt that in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa the police and security forces were coming under repeated attacks as the Maoists had considerable support among people, especially tribals.
Another former police official said Andhra Pradesh could succeed in tackling the Maoist threat as it not only used the forces, especially the anti-Maoist Greyhounds, effectively but also took up series of welfare schemes which resulted in the Maoists losing people's support.
Ramulu, who is also a leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), underlines the need to take up development works in forest areas in states like Chhattisgarh.
Pointing out that there was a feeling among tribals that governments were depriving them of their rights by allotting natural resources to multinational companies, he called upon the governments in those states to take steps to address this issue.
The former police chief also found fault with the policy of the central government in dealing with Maoists. He wanted a uniform policy for the entire country.
"Different policies in different states are leading to this kind of incidents," he said and called for a single command for the Operation Greenhunt in various states for better results.
Andhra Pradesh, a traditional stronghold of Maoists, effectively put down the threat in the last four years by eliminating over 300 guerrillas including top leaders
Hyderabad, April 06, 2010
First Published: 22:48 IST(6/4/2010)
Last Updated: 22:50 IST(6/4/2010)
Security forces in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa are coming under more attack from Maoists because the rebels enjoy considerable support among people especially tribals, feel some former police officials in Andhra Pradesh.
These officers blame the lack of development in remote tribal areas and lack of coordination between police and paramilitary forces for the rising number of attacks.
According to a former police chief, both intelligence failure as well as lack of coordination between local authorities and paramilitary forces were responsible for Tuesday's massacre of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Chhattisgarh.
Former director general of police P. Ramulu said local police officials should have accompanied the CRPF men in the dense forests where they had gone looking for Maoists.
"During such operations local officials should accompany the paramilitary forces to guide them and give suggestions as the forces may not be fully well-versed with local conditions and topography," Ramulu said.
He felt that in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa the police and security forces were coming under repeated attacks as the Maoists had considerable support among people, especially tribals.
Another former police official said Andhra Pradesh could succeed in tackling the Maoist threat as it not only used the forces, especially the anti-Maoist Greyhounds, effectively but also took up series of welfare schemes which resulted in the Maoists losing people's support.
Ramulu, who is also a leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), underlines the need to take up development works in forest areas in states like Chhattisgarh.
Pointing out that there was a feeling among tribals that governments were depriving them of their rights by allotting natural resources to multinational companies, he called upon the governments in those states to take steps to address this issue.
The former police chief also found fault with the policy of the central government in dealing with Maoists. He wanted a uniform policy for the entire country.
"Different policies in different states are leading to this kind of incidents," he said and called for a single command for the Operation Greenhunt in various states for better results.
Andhra Pradesh, a traditional stronghold of Maoists, effectively put down the threat in the last four years by eliminating over 300 guerrillas including top leaders
Is Chhattisgarh attack 'consequence' of Operation Green Hunt?
?
Posted On: 06-Apr-2010 20:35:02 By: Vikrant Seth Font Size:
Naxalites in India
New Delhi: A top maoist leader names Gopal has said that the brutal killing of 75 CRPF troopers in the dense forests of Chattisgarh was the 'direct consequence' of the government's Operation Green Hunt offensive.
Gopal, who is the 'area commander' of Bihar-Jharkahnd-northern Chhatisgarh, said 'The attack in Chhatisgarh and the earlier one in Orissa is a direct consequence of the Central Government persisting with Operation Green Hunt.'
In an interview to BBC's Hindi Service, Gopal said 'There has been no impact of Operation Green Hunt (paramilitary offensive against Maoists in five states) on our cadres. We have become more alert since then. We believe that the time to engage in direct battle with the Central Government has now come. There is a new revolutionary zeal in our cadres'.
'We have been surrounded by paramilitary battalions. They are setting fire to the forests and making adivasis (tribals) flee. In this situation, we have no other alternative (but to stage attacks).
'We were prepared to talk to the government. Chidambaram Sahab wanted a 72-hour ceasefire but our leader Kishenji offered a 72-day ceasefire. But we wanted an end to Operation Green Hunt and release of our leaders held in various jails to create the right environment for talks. But Chidambaram refused,' he said.
What's happening? A maoist leader giving interview on radio openly and challenging government. What our government is doing?
Maoist violence, which has become a major concern for the country needs the strobgest steps against it from the government.
Posted On: 06-Apr-2010 20:35:02 By: Vikrant Seth Font Size:
Naxalites in India
New Delhi: A top maoist leader names Gopal has said that the brutal killing of 75 CRPF troopers in the dense forests of Chattisgarh was the 'direct consequence' of the government's Operation Green Hunt offensive.
Gopal, who is the 'area commander' of Bihar-Jharkahnd-northern Chhatisgarh, said 'The attack in Chhatisgarh and the earlier one in Orissa is a direct consequence of the Central Government persisting with Operation Green Hunt.'
In an interview to BBC's Hindi Service, Gopal said 'There has been no impact of Operation Green Hunt (paramilitary offensive against Maoists in five states) on our cadres. We have become more alert since then. We believe that the time to engage in direct battle with the Central Government has now come. There is a new revolutionary zeal in our cadres'.
'We have been surrounded by paramilitary battalions. They are setting fire to the forests and making adivasis (tribals) flee. In this situation, we have no other alternative (but to stage attacks).
'We were prepared to talk to the government. Chidambaram Sahab wanted a 72-hour ceasefire but our leader Kishenji offered a 72-day ceasefire. But we wanted an end to Operation Green Hunt and release of our leaders held in various jails to create the right environment for talks. But Chidambaram refused,' he said.
What's happening? A maoist leader giving interview on radio openly and challenging government. What our government is doing?
Maoist violence, which has become a major concern for the country needs the strobgest steps against it from the government.
Bloody Tuesday as Maoists massacre 75 security personnel
6 Apr 2010, 2025 hrs IST,IANS
NEW DELHI/RAIPUR: Maoist guerrillas Tuesday carried out the worst ever massacre of security personnel by trapping and slaughtering 75 men in the
dense forests of Chhattisgarh, two days after Home Minister P. Chidambaram called them cowards. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for a security meet.
"The death toll is 75 of which 74 are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and one from the state police force. Seven others are also injured," a senior CRPF official said here in Delhi.
"The security personnel from the 62nd battalion of the force were on regular patrolling when they were ambushed by the Maoists," the official added.
The officials refused to say how many personnel were missing after the attack in Dantewada in Bastar region. The number of missing personnel could be high as a company usually comprises 100-120 men.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called a meeting with Chidambaram, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and the three defence chiefs. Though officials are terming it as a scheduled meeting, the Maoist attack is likely to top the agenda.
After news of the Maoist attack, a shocked Chidambaram expressed distress over the massacre as reinforcements were rushed to evacuate the wounded and save survivors of the CRPF team that had gone looking for Maoists.
Chidambaram, the spearhead of a nationwide anti-Maoist campaign called Operation Green Hunt, said the CPRF seemed to have walked into a Maoist trap.
"Something has gone very wrong," Chidambaram told reporters. "They seem to have walked into a trap set by the Naxalites. I am deeply shocked. This shows the savage nature of the CPI-Maoist, the brutality and savagery they are capable of."
In what appeared to be a meticulously planned operation, hundreds of Maoists -- one report put the number at about 700 -- bombed and fired at the CRPF personnel as they entered a hilly stretch of forest where the rebels have held sway for decades, running a de facto state.
According to the sequence of events, after receiving information about Maoist presence, a small CRPF search party was sent into the jungle. The troopers came under attack from the rebels and a gunfight ensued. Reinforcements were sent for, which comprised a 120-strong contingent that went in a vehicle and was ambushed by the rebels.
The incident took place about 450 km south of Raipur. Dantewada is considered a stronghold of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says has emerged as the biggest internal security threat.
"A massive contingent of heavily armed Maoists ambushed a CRPF team in a hilly stretch. They first triggered blasts from all directions and followed (it) with indiscriminate firing," Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan told IANS.
He said one chopper had been sent from Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar district, to move the injured to hospital. A strong contingent of state police force had rushed to the site.
Many security personnel are reportedly missing, and two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters looked for them in the forests, police sources said. The attackers made away with weapons.
CRPF Director General Vikram Srivastava and senior officers from New Delhi are reviewing the situation in the state. The air force has also asked its attack Mi-17 chopper and transport aircraft AN-32 to remain on stand by. Choppers from the central paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) are involved in search and rescue operations.
It was the worst massacre since Maoists stormed an isolated police post in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district in March 2007 and killed 55 policemen.
Former Punjab police chief K.P.S. Gill described the anti-Maoist operation as "flawed".
"It has been a flawed operation, it still is," said Gill, a former security advisor to the Chhattisgarh government. "Their basic concept is flawed," he told Times Now television.
Other experts said the dead men Tuesday had violated the basic principles of anti-insurgency operations by travelling in large numbers in vehicles, providing an easy target for the Maoist People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).
"There is a clear-cut instruction for paramilitary as well as police to not use vehicles for any offensive in forested interiors. They are to go only on foot and also not in groups," said one officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The CRPF men grossly neglected the manuals and finally paid the price."
While Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar blamed the killings on intelligence failure, Chief Minister Raman Singh said: "We need to review our strategy every day. We need to have better coordination."
Chhattisgarh's mineral rich Bastar region has 40,000 sq km of land area but is among the poorest in India in economic development. It is dominantly home to impoverished tribals, many of whom work for the Maoists.
Bastar has witnessed a string of deadly attacks since 2005 that has claimed over 1,600 lives.
On Sunday, Chidambaram visited Lalgarh, a Maoist hub in West Bengal. There, he called the rebels cowards and then gave a virtual clean chit to the Chhattisgarh government, saying the situation there had improved vis-a-vis the Maoists.
NEW DELHI/RAIPUR: Maoist guerrillas Tuesday carried out the worst ever massacre of security personnel by trapping and slaughtering 75 men in the
dense forests of Chhattisgarh, two days after Home Minister P. Chidambaram called them cowards. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for a security meet.
"The death toll is 75 of which 74 are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and one from the state police force. Seven others are also injured," a senior CRPF official said here in Delhi.
"The security personnel from the 62nd battalion of the force were on regular patrolling when they were ambushed by the Maoists," the official added.
The officials refused to say how many personnel were missing after the attack in Dantewada in Bastar region. The number of missing personnel could be high as a company usually comprises 100-120 men.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called a meeting with Chidambaram, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and the three defence chiefs. Though officials are terming it as a scheduled meeting, the Maoist attack is likely to top the agenda.
After news of the Maoist attack, a shocked Chidambaram expressed distress over the massacre as reinforcements were rushed to evacuate the wounded and save survivors of the CRPF team that had gone looking for Maoists.
Chidambaram, the spearhead of a nationwide anti-Maoist campaign called Operation Green Hunt, said the CPRF seemed to have walked into a Maoist trap.
"Something has gone very wrong," Chidambaram told reporters. "They seem to have walked into a trap set by the Naxalites. I am deeply shocked. This shows the savage nature of the CPI-Maoist, the brutality and savagery they are capable of."
In what appeared to be a meticulously planned operation, hundreds of Maoists -- one report put the number at about 700 -- bombed and fired at the CRPF personnel as they entered a hilly stretch of forest where the rebels have held sway for decades, running a de facto state.
According to the sequence of events, after receiving information about Maoist presence, a small CRPF search party was sent into the jungle. The troopers came under attack from the rebels and a gunfight ensued. Reinforcements were sent for, which comprised a 120-strong contingent that went in a vehicle and was ambushed by the rebels.
The incident took place about 450 km south of Raipur. Dantewada is considered a stronghold of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says has emerged as the biggest internal security threat.
"A massive contingent of heavily armed Maoists ambushed a CRPF team in a hilly stretch. They first triggered blasts from all directions and followed (it) with indiscriminate firing," Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan told IANS.
He said one chopper had been sent from Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar district, to move the injured to hospital. A strong contingent of state police force had rushed to the site.
Many security personnel are reportedly missing, and two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters looked for them in the forests, police sources said. The attackers made away with weapons.
CRPF Director General Vikram Srivastava and senior officers from New Delhi are reviewing the situation in the state. The air force has also asked its attack Mi-17 chopper and transport aircraft AN-32 to remain on stand by. Choppers from the central paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) are involved in search and rescue operations.
It was the worst massacre since Maoists stormed an isolated police post in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district in March 2007 and killed 55 policemen.
Former Punjab police chief K.P.S. Gill described the anti-Maoist operation as "flawed".
"It has been a flawed operation, it still is," said Gill, a former security advisor to the Chhattisgarh government. "Their basic concept is flawed," he told Times Now television.
Other experts said the dead men Tuesday had violated the basic principles of anti-insurgency operations by travelling in large numbers in vehicles, providing an easy target for the Maoist People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).
"There is a clear-cut instruction for paramilitary as well as police to not use vehicles for any offensive in forested interiors. They are to go only on foot and also not in groups," said one officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The CRPF men grossly neglected the manuals and finally paid the price."
While Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar blamed the killings on intelligence failure, Chief Minister Raman Singh said: "We need to review our strategy every day. We need to have better coordination."
Chhattisgarh's mineral rich Bastar region has 40,000 sq km of land area but is among the poorest in India in economic development. It is dominantly home to impoverished tribals, many of whom work for the Maoists.
Bastar has witnessed a string of deadly attacks since 2005 that has claimed over 1,600 lives.
On Sunday, Chidambaram visited Lalgarh, a Maoist hub in West Bengal. There, he called the rebels cowards and then gave a virtual clean chit to the Chhattisgarh government, saying the situation there had improved vis-a-vis the Maoists.
12 suspected Maoists arrested in Chhattisgarh
Raipur, Apr 6 (PTI) A joint team of BSF and state police today arrested 12 suspected Maoists and seized their weapons from Koilibeda area of Kanker district of Chhattisgarh.
The Maoists belong to Panidobir 'dalam' (unit) and is allegedly led by Ram Singh who along with his assistant Darsu has also been apprehended, sources said.
The Naxalites were arrested by a patrol party of the 163 battalion of BSF and state police, they said.
The dalam was responsible for destroying many school buildings in Koilibeda, Tadoki and Raoghat regions of the area, they said.
The Maoists belong to Panidobir 'dalam' (unit) and is allegedly led by Ram Singh who along with his assistant Darsu has also been apprehended, sources said.
The Naxalites were arrested by a patrol party of the 163 battalion of BSF and state police, they said.
The dalam was responsible for destroying many school buildings in Koilibeda, Tadoki and Raoghat regions of the area, they said.
Government admits failure in Chhattisgarh operation
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Home Secretary G.K. Pillai admitted Tuesday that there had been an "element of failure" in the anti-Maoist offensive that led to the massacre of 75 security personnel in Chhattisgarh.
Pillai also told reporters here that the government had no plans to use air power against the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), which has gone on a killing spree in recent weeks.
"There has obviously been some element of failure in the operation," he said. "This incident should not have happened."
He said 82 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were caught up in the devastating Maoist ambush in Dantewada district of Bastar region.
Seven injured security personnel have been hospitalised. Some are reportedly in a critical condition.
He said all weapons of CRPF personnel were taken away by the Maoists, who appeared to number in hundreds. Most casualties happened due to pressure blasts.
Pillai said no member of the security forces had been captured by the rebels. "But we don't need to use air power" against the Maoists, he said.
Helicopters would be used only to transport and evacuate police and paramilitary personnel, he said.
Government outraged over Maoist massacre; BJP wants 'fight to finish'
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) The government Tuesday reacted with shock and outrage at the brutal killing of 75 paramilitary troopers by Maoists in the dense forests of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh with Home Minister P. Chidambaram admitting that "something has gone very wrong".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke with Chidambaram and called for an immediate meeting of the National Security Council to take stock of what he once called the country's "biggest internal security challenge".
"Something has gone very wrong," a sombre Chidambaram told reporters outside his North Block office. "They seem to have walked into a trap set by the Naxalites (Maoists). Casualties are very high. I am deeply shocked."
"But this shows the savage nature of the CPI-Maoist, the brutality and savagery they are capable of," he said.
Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters that "the government's resolve has been further strengthened and in the coming days and months much firmer action will be taken to tackle the Maoist menace".
In what appeared to be a meticulously planned operation, hundreds of Maoists - one report put the number at about 700 - ambushed, shelled and fired at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel as they entered a hilly stretch of forest where the rebels have held sway for decades, running a de facto state.
It was the worst ever massacre by Maoists. The incident took place about 450 km south of Chhattisgarh capital Raipur.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in power in Chhattisgarh, called for an "all-out offensive" against the Maoists and said the government should embark on a "fight to finish" against the extremists. BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the party will support the government in its anti-Maoist battle.
The government had launched an offensive called "Operation Green Hunt" against the Maoist militia in the hinterland of several states in east and central India where they have dug in and even control large tracts of territory inhabited by poor tribals that is beyond the pale of the administration.
Dantewada is considered a stronghold of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, which is led by a bunch of ideologically driven ultra leftwing rebels with the avowed aim of overthrowing the state.
In March 2007, the rebels had stormed an isolated police post in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district and killed 55 policemen.
The Maoist insurgency is spread across contiguous forests of about 10 states but their main stronghold is in the iron ore-rich Bastar region in Chhattisgarh that is home to tribespersons whose poverty they exploit to swell their ranks. Official estimates have put their numbers at between 10,000 to 15,000.
'Troopers ignored warfare manual in Maoist den'
Raipur, April 6 (IANS) It would appear that the 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers who were killed mercilessly Tuesday by Maoists were seized with a death wish as they ventured "blindly" into the Maoist den ignoring all warfare guidelines they were taught.
The bloodbath in Dantewada could have been avoided if the troopers had abided by the 48-point warfare manual they have been instructed to strictly follow during anti-rebel operations in the dense jungles, a counter-terrorism official said Tuesday.
The contingent of 120 paramilitary CRPF that was attacked virtually staged a "dress rehearsal" of the July 12, 2009, incident in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh when the personnel walked into a Maoist booby trap while riding on vehicles - something strictly "disallowed" in the landmine-strewn jungle interiors.
Twenty-nine policemen included an Indian Police Service officer were killed in the attack then, and Tuesday the CRPF men committed the "same blunder" by ignoring the warfare manual rules and lost 75 men.
"I have always stressed that policemen should never ride in vehicles on jungle roads and should always carry de-mining squads and sniffer dogs trained in detecting improvised explosives devices (IEDs) while going on operations," B.K. Ponwar, director of the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College (CTJWC) based in Bastar's Chhattisgarh, told IANS in an interview.
The Chhattisgarh government set up the elite warfare college in 2005 to train policemen to fight "a guerilla like a guerilla" and also on "how to survive flash attacks in hilly terrain where the enemy is strategically perched higher up and can see any movement easily".
A senior official at the police headquarters here expressed surprise that the CRPF contingent "blindly" ventured into the forest on vehicles.
"It seems they were desperate to kiss death. It hurts the entire police force when troopers get killed in such a foolish manner. I can't understand why they completely ignored warfare guidelines,'' the officer wondered.
He added: "Policemen are flouting warfare rules over and over again... What was so urgent to ride on vehicles and enter the thick jungle roads planted with landmines all around. It's great neglect of the basic guerrilla warfare rules which they have been briefed about before being posted in red terror land," he said.
A police officer based at Dornapal area of Dantewada district remarked: "Tuesday's bloodbath will dampen the morale of the thousands of police force deployed in Bastar (on anti-Maoist operations).''
On Tuesday, hundreds of Maoists -- one report put the number at over 700 -- bombed and fired at the CRPF personnel as they entered a hilly stretch of forest land in Dantewada, killing 74 men from the 62nd battalion of the CRPF and a state police officer. More than two dozen personnel were injured.
The incident took place about 450 km south of Raipur. Dantewada is considered a stronghold of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says has emerged as the biggest internal security threat.
It was the worst massacre since Maoists stormed an isolated police post in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district in March 2007 and killed 55 policemen.
Was Chhattisgarh attack intelligence failure, asks Congress
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Terming the killing of 75 security personnel in Chattisgarh by the Maoists as an act of terror, the Congress Tuesday said "there might have been an intelligence failure and the reason for this should be ascertained".
"This is very unfortunate that we have lost a number of precious lives of security personnel in a brutal attack. Those behind this terror attack should be firmly dealt with," Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told IANS after 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were massacred by the Maoists in the forests of Chhattisgarh.
The Congress also asked the government to take measures to prevent such attacks.
PM speaks to Chidambaram over Chhattisgarh massacre
Raipur/New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday spoke to Home Minister P. Chidambaram and sought a detailed report on the killing of 75 troopers by Maoist guerrillas in Chhattisgarh, minutes after getting the news of the worst massacre of security personnel in the country.
The prime minister was outraged by the massacre and sought updates from the home minister, government sources said.
The issue will be discussed in greater detail when the National Security Council meets later in the evening.
In what appeared to be a meticulously planned operation, hundreds of Maoists -- one report put the number at about 700 -- bombed and fired at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel as they entered a hilly stretch of forest where the rebels have held sway for decades, running a de facto state.
The massacre took place about 450 km south of the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur. Dantewada is considered a stronghold of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, which the prime minister says has emerged as the biggest internal security threat.
It was the worst massacre since Maoists stormed an isolated police post in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district in March 2007 and killed 55 policemen.
Bloody Tuesday as Maoists massacre 75 security personnel
Raipur, April 6 (IANS) Maoist guerrillas Tuesday carried out the worst ever massacre of security personnel by trapping and slaughtering 75 men in the dense forests of Chhattisgarh, two days after Home Minister P. Chidambaram called them cowards. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for a security meet.
"The death toll is 75 of which 74 are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and one from the state police force. Seven others are also injured," a senior CRPF official said here in Delhi.
"The security personnel from the 62nd battalion of the force were on regular patrolling when they were ambushed by the Maoists," the official added.
The officials refused to say how many personnel were missing after the attack in Dantewada in Bastar region. The number of missing personnel could be high as a company usually comprises 100-120 men.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called a meeting with Chidambaram, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and the three defence chiefs. Though officials are terming it as a scheduled meeting, the Maoist attack is likely to top the agenda.
After news of the Maoist attack, a shocked Chidambaram expressed distress over the massacre as reinforcements were rushed to evacuate the wounded and save survivors of the CRPF team that had gone looking for Maoists.
Chidambaram, the spearhead of a nationwide anti-Maoist campaign called Operation Green Hunt, said the CPRF seemed to have walked into a Maoist trap.
"Something has gone very wrong," Chidambaram told reporters. "They seem to have walked into a trap set by the Naxalites. I am deeply shocked. This shows the savage nature of the CPI-Maoist, the brutality and savagery they are capable of."
In what appeared to be a meticulously planned operation, hundreds of Maoists -- one report put the number at about 700 -- bombed and fired at the CRPF personnel as they entered a hilly stretch of forest where the rebels have held sway for decades, running a de facto state.
According to the sequence of events, after receiving information about Maoist presence, a small CRPF search party was sent into the jungle. The troopers came under attack from the rebels and a gunfight ensued. Reinforcements were sent for, which comprised a 120-strong contingent that went in a vehicle and was ambushed by the rebels.
The incident took place about 450 km south of Raipur. Dantewada is considered a stronghold of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says has emerged as the biggest internal security threat.
"A massive contingent of heavily armed Maoists ambushed a CRPF team in a hilly stretch. They first triggered blasts from all directions and followed (it) with indiscriminate firing," Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan told IANS.
He said one chopper had been sent from Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar district, to move the injured to hospital. A strong contingent of state police force had rushed to the site.
Many security personnel are reportedly missing, and two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters looked for them in the forests, police sources said. The attackers made away with weapons.
CRPF Director General Vikram Srivastava and senior officers from New Delhi are reviewing the situation in the state. The air force has also asked its attack Mi-17 chopper and transport aircraft AN-32 to remain on stand by. Choppers from the central paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) are involved in search and rescue operations.
It was the worst massacre since Maoists stormed an isolated police post in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district in March 2007 and killed 55 policemen.
Former Punjab police chief K.P.S. Gill described the anti-Maoist operation as "flawed".
"It has been a flawed operation, it still is," said Gill, a former security advisor to the Chhattisgarh government. "Their basic concept is flawed," he told Times Now television.
Other experts said the dead men Tuesday had violated the basic principles of anti-insurgency operations by travelling in large numbers in vehicles, providing an easy target for the Maoist People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).
"There is a clear-cut instruction for paramilitary as well as police to not use vehicles for any offensive in forested interiors. They are to go only on foot and also not in groups," said one officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The CRPF men grossly neglected the manuals and finally paid the price."
While Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar blamed the killings on intelligence failure, Chief Minister Raman Singh said: "We need to review our strategy every day. We need to have better coordination."
Chhattisgarh's mineral rich Bastar region has 40,000 sq km of land area but is among the poorest in India in economic development. It is dominantly home to impoverished tribals, many of whom work for the Maoists.
Bastar has witnessed a string of deadly attacks since 2005 that has claimed over 1,600 lives.
On Sunday, Chidambaram visited Lalgarh, a Maoist hub in West Bengal. There, he called the rebels cowards and then gave a virtual clean chit to the Chhattisgarh government, saying the situation there had improved vis-a-vis the Maoists.
We stand with government against Maoists, affirms BJP
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said that it offered full support to the government in its fight against the Maoists, after 73 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were massacred by the Left-wing rebels in the forests of Chhattisgarh.
At a press conference here, BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said it was not a time for debate or discussion, but that his party fully supported the government, which should immediately strike hard against the Maoist terror in a "fight to the finish".
"We stand by the government. We stand by the state government. We stand by all the forces against the Naxals (Maoists)," Rudy said, terming the attack as "brutal".
He noted that the attack was the Maoists' way to try to overthrow Indian democracy.
West Bengal sounds alert in Maoist-hit districts
Kolkata, April 6 (IANS) West Bengal Tuesday sounded an alert in three districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia following the massive Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh that killed 73 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers.
"We have already sounded high alert in all three Maoists-affected districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia," state Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh told IANS.
"We have also asked all police stations and central paramilitary forces' camps to be on alert so that no Maoist guerrillas can sneak into this territory (West Bengal side)," Singh said.
At least 73 troopers were killed when Maoist guerrillas ambushed a CRPF vehicle in a thickly forested area of Chhattisgarh's violence-hit Bastar region. The attack, in which the guerrillas first bombed the vehicle and then opened fire, took place at Chintalnar hamlet of Dantewada district.
"We have asked our forces to keep a close vigil everywhere to combat any untoward incident," Singh said.
Maoists' attack trail in the past year
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Tuesday's attack by hundreds of Maoist guerrillas on a Central Reserve Police Force contingent in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, killing more than 70 troopers, is said to be the most brutal. In the past year, around 200 people, mostly security force personnel, have been killed in ten major attacks orchestrated by Maoists.
Here's a look at the major attacks in the past year.
April 6, 2010: Guerrillas trigger multiple blasts and then fire indiscriminately at a CRPF team in the Chintalnar forested hamlet of Dantewada district, about 450 km south of Raipur, in violence-hit Bastar. The dead include 72 troopers from the 62nd battalion of the CRPF and one state police officer.
April 4, 2010: Maoists detonate powerful landmine and blow up police bus in Koraput district, Orissa. Around 10 Special Operations Group personnel killed and 16 injured.
March 23, 2010: Maoists blast a railway track in Bihar's Gaya district causing derailment of the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express. On the same day, a landmine attack in Orissa leaves an empty freight train derailed hitting services on the Howrah-Mumbai route.
Feb 15, 2010: Around 100 Maoists storm a police camp in Silda, West Bengal, fire indiscriminately and set the camp on fire. Around 24 people are killed as the assailants take off with a huge cache of arms.
Oct 8, 2009 : Seventeen policemen are killed in an ambush by Maoists at Laheri police station in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
July 27, 2009: Six CRPF men killed in a landmine blast at Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh.
July 12, 2009: Three separate attacks in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh claim the lives of 30 security personnel.
June 23, 2009: A group of motorcycle-borne armed Maoists open fire on Lakhisarai district court premises in Bihar to free four of their men.
June 10, 2009: Nine security personnel including CRPF troopers ambushed by Maoists during a routine patrol in Saranda jungles in Jharkhand.
May 22, 2009: Maoists kill 16 policemen in the jungles of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra.
April 13, 2009: Around 10 policemen are killed in eastern Orissa's Koraput district when Maoists attack a state-run bauxite mine.
April 22, 2009: Maoists hijack a passenger train with at least 300 people on board in Jharkhand and force it change direction to Latehar district before fleeing. The incident took place ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Chinese hackers steal secret Indian documents
Chidanand Rajghatta, TNN, Apr 6, 2010, 08.40pm IST
WASHINGTON: Chinese hackers have pilfered classified documents from the India’s security, defense, and diplomatic establishment, including assessments of the Maoist and Naxalite movements, the security situation in the country's North East, and New Delhi’s ties with Russia and the Middle East, U.S and Canadian researchers who tracked the cyber-espionage have said.
In a report titled ''Shadows in the Cloud'' issued on Monday, researchers based at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto said an India-focused spy operation seemingly based out of China’s Sichuan province hacked into computers across India and in Indian missions abroad, stealing sensitive data, including information on Indian missile systems gathered from independent analysts. They also obtained a year’s worth of Dalai Lama’s personal e-mail messages.
According to the researchers, the breaches involved Indian Embassy computers in Kabul, Moscow and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and at the High Commission of India in Abuja, Nigeria. Also compromised were computers used by the Indian Military Engineer Services in Bengdubi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Jalandhar; the 21 Mountain Artillery Brigade in Assam and three air force bases; and computers at two Indian military colleges.
The report comes in the middle of External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna’s four-day visit to China to mark 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In Beijing yesterday, Krishna said China and India should shun a competitive approach and sought China’s support for India’s bid for a UN Security Council seat in an effort to warm up ties the increasingly frosty ties between the Himalayan neighbors.
The latest attack appeared for more India-specific than the one the same research group identified last year as Ghostnet, which used computer servers based mostly on the island of Hainan to steal documents from corporations and governments in more than 103 countries, including India. Earlier this year, Google charged that it and dozens of other companies had been the victims of computer intrusions coming from China, leading to a spat with Beijing and Google’s exit from China.
The Munk School researchers, working with a U.S team from the Shadowserver Foundation and Indian experts who were not named for ''security reasons,'' said their investigation into Ghostnet led them to an eight-month long second counter cyber-espionage operation to track a ring they called Shadow Network. The new report shows that the India-focused spy ring made extensive use of Internet services like Twitter, Yahoo Mail, Blogspot, and Google Groups to automate the control of computers once they had been infected.
The report says the documents stolen included ''sensitive information taken from a member of the National Security Council Secretariat concerning secret assessments of India’s security situation in the states of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura, as well as concerning the Naxalites and Maoists.'' Hackers also stole documents related to the travel of NATO forces in Afghanistan, the report said, suggesting that even though the Indian government was the primary target of the attacks, it could have compromised U.S and Nato operations.
The report at one point qualified the disclosures saying while the documents pilfered were identified as belonging to the Indian government, the researchers had no direct evidence they were stolen from Indian government computers; they may well have been compromised as a result of being copied onto personal computers.
According to the New York Times, which first reported the story, the researchers claimed they contacted intelligence officials in India and told them of the spy ring they had been tracking. They requested and were given instructions on how to dispose of the classified and restricted documents.
Given the sophistication of the intruders and the targets of the operation, the researchers said it is possible that the Chinese government approved of the spying. A Chinese official termed the suggestion ''ridiculous'' and told NYT that Beijing ''considers hacking a cancer to the whole society.''
WASHINGTON: Chinese hackers have pilfered classified documents from the India’s security, defense, and diplomatic establishment, including assessments of the Maoist and Naxalite movements, the security situation in the country's North East, and New Delhi’s ties with Russia and the Middle East, U.S and Canadian researchers who tracked the cyber-espionage have said.
In a report titled ''Shadows in the Cloud'' issued on Monday, researchers based at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto said an India-focused spy operation seemingly based out of China’s Sichuan province hacked into computers across India and in Indian missions abroad, stealing sensitive data, including information on Indian missile systems gathered from independent analysts. They also obtained a year’s worth of Dalai Lama’s personal e-mail messages.
According to the researchers, the breaches involved Indian Embassy computers in Kabul, Moscow and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and at the High Commission of India in Abuja, Nigeria. Also compromised were computers used by the Indian Military Engineer Services in Bengdubi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Jalandhar; the 21 Mountain Artillery Brigade in Assam and three air force bases; and computers at two Indian military colleges.
The report comes in the middle of External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna’s four-day visit to China to mark 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In Beijing yesterday, Krishna said China and India should shun a competitive approach and sought China’s support for India’s bid for a UN Security Council seat in an effort to warm up ties the increasingly frosty ties between the Himalayan neighbors.
The latest attack appeared for more India-specific than the one the same research group identified last year as Ghostnet, which used computer servers based mostly on the island of Hainan to steal documents from corporations and governments in more than 103 countries, including India. Earlier this year, Google charged that it and dozens of other companies had been the victims of computer intrusions coming from China, leading to a spat with Beijing and Google’s exit from China.
The Munk School researchers, working with a U.S team from the Shadowserver Foundation and Indian experts who were not named for ''security reasons,'' said their investigation into Ghostnet led them to an eight-month long second counter cyber-espionage operation to track a ring they called Shadow Network. The new report shows that the India-focused spy ring made extensive use of Internet services like Twitter, Yahoo Mail, Blogspot, and Google Groups to automate the control of computers once they had been infected.
The report says the documents stolen included ''sensitive information taken from a member of the National Security Council Secretariat concerning secret assessments of India’s security situation in the states of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura, as well as concerning the Naxalites and Maoists.'' Hackers also stole documents related to the travel of NATO forces in Afghanistan, the report said, suggesting that even though the Indian government was the primary target of the attacks, it could have compromised U.S and Nato operations.
The report at one point qualified the disclosures saying while the documents pilfered were identified as belonging to the Indian government, the researchers had no direct evidence they were stolen from Indian government computers; they may well have been compromised as a result of being copied onto personal computers.
According to the New York Times, which first reported the story, the researchers claimed they contacted intelligence officials in India and told them of the spy ring they had been tracking. They requested and were given instructions on how to dispose of the classified and restricted documents.
Given the sophistication of the intruders and the targets of the operation, the researchers said it is possible that the Chinese government approved of the spying. A Chinese official termed the suggestion ''ridiculous'' and told NYT that Beijing ''considers hacking a cancer to the whole society.''
Parties Demand Stepped Up Action Against Naxals
"Till now Chief Minister Shibu Soren has been giving contradictory statements on Naxals. At least now his government and allies should take the issue very seriously, and step up anti-Naxal operation with commitment," Congress leader Radhakrishna Kishore said.
Instead of making a pause in the anti-Naxal operations, the state government should step up it up, Kishore, who was appointed convenor of an anti-naxal committee set up by JPCC, said.
JMM spokesman Simond Marandi wondered why only 120 security personnel were sent to a Maoist stronghold like Dantewada.
"Had the government been serious about rooting out Naxalites in Dantewara they would have sent at least 4,000 securitymen," Marandi said.
RJD's Legislative Party leader Annapurna Devi said "the Centre and state governments should draw up better strategies and advise security personnel to take proper precautionary measures before venturing against Naxalites."
Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric-LP) leader, Pradip Yadav called for strengthening of the intelligence network.
CPI (M) Central Committee member, J S Majumdar, claimed that the central forces had failed in drawing up 'foolproof strategy to prevent ambush by naxalites.
Despite calling for stepped up anti-naxal operations, all the political leaders, however, opposed calling in the army.
Manmohan expresses shock and grief
VINAY KUMAR
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday expressed “shock and grief'' over the loss of lives of security personnel in the Maoist attack in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
Dr. Singh spoke to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and sought details of the attack.
After a scheduled meeting of the National Security Council at his residence here, Dr. Singh had a discussion with Mr. Chidambaram and was provided details of the rescue operations and other measures.
Expressing shock over the “very high'' casualty of CRPF personnel in the attack, Mr. Chidambaram said something must have gone “drastically'' wrong in the CRPF-police joint operation.
“The casualty is very high and I am deeply shocked at the loss of lives. This shows the savage nature of the CPI(Maoist) and their brutality and the savagery they are capable of. Senior officials have already rushed to the site and we await reports from them,'' he said.
Mr. Chidambaram said the Chhattisgarh government and the CRPF together planned the operation. “They had mobilised both the State forces and the CRPF, but something must have gone drastically wrong. They seem to have walked into a camp or a trap set by Naxalites,'' he said adding that he felt very sorry for those who lost their lives in the attack.
Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai admitted that there was some failure.
“We should not have lost so many lives. Initial reports suggest that the Naxals used pressure bombs. A rescue helicopter too came under Naxal fire, but we have managed to bring back seven injured,'' he told reporters.
“We'll fight them”
Mr. Pillai reiterated the government's resolve to carry out the fight against Naxals. “We will give them a firmer reply. But as of now there no need to use air power against them.'' Air services would be used only for rescue and reconnaissance purposes.
Sources in the internal security establishment said Tuesday's attack showed that Maoists were extremely capable in terms of improvising their tactics and planned their operation against the CRPF “very well'' after studying and understanding various aspects of deployment and movement of security personnel.
While expressing concern over easy availability of a large quantity of explosives to Naxals, sources in the Home Ministry said the government was finalising stricter norms for regulating the movement, transportation and usage of explosives for mining and industrial purposes.
“The new policy will be announced shortly but its implementation will be a huge task,'' a senior official said.
70 security personnel killed in Chhattisgarh Naxal attack
New Delhi: In what is claimed to be the worst attack by Maoist rebels, at least 70 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and district force personnel were killed in an ambush in the Mukrana forests of Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district.
State’s failure: An injured soldier being carried away after the Maoist attack. The personnel, part of a joint force of a CRPF and police team, were attacked when returning from a four-day anti-Naxal operation. AP
While the government sought to brave it out, analysts have blamed the attack—the third since February—on poor strategy.
The personnel—part of a combined force of an 80-member CRPF and district police team—were attacked when returning from a four-day anti-Naxal operation.
“The casualty is very high and I am deeply shocked at the loss of lives... This shows the savage nature of CPI (Maoist) and their brutality and the savagery they are capable of. Senior officials will be reaching there shortly,” said Union home minister P. Chidambaram.
“Government of Chhattisgarh and CRPF together had planned this operation. They had mobilized both the state forces and the CRPF, but something has gone drastically wrong. They seem to have walked into a trap set by Naxalites,” he said.
Also Read Timeline: Red Terror
Tuesday’s offensive has been the deadliest massacre of security forces by the extremist insurgents in a decades-long conflict. In March 2007, a Naxal attack killed 55 policemen in Chhattisgarh.
The intensity of the conflict has been scaling up in recent weeks with the government and Naxalites engaged in violent shoot outs.
In February, at least 25 security personnel were killed when Maoists attacked a police camp in West Bengal. On Sunday, at least 10 policemen were killed in a separate landmine attack in Orissa.
The Maoist rebels operate in 11 of 28 states in the country. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Naxal problem as one of the greatest internal security threats.
Analysts say the government’s flawed anti-Naxal strategy and inadequate forces are responsible for Tuesday’s attack. “This is a severe failure of the state intelligence, which had no clue of the movement of 1,000 men. This proves there is a need for a change in strategy and the urgency to equip the state machinery to fight the Naxals,” said Prakash Singh, a former director general of the Border Security Force.
The Naxals are also seeking to push back on the step-up in the government offensive through Operation Greenhunt.
“It is a direct response to Operation Greenhunt and they want to show that such efforts won’t make much difference to their operations,” said Bharat Karnad, internal security expert and a former member of the National Security Advisory Board of the National Security Council. “If the government continues with Operation Greenhunt, it will get some success like killing a few Maoists, etc., but it won’t help it throttle the movement,” he added. “For that, the Maoist leadership has to be eliminated, which requires genuine, special forces.”
The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the ruling party in Chhattisgarh, has called for tough action against the Maoists.
PTI, Bloomberg and AFP contributed to this story.
ruhi.t@livemint.com
State’s failure: An injured soldier being carried away after the Maoist attack. The personnel, part of a joint force of a CRPF and police team, were attacked when returning from a four-day anti-Naxal operation. AP
While the government sought to brave it out, analysts have blamed the attack—the third since February—on poor strategy.
The personnel—part of a combined force of an 80-member CRPF and district police team—were attacked when returning from a four-day anti-Naxal operation.
“The casualty is very high and I am deeply shocked at the loss of lives... This shows the savage nature of CPI (Maoist) and their brutality and the savagery they are capable of. Senior officials will be reaching there shortly,” said Union home minister P. Chidambaram.
“Government of Chhattisgarh and CRPF together had planned this operation. They had mobilized both the state forces and the CRPF, but something has gone drastically wrong. They seem to have walked into a trap set by Naxalites,” he said.
Also Read Timeline: Red Terror
Tuesday’s offensive has been the deadliest massacre of security forces by the extremist insurgents in a decades-long conflict. In March 2007, a Naxal attack killed 55 policemen in Chhattisgarh.
The intensity of the conflict has been scaling up in recent weeks with the government and Naxalites engaged in violent shoot outs.
In February, at least 25 security personnel were killed when Maoists attacked a police camp in West Bengal. On Sunday, at least 10 policemen were killed in a separate landmine attack in Orissa.
The Maoist rebels operate in 11 of 28 states in the country. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Naxal problem as one of the greatest internal security threats.
Analysts say the government’s flawed anti-Naxal strategy and inadequate forces are responsible for Tuesday’s attack. “This is a severe failure of the state intelligence, which had no clue of the movement of 1,000 men. This proves there is a need for a change in strategy and the urgency to equip the state machinery to fight the Naxals,” said Prakash Singh, a former director general of the Border Security Force.
The Naxals are also seeking to push back on the step-up in the government offensive through Operation Greenhunt.
“It is a direct response to Operation Greenhunt and they want to show that such efforts won’t make much difference to their operations,” said Bharat Karnad, internal security expert and a former member of the National Security Advisory Board of the National Security Council. “If the government continues with Operation Greenhunt, it will get some success like killing a few Maoists, etc., but it won’t help it throttle the movement,” he added. “For that, the Maoist leadership has to be eliminated, which requires genuine, special forces.”
The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the ruling party in Chhattisgarh, has called for tough action against the Maoists.
PTI, Bloomberg and AFP contributed to this story.
ruhi.t@livemint.com
Naxal `green hunt'
Category » Editorial Posted On Tuesday, April 06, 2010
The Union government, has publicly launched `Operation green hunt' against the Naxalites. But, it appears as if the Naxalites have also launched `Operation Lalgarh' against the Union and the State governments. The Naxalites are openly declaring bandhs in states, blasting off railway tracks and destroying public property without any fear.
The Naxals have even succeeded in hijacking important trains like Rajdhani provided with RPF jawans. On
On Sunday the Maoists killed ten jawans of the elite Special Operation Group of Orissa Police and injured 13 by triggering a powerful landmine explosion at Mantriamba village under Baipariguda police station of Koraput district.
The SOG, raised specially to fight the Maoists, were moving in three vehicles from Jeypore towards Malkangiri to clear the road for the BSF jawans to conduct anti-Maoist operation when the incident occurred.
On March 24 the red rebels had gunned down three SOG jawans and injured ten during a fierce encounter in the dense forest near Ambagiri village in Gajapati district.
Recently after touring the rebel-affected areas of Lalgarh, the Union home minister P Chidambaram had said that the Centre will not take recourse to any military action against Maoists but 'Operation Greenhunt' will continue 'as usual'. The minister found remote areas of Lalgarh very backward and with no sign of development.
Meanwhile, reciprocating Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's talks offer, the PCPA has declared that it was ready for dialogue provided certain ''preconditions'' were fulfilled, including immediate withdrawal of the combined forces from Junglemahal.
PCPA convener Asit Mahato has informed an news agency that they were ready to accept the Centre's offer and would send a message to this effect to the Union home minister after consultation with senior leaders of the outfit who had gone underground.
The Union government, has publicly launched `Operation green hunt' against the Naxalites. But, it appears as if the Naxalites have also launched `Operation Lalgarh' against the Union and the State governments. The Naxalites are openly declaring bandhs in states, blasting off railway tracks and destroying public property without any fear.
The Naxals have even succeeded in hijacking important trains like Rajdhani provided with RPF jawans. On
On Sunday the Maoists killed ten jawans of the elite Special Operation Group of Orissa Police and injured 13 by triggering a powerful landmine explosion at Mantriamba village under Baipariguda police station of Koraput district.
The SOG, raised specially to fight the Maoists, were moving in three vehicles from Jeypore towards Malkangiri to clear the road for the BSF jawans to conduct anti-Maoist operation when the incident occurred.
On March 24 the red rebels had gunned down three SOG jawans and injured ten during a fierce encounter in the dense forest near Ambagiri village in Gajapati district.
Recently after touring the rebel-affected areas of Lalgarh, the Union home minister P Chidambaram had said that the Centre will not take recourse to any military action against Maoists but 'Operation Greenhunt' will continue 'as usual'. The minister found remote areas of Lalgarh very backward and with no sign of development.
Meanwhile, reciprocating Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's talks offer, the PCPA has declared that it was ready for dialogue provided certain ''preconditions'' were fulfilled, including immediate withdrawal of the combined forces from Junglemahal.
PCPA convener Asit Mahato has informed an news agency that they were ready to accept the Centre's offer and would send a message to this effect to the Union home minister after consultation with senior leaders of the outfit who had gone underground.
Karnataka mulls over independent intelligence wing
HUBLI: The state government is planning to set up an independent intelligence Wing. Disclosing this to reporters here on Monday, home minister V S Acharya said the state has always felt the need for an independent and efficient intelligence wing and hence is planning to establish one on the lines of Gujarat.
Efforts are being made in this regard, he said, adding that they are not working on this front by setting a timeframe.
Acharya claimed that the BJP government has progressed in combating Naxal attacks ever since it came to power in the state. He said the term of the special aid extended by the Centre when L K Advani was home minister has expired. The Centre has been asked to extend it for five more years.
Efforts are being made in this regard, he said, adding that they are not working on this front by setting a timeframe.
Acharya claimed that the BJP government has progressed in combating Naxal attacks ever since it came to power in the state. He said the term of the special aid extended by the Centre when L K Advani was home minister has expired. The Centre has been asked to extend it for five more years.
Maoists are 'cowards enacting dramas': PC
Express news service Posted online: Monday , Apr 05, 2010 at 1326 hrs
Chennai : The Maoist ultras, the current ‘enemy number one’ of the Indian State, would be routed in the coming two to three years, declared Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, speaking hours after the landmine blast that killed army personnel in Orissa on Sunday.
Lashing out at the ultra reds for their acts against the State, he declared that the Government was firm on uprooting the insurgent movement, whom Chidambaram termed were the primary enemies of the State.
Naxals were not friends of the poor as they claim but rather were ‘cowards enacting dramas’ who destroyed schools and rails and hijacked trains, he added, recalling the several attacks they launched in the recent past.
“If they have courage, they should take part in democratic processes and face elections. Who is stopping them from winning elections?” asked the former Finance Minister who was speaking at a Union Budget explanatory meeting organised by a local unit of the party near Chennai late on Sunday night.
The Union Budget has set aside a mammoth amount of over Rs 40,000 crores to battle Naxals and other separatists in the North Eastern States, who posed a serious challenge to the nation’s internal security, said the Home Minister justifying the large expenditure. “The Union Government,” asserted Chidambaram, “is firm on uprooting them in two to three years.”
Taking a swipe at former allies, the Left parties, Chidambaram said two years ago, the CPM members who spoke inside the Parliament opposed army or paramilitary involvement in the battle against Naxals. “But now, the West Bengal Chief Minister is advising me to deploy the military to crush terrorists. I am happy that wisdom has dawned at least now.”
Pointing out that Naxal heartland West Midnapore district had as many as 21 Assembly constituencies, Chidambaram said it was impossible for a district collector or district superintendent of police to administer such a vast area.
Chennai : The Maoist ultras, the current ‘enemy number one’ of the Indian State, would be routed in the coming two to three years, declared Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, speaking hours after the landmine blast that killed army personnel in Orissa on Sunday.
Lashing out at the ultra reds for their acts against the State, he declared that the Government was firm on uprooting the insurgent movement, whom Chidambaram termed were the primary enemies of the State.
Naxals were not friends of the poor as they claim but rather were ‘cowards enacting dramas’ who destroyed schools and rails and hijacked trains, he added, recalling the several attacks they launched in the recent past.
“If they have courage, they should take part in democratic processes and face elections. Who is stopping them from winning elections?” asked the former Finance Minister who was speaking at a Union Budget explanatory meeting organised by a local unit of the party near Chennai late on Sunday night.
The Union Budget has set aside a mammoth amount of over Rs 40,000 crores to battle Naxals and other separatists in the North Eastern States, who posed a serious challenge to the nation’s internal security, said the Home Minister justifying the large expenditure. “The Union Government,” asserted Chidambaram, “is firm on uprooting them in two to three years.”
Taking a swipe at former allies, the Left parties, Chidambaram said two years ago, the CPM members who spoke inside the Parliament opposed army or paramilitary involvement in the battle against Naxals. “But now, the West Bengal Chief Minister is advising me to deploy the military to crush terrorists. I am happy that wisdom has dawned at least now.”
Pointing out that Naxal heartland West Midnapore district had as many as 21 Assembly constituencies, Chidambaram said it was impossible for a district collector or district superintendent of police to administer such a vast area.
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