Jun 22, 2011

Exploiting Border Fault lines

A resurgence of Naxal operations in Central India was evident with a large number of attacks carried out by the guerrillas during May. The Orissa-Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand belt saw increase in Naxal activities and casualties to civilians and police. This is also evident with lack of security dominance in these states with stoppage of night trains in the region for over one year. The South Eastern Railway (SER) has extended the ban on movement of night trains on Kharagpur-Tata, Chakradharpur-Rourkela and Kharagpur-Adra sections. Night movement of trains was stopped after the Jnaneswari Express tragedy on May 28 last year.  The repeated calls for bandhs and efforts to disrupt the Panchayat polls in Bihar are indications of pressure tactics being applied by the guerrillas which are likely to increase in the days ahead and thus renewed operational vigour by the Centre and the States is called for.

While there was some progress in 2010, in 2011 so far the Naxals have slowly succeeded in wresting back the initiative. There was a tactical retreat by the guerrillas after so called Green Hunt launched by the government. Thus the Maoists found that their operational area had been restricted after some successes against security forces in the summer of 2010. However recent events indicate that the gains made in the past may have withered away.

The regional and international wings have also been activated. The Co-ordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organisations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA) has been reportedly revived after five years. In the end of March the fifth conference of CCOMPOSA held, reportedly in Nepal where senior members of United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had taken part along with their comrades engaged in Maoist organisation in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand bore the brunt of Naxal resurgence with 50 fatalities in 25 days, 33 of the killed being security personnel. Jharkhand DGP G.S. Rath called the situation “war-like” as the guerrillas targeted construction companies and equipment as well as men in uniform with 20 dead during the month in Naxal attacks in the State. “A war-like scenario is prevailing. We win some, we lose some. We are having encounters in interior areas with Naxalite,” Rath said with a rise in violence in border districts of Gumla and Palamau and the Lohardaga ambush in which 11 police personnel were killed near the state’s border with Chhattisgarh. However since these were not mass casualty attacks they escaped notice. "If 20 people die in one incident, everyone takes notice, not when they die in one's and two's over 20 days," says Ajai Sahni, director, Institute for Conflict Management.

Some of the major incidents in May were as follows-

May 3: 11 security personnel killed in Maoist encounter in Lohardaga district of Jharkhand, near the north border of Chhattisgarh

May 5: Six of a wedding party from Chhattisgarh killed in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, on state's western border

May 8 : Special police officer killed in encounter on the day of Bastar bypoll

May 14 and 16 : Nine people killed in inter-Maoist warfare in Gumla in Jharkhand, bordering Jashpur in Chhattisgarh

May 17 : Seven CRPF jawans killed in a landmine explosion, 6 kilometres south of Sukma on NH 221, in Dantewada district

May 18: Two policemen killed in Bijapur district during a wedding reception, police claim Maoists killed too

May 18 : Four policemen killed in encounter with Maoists in Gadchiroli's Bhamragarh tehsil bordering Chhattisgarh, once again police claim Maoist too have suffered casualties

May 23 : Nine policemen, including ASP rank officer, killed in gunfire on Chhattisgarh-Orissa border in Nuapara district. In another incident, Maoists slit the throat of one SPO. [Based on Times of India report].

Jharkhand DGP Gauri Shankar Rath also admitted that the death of 11 security forces personnel in Lohardaga on 3 May could have been avoided. “It was a well-laid trap by Maoists and the security forces just walked into it,” the DGP said, “The state has witnessed several big mishaps, including killings of 18 police personnel in Chaibasa in 2002 and 32 in Baliba in 2004, in which informers played a double role. The operation in Lohardaga was carried out in a casual manner. They were not carrying de-mining equipment, though the same is available in every district. They have not taken other safety precautions and flouted directives and standard operating procedures (SOP) issued by police headquarters,” he added. [Daily Telegraph report 06 May 2011]. There is also a difference of opinion between the DGP and the state’s police adviser, D.N. Gautam a former DGP of Bihar who has accused the State police of not taking their job seriously.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister also accepted that the police were not fully prepared to take on the Naxals, “Our police force was not prepared—mentally or physically—for guerrilla warfare. The first task we did was to replace fat, old men with young jawans. We strengthened the force, trained them, gave them sophisticated weapons, and improved the functioning of police stations. In the second phase”, he said.

He claimed that since the State was centrally located with six neighbours a coordinated strategy by all the states was required. “The problem in Chhattisgarh is that it is surrounded by six states and so, unless these states have a joint and integrated plan to check Naxals, ensure development and win over the confidence of people, the problem cannot be solved,” said Dr Raman Singh. [Indian Express Interview 15 May 2011].

Southern Chhattisgarh region which is densely forested and is the knot connecting four states, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra and Maharashtra is the main challenge for the security forces. Once this hub is cleared of Maoists there would be a physical split in the armed movement which is likely to disperse. The security forces have possibly recognized the challenge. "The central forces are now concentrating at inter-border operations because these are the locations where a huge movement of armed Naxal cadres is noticed. Operational success in terms of breaking the Maoist network and movement, is more here," a senior para-military officer deployed in Chhattisgarh said.

Thus while the government has been able to contain and control the spread of Naxal influence in urban and semi urban areas, in rural and forested areas of the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa the Naxals are dominant. The Maoists are also ensuring that these remain out of the beat of security forces and have been undertaking innovative tactics and using large force to trap the police from time to time with use of innovative serial IEDs  indicating a high level of military technical capability.

Thus the government’s claims that the Maoists are in stalemate is not correct, for the stalemate has been due to virtual suspension of operations by the police which has in fact provided the Maoists good grounds to extend their base and expand their influence. Thus instances of targeting infrastructure, ambushing the police and calls for bandhs have become very common. A fresh counter Naxal push is therefore required.