Naxal Violence in Chhattisgarh

Naxallites have established their base of influence in 150 districts of seven states, and at present they are engaged in building their strongholds in remaining states as well.

Recently, naxallites captured over 100 villages of Lalgarh area of Midnapore District in West Bengal and made an attempt to declare it a liberated zone after making it their bastion.

In wake of the State police becoming ineffective in this area and fleeing, the Union Government had to rush several companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) there. As a result of their untiring hard work, Lalgarh was freed from naxallites.

Out of desperation, the naxallite leadership had announced that they would not keep silent and demonstrate their strength in other states as well. In order to execute their threat, they martyred 11 policemen in landmine explosions, first on June 10 and June 16 in Palamu region, and also on June13 in a landmine blast near Bokaro in Jharkhand.

Latest Landmine Blast
On July 12, 2009, naxallites killed 39 soldiers at three places in Rajnand village district of Chhattisgarh. Naxallites attacked the Rajnand police station and killed two CRPF soldiers. When the security forces launched a search operation to nab the naxallites, they were engaged in an encounter with the naxallites. Naxallites blew up a cavalcade of vehicles of a police contingent led by the CRPF in a landmine blast, who had been rushed there to extend support to the security forces. In this explosion, 28 soldiers including a superintendent of police were martyred.

The same evening, another landmine explosion took place at Sita village, and 19 more soldiers were martyred by naxallites. The security forces and police have launched a search operation to nab the naxallites responsible for these attacks.

In fact, naxallites have been engaged in building a red belt over the past several decades in states such as Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh bordering Nepal. However, in wake of the fierce fight with the security forces in Lalgarh, naxallites have now started implemented their plan to build a direct belt in forest areas of three naxallite-influenced states of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh.

Spreading Violence
The Andhra Pradesh police states that the naxallites have planned to build a belt of their influence right from Vishakhapatnam to Dantewada area of Chhattisgarh, and extending it further upto forest areas of Koraput and Malkangiri area of Orissa. In case they succeed in their design, it will facilitate transportation of firearms and armed naxallites to the coastal Sagar region of Andhra Pradesh and other States as well.

Currently, a spurt has taken place in naxallite activities in Malkangiri and Koraput, and Dantewada area of Chhattisgarh, besides Khamam District of Andhra Pradesh, and it is not possible for the police force of a single State to restrict naxallites. The forest areas of these three States are adjacent to each other and it is extremely hard to counter naxallites there.

As such, it has become imperative now for the federal government to launch a vigorous campaign by the security forces in these States to wipe out the naxallites. If needed, the Army and air force should also be pressed into service for this objective.

Urgent Need
It can be said that the way naxallites are posing a big threat to the security forces now, the Union Government can ill-afford to exercise any complacency in the matter. Simultaneously, there is urgent need to remove those factors that prompt the naxallites to mislead innocent adivasis and other youth to join them in their movement.

There are reports that the naxallites are now formulating plans to exploit the current conditions of economic recession in the country and abroad. They are trying to target unemployed youth and other people who are becoming victims of inflation and unemployment in wake of the ongoing economic global slowdown.