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We have a situation, almost everywhere

We have a situation, almost everywhere

Author: Times News Network
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: May 19, 2006
URL: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1537867.cms

Union minister of state for home Sriprakash Jaiswal's recent admission in Parliament that Left-wing extremists had overtaken terror outfits in J&K both in terms of attacks and killings, underlines the stark reality on the security front.

The UPA government, which made an ominous start by repealing Pota and encouraging Andhra Pradesh's 'half-baked' talks initiative with the Naxals, is now grappling with the increasing lethality and spread of Left-wing extremism.

Two years into its tenure, the government is set to launch surgical strikes, even involving helicopters to para-drop security personnel, to counter the stepped-up Naxal strikes in Chattisgarh.

Ironically, the surge in civilian attacks is a fallout of the Centre and state government ill-thought-out public awakening strategy: The popular anti-Naxal protests, or Salwa Judoom, were being indiscriminately taken to newer areas in the state even without having a proper security-back up in place to protect the activists.

The result is there for all to see: The CPI(Maoist), having regrouped during the sabbatical they got when a cease-fire was declared by the Andhra Pradesh government soon after it took over in 2004, is now active in as many as 13 states and has carried out 1,533 attacks in 2004 and 1,594 in 2005.

In fact, as many as 550 incidents were recorded in the first 4 months of this year alone. Though this is lower than the Naxal-related incidents nation-wide in the corresponding period of last year, the statistics in Chattisgarh tell a different story.

Reeling under growing targeting of Salwa Judoom activists by the Naxal cadres, Chattisgarh has logged 234 incidents between January 1 and April 30 this year, 74% more than 135 incidents recorded in the corresponding period of 2005. Casualties have risen almost 10 times, from 18 deaths till April last year to 187 in the corresponding period of this year. In fact, the total number of killings in 2005 were less than those recorded in the first four months of this year alone.

Not only are the Left-wing extremists spreading their field of activity, but they are now equipped with the latest weapons and communication equipment including satellite phones and strike with military precision and planning.

This, when the state police are stuck with SLRs and outdated wireless sets. In fact, the Central and police forces most of the time travel on foot to avoid IEDs and prefer not to wear their uniform lest they are identified.

The Red terror has ensured that development stops short of Naxalite strongholds: This is a major disadvantage for industry in the mineral rich Jharkhand and Chattisgarh. The lack of roads and communications in areas like Abujmarh only ensure that the Naxals' writ continues to run and they can fill in for the missing administration.

At a meeting of chief minister of Naxal-affected states chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the rising Naxal violence in Chattisgarh was discussed at length. Subsequently, the co-ordination committee on Left-wing extremism headed by Union home secretary V K Duggal decided on pre-emptive, intelligence-based strikes to flush out Naxalite leaders from the forests of Chattisgarh, particularly the Abujmarh region. The operation, which will be overseen by the newly-appointed security advisor to Chattisgarh government, former Punjab supercop K P S Gill, is due to take off soon.

In J&K, another boiling cauldron, the Centre had so far been citing statistics to state that terrorism was down (although the LoC cease-fire seemed to be reason) under the UPA dispensation. However, the recent killings of Hindu minorities in Doda and Udhampur seem to have punched holes in the government's claims of normalcy.

Terror outfits displayed their wares in areas much beyond J&K: Attacking the Ram Janamboomi complex in Ayodhya and Sankatmochan temple in Varanasi, triggering serial blasts in Delhi and even targeting the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Ironically, all these acts involved local conduits, including even members of the Muslim clergy.

This is not all: more trouble seem to be in store if the latest infiltration trends in J&K are anything to go by: Infiltration-related cases till March this year are more than double of what were recorded in the corresponding period of last year.

With the Kashmir roundtable and Amarnath yatra coming up, it is to be seen whether the increased terrorists' presence - around 2,500 in the hinterland and another 500 waiting at launchpads across the border - will translate into a spurt in attacks. Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement that troops will not be reduced in J&K may have been in anticipation of big strikes in the coming months.

The talks initiative with J&K representatives is still in its nascent stage. Though it is to be seen if separatists come for the second Kashmir roundtable in Srinagar, the prime minister has already accepted the Hurriyat's condition for a separate audience. However, there appears no clear idea of the dialogue blueprint so far.

In North-East, the PMO's efforts to rope in Ulfa for talks seem to be getting nowhere. Though two rounds of talks with People's Consultative Group were held, much to the chagrin of the Army who were asked to abandon anti-Ulfa operations mid-way to create a conducive atmosphere for dialogue, there seems to positive commitment from the Ulfa so far on its coming forward for negotiations.

Populism ahead of Assam elections also ensured that the Foreigners Act rules were amended to make it compulsory for all illegal immigration cases to be tried by a tribunal. In the confusion, not a single deportation has taken place since July 12 last year, when the Supreme Court struck down the controversial IMDT Act.

In the Naga peace dialogue too, the Centre is finding it hard to convince the NSCN(I-M) leaders to negotiate other issues even as a decision is taken on their Greater Nagaland proposal. While the cease-fire was extended last in January at the eleventh hour, it remains a mystery whether the Nagas will opt to stay engaged beyond July, when the current extension is to expire. In any case, the government may have nothing concrete to offer to Naga leaders, with other states proposed to be included Greater Nagaland in no mood to allow any tinkering with their respective borders.


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