‘Left-wing insurgency amounts to one-third of intelligence inputs’

NEWDELHI: More than one-third of the intelligence inputs and security threats received by state and central agencies across India in 2017 had to do with left-wing insurgency. The intelligence inputs relate to a multitude of issues such as terrorist threats, left-wing extremism, militancy in Kashmir and north eastern states, law and order situation and communal strife, an official from the home ministry has said.

The official said the data are collected on monthly basis by various security and intelligence agencies, collated and then shared with the concerned state and central government authorities. According to the data obtained by HT, 30,019 intelligence inputs were received by agencies across India in 2017 (until the end of September ).

The data, divided in four categories, shows left-wing extremism made up for 10,898 or 36.3% of the total inputs. The other three are Jammu and Kashmir (27.72% or 8,321 inputs), Northeast militancy (6,651) and ‘Rest of India’ (4,149 inputs or 13.82%).

“Numbers definitely indicate a spike in Maoist activities but forces are determined to tackle any security threat,” the official told HT.

The 10,898 inputs on left-wing insurgency relate to movement of Naxalite and Maoist cadres, meetings of banned groups, mobilisation and impending threats to the security forces.

Earlier this month, the cabinet committee on security cleared the implementation of the modernisation of state police forces (MPF) umbrella scheme, under which over ₹6,000 crore will be spent in areas hit by leftwing violence, an official said.

Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh come under the list.

Thirty-five districts in these ten states, especially Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, are considered to be the worst affected.