Maoist attacks rise but their impact dwindles
Maoist have struck thrice in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar since elections to five states were announced on October 6, but their influence and ability to stage strikes appears to be waning with security forces turning up the heat, police data shows. Bastar will go to the polls on November 12 .
Till November 8 this year, 203 incidents of violence involving Maoists and security forces were reported from the state against 265 in 2017, according to police data. In this period, the number of rebels killed by security forces was 103, up from 77 last year – an increase of about 33%. But the number of security personnel killed fell to 48 from 59 last year – a decrease of about 18%.
If compared to 2013 (the last election year), the numbers have fallen dramatically. There were 143 incidents of violence that year, in which the Maoists killed 159 civilians and 111 security personnel.
Among the civilian casualties were 24 Congress leaders, including then state party chief Nand Kumar Patel and former state minister Mahendra Karma, who were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Darbha valley in Sukma when they were returning from an election rally.
According to special director general of police (anti-naxal operations) DM Awasthi, the Maoists have tried to step up violence ahead of this year’s polls primarily to scare voters but they have not been able to pull off a massive strike as they did during previous elections.
Still it isn’t for want of trying; in the past 52 days forces in the region have unearthed 42 IEDs, a senior security forces official said on condition of anonymity.
On Thursday, the rebels blew up a bus with an IED in Dantewada, killing four civilians and a CISF jawan. On October 30, three policemen and Doordarshan cameraperson Achyutanand Sahu were killed in a Maoist attack in Dantewada. Three days before that, four CRPF personnel were killed and two injured when the rebels blew up a bullet-proof bunker vehicle in Bijapur.
In 2013, after the elections were announced, there were 35 incidents of Maoist violence, police data shows. “The recent attacks this year were by the Maoist jan militias (foot soldiers), not by the battalions that are known for ambushes,” Awasthi said. The number of security personnel killed has come down from 111 in 2013 to 48 till November 8, 2018.
The police have listed multiple factors for the diminution in Mao-
RAIPUR:
Maoist killed 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018* Security personnel killed security personnel were killed and nine others injured in an encounter in Narayanpur district.
An IED blast triggered by the Maoists killed Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and injured three others.
state police jawans were killed when suspected Maoists blew up their vehicle with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Dantewada district. The Maoists also looted six automatic rifles of the police personnel.
jawans of Border Security Force (BSF) were killed and another was injured in an encounter with the Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed when Maoists blew up their mineprotected vehicle (MPV) in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district.
Two others were injured. ists’ striking power. “Better mobile connectivity has helped us to improve intelligence and roads have provided the forces access to new areas in the Bastar region. Use of technology in conducting anti-Maoist operations has also helped,” Awasthi said.
According to police officers, the core areas of Maoist influence are now limited to three districts in Bastar region --- Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada --- as compared to seven about a decade ago. The home ministry in March this year removed 44 districts, including six in Chhattisgarh, from the 2017 list of 126 Maoist-affected districts on the basis of a fall in the number of incidents reported. But Alok Putul, a Raipur-based expert on Maoists, said confining the rebels to three districts did not mean they were getting weak. “Since they are experts in guerrilla warfare, they Total attacks
ACCORDING TO POLICE THE CORE AREAS OF MAOIST INFLUENCE ARE NOW LIMITED TO THREE DISTRICTS IN BASTAR REGION AS COMPARED TO SEVEN ABOUT A DECADE AGO
know when and where to attack, which is evident from the attacks just before polls. Recruitment, training and expansion by Maoists is going on,” he said.
Congress spokesperson RP Singh accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of being “ineffective” in eradicating violence in Maoist-affected areas.
“In 2003, when the Congress was in power, there were only three blocks that were Maoist-affected. Now, 15 districts are under the grip of the Maoists. Even the chief minister’s district Kawardha is affected, which reflects the intention and capability of the BJP government,” Singh said.
BJP spokesperson Sacchinand Upasane claimed that development reached Bastar for the first time under BJP rule and weaned away people from the rebels’ influence.
“They (Maoists) wanted to create hurdles in the election process but they will not be successful due to pressure by security forces,” Upasane said.
The Election Commission has deployed 65,000 additional security personnel for the two-phase Chhattisgarh elections on November 12 and 20. Counting of votes will be held on December 11 along with those of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram.