Strategy review: CRPF to focus on joint ops with state forces

SUKMA AMBUSH

THE CRPF will insist on joint operations with states’ special forces instead of trying to hunt down Maoists on its own, the force has decided.

The decision — part of the “strategy review” as announced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh after the Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh that killed 25 CRPF personnel on Monday — will be discussed with various states facing Maoist violence.

Other measures decided on during the review include reorganisation of force deployment with focus on operations instead of road protection.

The CRPF is also sending a “wish list”, as demanded by the Home Ministry, on state-of-theart technologies it needs to counter Maoist threats. These technologies are likely to include Netra UAVS, thermal imaging cameras for night vision, laserbased equipment and gadgets to improve surveillance capabilities.

The CRPF team, led by acting DG Sudeep Lakhtakia, returned from the encounter site in Sukma on Thursday afternoon after a fact-finding exercise and briefed the Home Ministry about likely lapses, vulnerabilities of road protection exercise and steps required to be taken for a comprehensive review.

Sources said joint operations with state special forces would be a priority as it is the state police that is supposed to lead the offensive against Maoists. “In Chhattisgarh, operations are primarily carried out by CRPF with just one or two local police personnel assisting it. This needs to change. A strong contingent of state police forces, comparable in strength to a CRPF unit, should accompany the men on operations. They have local knowledge, intelligence and resources. That is how Maoism was defeated in other states,” said a Home Ministry official.

In Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, which were the hotbeds of Naxalism, Maoist guerrillas were driven out by the efforts of special forces raised by state police. Andhra’s Greyhounds are still held as a model force to combat Maoists. Chhattisgarh is raising a force on the lines of Greyhounds, while Jharkhand has the Jharkhand Jaguars.

The force has also decided that it will not expose too many of its men to the vulnerabilities of the road protection exercises. “A reorganisation of force deployment is being discussed. The focus should be on operations. The more road protection exercises CRPF undertakes, the more vulnerable it is because of the predictability of such operations,” a CRPF official said.

The force believes that Netra Uavswillhelpitinoperationsbetween February and May, when Maoists conduct their Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign. Night vision equipment will help in movement in the dark and a plan for installing such devices on towersfornight-longsurveillance is also being discussed.