Tensions are rising in the Naxalist camps after Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently met top officials to chart out a plan which will ensure that the Naxalists will be wiped out by the summer of 2021 from the worst affected states – Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Maharashtra to name a few.
In a further push to eliminate Naxalism from India, Amit Shah in a review meeting held last month has demanded “a strict audit to find out what, why and where the problem is” as he expressed his dissatisfaction with the pace of anti-Naxalite operations.
News18 reports that Shah demanded answers from both the Central and State forces about which forces as he attempted to get to the bottom of the situation by trying to know who exactly was not performing their task of eliminating the Maoist strongholds and why.
The review meeting which was attended by central paramilitary forces, central IB and state government officials, saw a clear-cut target agreed-upon of eliminating the Maoist strongholds by next summer has been set during the review meeting.
Sensing its impending end under Operation Prahar-3, CPI Maoist, South sub Zonal Bureau, Bastar in a statement claimed, “Janta aandolan dabane ke liye bade paimane per police walon ko tainat karke yuddh abhiyan chalane ka faisla kiya hai. Ye abhiyan naye tarike ka salwa judum jaisa hai.”
It added, “Modi and Bhupesh Baghel government, as part of a military campaign, have sent thousands of central para-military forces. Crores are being spent to acquire helicopters, weapons and ammunition.”
“The Home Minister took a review to help out the states. Who is not performing, which state isn’t doing enough, how states can be helped further … all of this was discussed,” said K Vijay Kumar, advisor, Naxal, to Amit Shah.
He added, “In Chhattisgarh, Naxals are trying to use local elements to bolster the Jan Militia. Intelligence agencies have suggested counter-strategies.”
Currently, the Central government is implementing the redeployment of forces strategy where the state forces have been mandated to take over areas which are less sensitive with the CRPF and other paramilitary personnel to be present in the interiors where Jan Militia is trying to gain more ground, reported News18.
Amit Shah has provided a much-needed push to the anti-Naxalite operations and one hopes that there is smooth coordination between the Central and the respective State governments irrespective of the ideologies and political affiliations to counter the menace of Naxalism.