Security personnel on poll duty in Chhattisgarh's Naxal zone lack expertise

A challenge for conducting peaceful elections in the conflict area

A large number of security personnel deployed in the election duty in Chhattisgarh's Naxal-infested pockets are not skilled to operate in the conflict zone.

Taking serious note of the situation in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas, the poll panel had decided for heavy deployment of security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Naxal-infested areas. Of the five states going to polls, Chhattisgarh is the only state where elections would be held in two phases.

Of the 90 constituencies, polling would be held in 18 in the first phase on November 12. The Naxalites have presence in 14 constituencies and adequate security arrangement would be made to ensure fair and peaceful conduct of democratic process.

But for the state authorities distributing the assignment, the biggest challenge is lack of awareness of security personnel regarding operating in the red zone. The rebels are expert in jungle and guerilla warfare. The forces deployed in the plain areas are totally unaware of the tactics that provide scoring point for the rebels.

“We are first providing basic training and briefing to the jawans coming on election duty before deployment in the Naxal areas,” D M Awasthi, Special Director General of Police (anti-Naxal operation), said. About 75 per cent jawans had been trained, he added.

The poll panel had sent 550 companies (about 55,000 jawans) for deployment in insurgency-hit areas, Awasthi said, adding another 100 companies would be coming soon. “The jawans had been given a hand-book about ‘do and don’t’ in the Naxal areas,” he added.

The jawans had been strictly asked to travel by foot as much as possible. Normally, the jawans commit biggest lapse by boarding vehicle that becomes vulnerable for the Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) blast in which Naxalites are expert.