Centre plans to smash Naxal hideouts in Jharkhand

The Centre has drawn up a comprehensive plan to smash the hideouts of Naxalites in Jharkhand during the period of the President’s Rule in the state.

Union home minister P Chidambaram, in his recent visit to the state capital, discussed the matter with the state Governor, MOH Farook, advisors to the Governor, chief secretary, home secretary, DGP and other senior officials.

According to an official source, Chidambaram assured senior officials that the Centre would provide required number of central security forces in implementing the massive operations.

Political observers said that after the departure of the JMM-led Shibu Soren ministry, the implementation of the Union home minister’s plan against Naxalites would be easier as there would be no political intervention. They said that during the rule of Shibu Soren, no breakthrough was achieved against the Naxalites in the state.

According to an official source, Naxalite leader and the man behind West Bengal’s Lalgarh uprising, Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji has recently migrated to his new base at Saranda forests in Jharkhand.

However, state director general of Police (DGP), Neyaz Ahmad, said that they had “sketchy information” about the presence of Kishenji in Saranda forests. The state police was working out a strategy to raid the hideouts of Kishenji and nab him with his associates, the DGP added.

The state home department has recently compiled a report which said that Jharkhand witnessed a sharp rise in the number of casualties, both in police and Naxalite camps in past three years.

According to the report, nearly 310 Naxal attacks had been reported in 2007, which increased to 512 in April 2010.

In Naxal-related violence, 463 civilians were killed in Jharkhand during the past three years. Till April 2010, 43 civilians were killed by the Naxals.

The number of policemen killed from 2005-2009 has also increased. In 2006, 45 policemen were killed, which rose to 64 in 2009. Incidents of landmine explosions by the Naxalites, encounters, incidents of levy collections by the rebels were rapidly increasing.