Maoist problem is the biggest security threat: CRPF
AGARTALA: Maoist problem is the biggest security threat in the
country now, DG CRPF Pranay Sahay said today. “Maoist problem is the
biggest security threat in the country. Thirty-five per cent of CRPF
forces are deployed in different parts of Maoist-hit areas for
containing their militancy,” Sahay said. He met Tripura Chief Minister
Manik Sarkar and Governor Dr D Y Patil here.
He said, “Thirty-five per cent of CRPF forces are in Maoist infested
areas. Thirty-three per cent of the forces are deployed in Jammu and
Kashmir and 28 per cent are in North-East India and the rest are in
other duties.” He said CRPF was being modernised to face any challenge.
“Now we have started using very sophisticated weapons and unmanned
vehicles to detect mines as part of modernisation programmes so that we
can face any eventuality,” Sahay told reporters. Sahay, who is also the
former DG of Tripura Police said, “There has been a sea change in
Tripura. It has emerged as the model state in the country in countering
insurgency.” Tripura owned President’s Colour last year. It is an honour
given by President for successfully countering militancy in the
country.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/maoist-problem-is-the-biggest-security-threat-crpf/articleshow/17650299.cms
Maoists backing Chhattisgarh teachers’ stir
The ongoing teachers’ strike in Chhattisgarh is snowballing into a
major concern for the government as well as the local intelligence.
While the teachers are refusing to go back to work till their basic
demands are met, the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) has
supported the strike. The strike, already in its second week, is growing
by the day and the agitators are using newer methods, such as tonsuring
each other’s heads, to embarrass the government while the Assembly is
debating their demands. The government has, however, categorically
refused to meet the demands. The agitating teachers, employed after
1998, are demanding employment under the Education and Tribal
Departments, rather than under the panchayat, and a substantial hike in
salary.
These teachers are appointed by the gram panchayat or the Municipal
Corporation in order to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system. The
panchayat teachers, about 1,50,000 in number, are paid a starting salary
of Rs. 8,500 a month. They have not been working since December 3. “The
teachers employed by the education department have a starting salary of
close to Rs. 20,000. We should be given the same [salary] and allowed
to work under the Education Ministry, rather than the panchayat,” said
Sanjay Sharma, main coordinator of the Teacher Sangharsh Samiti, an
umbrella organisation of nine panchayat teachers’ associations.
Turns Tahrir Square
Sapre School Ground in central Raipur has turned into the ‘Tahrir
Square’ for Chhattisgarh’s teachers. More than 50,000 teachers and their
families, including one-year-old children, are spending days and nights
on the ground. Some have plastic sheets for shade, while some are
sheltered under makeshift tents. Aggressive slogans are raised taking a
clear dig at Chief Minister Raman Singh and his administration “The
reason is simple,” said Sebak Ram of Baloda Bazar, while playing with
his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, “we have been seriously demeaned
by this government.
Our salary is less than what the peons get and we report to the
panchayat department despite being full-scale teachers.” But what is
worrying a section of the administration more than the teachers’ demands
is the armed CPI (Maoist)’s solidarity with the teachers’ movement. On
Saturday, a bandh called by the CPI (Maoist) was observed in Narainpur
district supporting the teacher’s demands. A couple of days ago, local
newspapers reported that teachers were shouting ‘Lal Salam’ – the Red
Salute – and ‘threatening’ to take up arms on the ground if their
demands were ignored.
Red slogans
A Raipur-based intelligence official said: “This is nonsense, have
you heard anything like that?” On Saturday afternoon, while no one
shouted ‘Lal Salam,’ most of the speakers were closing their speeches
with Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live the Revolution). Police officials
refused to comment if such frequent use of a phrase, which hailed
revolution, could provoke unrest in a State that was substantially
controlled by an armed communist party strongly advocating revolution.
The government, however, has clearly refused to acknowledge the demands
of the teachers. At a meeting between the Education and Panchayat
Minister and the association, teachers were told that their demands were
“unreasonable.”
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/maoists-backing-chhattisgarh-teachers-stir/article4207186.ece
Maoists torch 18 vehicles in Jharkhand
Maoist guerrillas set 18 vehicles of a private company on fire in
Jharkhand’s West Singhbum district, police said Monday. The firm was
executing a project work for the railways.According to police, around 60
to 70 Maoist guerrillas raided a camp site of the private firm at
Mahadeosaal village, within the Goelkera police station limits in West
Singhbhum, around 160 km from Ranchi, Sunday night. The guerrillas asked
staff of the company to turn off all mobile phones, and set the
vehicles on fire before escaping. A combing operation has been launched
to nab the attackers. There were no reports of injuries in this
incident. Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of the state’s 24
districts.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/299089/maoists-torch-18-vehicles-jharkhand.html
Security forces reinforced in Saranda forests
Security force has been reinforced in Saranda forests of West
Singhbhum district of Jharkhand to flush out the dens of the Maoists
completely.
The reinforcement of force was felt after the rebels torched six
earth movers belonging to a road construction company on November 26.
The six earth mover machines were engaged to build roads under Pradhan
Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) which included Rs 249-crore Saranda
Development Plan, launched by Union rural development minister Jairam
Ramesh.in December 2011. The Union minister (Jairam Ramesh) who visited
the state capital on December 9 had said that Saranda was totally under
the control of the sate government.
Construction of the eleven roads had been a part of the Saranda
Development Plan. He said eleven roads are being constructed under
Centre’s sponsored project to facilitate the movement of the security
forces, civil authorities and the village people. He was confident that
among the eleven roads construction of two roads would be completed
within this month. Saranda, a forest of 700 small hills is considered as
the largest sal forests in Asia, situated in West Singhbhum district,
about 300 km from the state capital. Saranda had experienced highest
level of retaliatory steps from the Maoists during November last year
after killings of good number of rebels in combing operations by
security forces in different parts of the country.
In order to free the Saranda forest from the clutches of the Maoists,
Union rural development minister had given top priority for Saranda
forest for its basic development like roads, employment, housing and
enhancement of productivity to win over the confidence of the villagers.
The fresh offensive against the Maoists in Saranda forest under
Anaconda -11 has been launched last week after armed Maoists torched
road construction equipments at Kiriburu block. In Anaconda -11
operation, 16 companies comprising 1,600 personnel of CRPF,
Cobra,.Jharkhand Jaguar, Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and state police
force were taken active part in the operation. More personnel from the
CRPF battalion will be tagged in the operation, sources said.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/security-forces-reinforced-in-saranda-forests/495804/
Forces, Naxals exchange fire in Gadchiroli
NAGPUR: A posse of Central Reserve Police Force and Naxals had a
brief gun battle at the forest of Kucher under Dhondraj armed outpost in
highly sensitive Bhamragarh tehsil of Gadchiroli district on Sunday
morning. CRPF force, along with district police, later seized 23
rucksacks, two Bharmar rifles, ammunition, explosives, several other
Naxal literature, first aid material and medicines.
It is learnt that CRPF, along with some district police personnel,
had on Saturday undertaken a search and area domination exercise between
Dhondraj and Laheri, a Naxal bastion. The stretch is also considered a
crucial junction for anti-Naxal operations as this region serves as
gateway to Naxal fortress ‘Abhujmadh’ from Maharashtra side. Naxals of
Platoon 7 and local armed squad of Bhamragarh apparently opened fire on
the CRPF men leading to gunfight. The Naxals retreated as the security
forces retaliated aggressively. Inspector general of CRPF Nalin Prabhat
said the ecounter site was densely forested and Naxals slipped away
taking advantage of the tree cover.
“We feel the Naxals certainly have suffered casualties otherwise
recovery of so many rucksacks, arms and ammunition would not have been
possible. The forces had nearly got them this time,” he said. The top
cop, considered a master tactician for field operations, said there had
been five encounters in the span of one month in which CRPF had cornered
the rebels. “In the same region, this is the second encounter since
November,” said the IG whose induction has given an edge to the
operation in Gadchiroli. Apart from the arms and ammunition, the forces
also recovered improvised explosive devices (IED), considerable quantity
of gunpowder and tiffin boxes meant for manufacturing bombs.
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