Maoists still a threat in Santhal Pargana
DUMKA: With Maoists successfully carrying out attacks in the assembly
and parliamentary elections in Dumka in 2009, forces are gearing up to
counter the outlawed rebels during the coming elections. What has made
matters worse is that the rebel outfit has in the course of time
strengthened its might in the area largely due to the negligence of
security forces engaged in anti-Naxal operations. In its maiden attempt
of resorting to bloodshed during elections in Dumka, the rebels ambushed
a polling party near Jodam under Kathikund police station of the
district on the polling day of the last LS election in May 2009.
A village choukidar was killed and a banker engaged in polling duty
injured when rebels opened indiscriminate firing on the vehicle
ferrrying them after polls. Apparently, owing to the porous security
measures, rebels once again managed to ambush a patrolling party in the
subsequent assembly election in the same year in December without any
resistance. Two BSF jawans of road opening party were killed at Chaypani
under Shikaripara police station of the district. Rebels had also taken
away sophisticated firearms and live cartridges of the slain BSF
jawans. At a time when respective district administrations are gearing
up for polls, no perceptible move has been made keeping in view the
security concerns involved therein.
“We have not yet been directed by higher authorities regarding the
security perception of the LS election,” said sources in the
intelligence agencies, thereby underlying the gross indifference of the
stakeholders towards the gravity of the Maoist threat. That Maoists have
managed to strengthen their might in the last five years is evident
from the string of fatal incidents triggered by them, including the
recent ambush on Pakur SP Amarjit Balihar and his guards on July 2 last
year near Kathikund in Dumka.
Around three dozen rebels equipped with sophisticated firearms fired
indiscriminately on Balihar’s convoy along Dumka-Pakur road while he was
returning from a meeting, which was presided over by newly posted DIG
Priya Dubey in Dumka on the fateful day. Altogether six policemen,
including Balihar, succumbed to the gunshot injuries. As is always the
case, the rebels managed to escape without any resistance and also took
away the firearms and live cartridges along with them. The site of
ambush on the Balihar convoy was merely three to four km from Kathikund
police station. The incident also put a spotlight on the poor
intelligence network of the security forces.
So far only three rebels involved in Balihar’s assassination have
been nabbed by the police. With the rest being still at large, they may
trigger yet another attempt to disrupt the election process. The absence
of IG for a prolonged period of over seven months since the transfer of
Dumka IG Arun Oraon is also indicative of the state government’s lack
of commitment towards the Naxal menace of Santhal Pargana. It is
strategically suitable for the rebel org
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