TIME TO LEARN LESSONS FOR BOTH THE CENTER AND STATE GOVERNMENTS AND COME UP WITH COMPREHENSIVE, FOOLPROOF STRATEGY TO COMBAT THE MENACE

Maoist Gerrillas strike and martyr 26 of our brave soldiers in Chattisgarh. While we all mourn their ultimate sacrifice for the Mother Land, it is clear that the Central government and paramilitary forces alone cannot address the problem without critical support on the ground and intelligence from local police. Some thoughts from our Senior Advisor, an intelligence gathering and internal security expert.

It is the worst affected area by Naxal violence.
Naxals deadly opposition to road construction into their forest hideout was known.
Location of CRPF contingent was known.
It was definitely foolhardy to deploy this contingent here regularly.
CRPF commanders should have realized the inherent danger and refused to be deployed in this fashion.
Easy for arm chair analysts to dub this as an intelligence failure…
But ground realities are that deep penetration Int operations not possible given that the Armed Naxal groups are totally isolated from the local villagers.
Their communication channels with their masters sitting miles away in cities and towns difficult to monitor.
UAV photography( UV Imaging)should have revealed presence of Naxals in large numbers in the area.
Was this done ? Not known.

Were IEDs used by Maoists in the ambush ?
The strategy and tactics to counter Naxal violence made by higher ups sitting in MHA in Delhi. Ground level commanders of of CRPF Bns and District Forces deployed here need to be called in to decide SOPs to be followed. This used to be done in the past. Don’t know if the first Joint Central Command Centre for Anti Naxal activities constituted in MHA in 2004 is still functional This Centre used to interact with ground level officers in the 9 affected states.

Why are the human rights activists not condemning such wanton and cowardly acts of Naxals ?
Finally, as an ex police leader I feel we have let our brave men down.

WE MUST NOT ALLOW SUCH LOSS OF OUR BRAVE POLICEMEN’s LIVES AGAIN.
May God give strength to their families to bear their loss with fortitude and RIP to the departed brave policemen