The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Centre suggests jungle warfare training to counter Maoists

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Friday, May 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Centre suggests jungle warfare training to counter Maoists

S. Vijay Kumar

Wants training facilities established in States

Training tie-up with Army, paramilitary forces suggested as interim measure
Communication recommends measures to tackle naxal menace comprehensively

CHENNAI: The Centre has urged States to urgently earmark a reasonable component of the police force for providing special commando/jungle warfare training to counter Maoists.

While calling for establishment of adequate training facilities in States, the Centre has suggested tie-up arrangement for specialised training with Army and Central paramilitary forces as an interim measure.

In a communication, the Centre has suggested certain measures to tackle the naxal menace in a comprehensive manner. Insisting on time-bound action to augment the police force (with reference to police-population ratio) and for filling vacancies, it has mooted incentives to persons posted in the affected areas with a rotation policy.

States have been asked to ensure that police stations in naxal-hit areas are provided with secure buildings with perimeter security, barracks and armoury. Other points stressed are adherence to standard operating procedures for various security strategies to pre-empt possible attacks, and strengthening intelligence gathering.

In the communication published in a report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Centre has pointed out that naxalites typically operate in “vacuum” created by functional inadequacy of field level governance. They (the extremist elements) take advantage of dissatisfaction and feelings of perceived neglect/injustice among “underprivileged” segments.

“While it is necessary to conduct proactive and sustained operations against extremists…it is also necessary to simultaneously give focussed attention to development and governance issues, particularly at the cutting edge level…”

Emphasising that the primary responsibility of tackling naxalites is with the States, the Centre has sought creation of mechanisms for public grievance redress and mass contact for establishing people’s confidence in the local administrative machinery. A well-planned strategy and counter-propaganda campaign should be mounted.

Director General of Police (Law and Order) K.P. Jain says the State is complying with the recommendations. “We have a nationally acknowledged training facility. Besides training our force in commando operations, we are also offering the facility to police from other States. Induction of manpower into the Special Task Force (STF) is a continuing process.”

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