The Maoists have struck again. This time, in their deadliest attack on security forces, the rebels trapped and gunned down 76 personnel of the Chhattisgarh police and the Central Reserve Police Force early on Tuesday in the thick jungles of Mukrana in Dantewada district. The police personnel were ambushed when they were returning after opening a road for the security forces to begin Operation Green Hunt, a coordinated campaign against the Naxalites.
The attack came just two days after Union home minister P Chidambaram visited the Maoist heartland of Lalgarh in West Bengal on April 4, 2010, and vowed to destroy the rebels. On his visit, Chidambaram took stock of the operations by joint forces in Maoist-affected areas. The home minister also met West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Kolkata to review the situation.
The same day, Maoists had triggered a landmine blast in Orissa's Koraput district, killing 11 personnel of the elite anti-Naxal special operations group.
On March 5, Union home secretary GK Pillai said the Maoists planned to overthrow Indian democracy through armed struggle and control the government by 2050. He said the Maoists were highly motivated and trained as well as any army. He said 908 people had lost their lives last year, the highest since 1971, in Naxal violence and the toll may go up this year and the next.
Where do you think the government is going wrong in tackling the Maoists? Do you think the use of force is sufficient to end the menace? Or is strong political will required to change the socio-economic realities in Maoist-affected areas?
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