Catch the big fish: Chidambaram on anti-Naxal operations

Catch the big fish. This was a clear message from Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to about 30 Superintendents of Police serving in Naxal-hit areas.

In a unique measure to educate the SPs about the Centre's policy on tackling Left-wing extremism, Union Home Ministry had organised a day-long workshop for them during which they were apprised of the issue by senior officials of the Ministry as well as Intelligence Bureau.

Sources privy to the meeting said that the Home Minister listened to the problems of the police officials and advised them to generate intelligence in nabbing the top brass of Naxals who have been eluding law for long.

During the meeting, some of the SPs from Bihar talked about the force crunch being faced by them in their districts to which Chidambaram told them that they should ask for reinforcement from their state as the Centre had kept enough paramilitary forces at the disposal of the state government.

Some SPs expressed the need for more anti-Naxal operations, to which the Home Minister said that they should do it and also make sure that big fishes are caught. The SPs were asked to ensure more involvement of locals in the development work which would help them in isolating the Naxalites, the sources said.

The exercise of calling SPs was also undertaken as they would be exchanging their notes and experiences in tackling the Naxal movement. It would also ensure cooperation and blocking the Naxal movement from spreading from one state to the another.