Slain cops were sitting ducks; Centre sore at poor training

A day after 24 personnel of the Eastern Frontier Rifles were killed in a Maoist attack in West Bengal, chinks in the government’s preparedness against the Left ultras have become evident. The Centre is in a catch-22 situation as insurgency affected states, barring Chattisgarh and Maharashtra, are yet to participate in the inter-state operations for political considerations.

Following Monday’s attack, in which the police personnel were sitting ducks for the Maoists, the home ministry has decided to dispatch a high-level official team to Kolkata. The team, besides making an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, would give the state officials “lessons” on how the police should behave in such situations.

Describing the attitude of the police personnel in the camp as “unprofessional”, a senior ministry official said the incident was a result of lack of training on the part of the state police.

“How could a sentry stand guard without the protection of sandbags,” the official asked while explaining the Centre’s total disenchantment with these states.

Meanwhile, an angry home minister has lambasted the intellectual support for the Maoists. “I would like to hear the voices of condemnation of those who have, erroneously, extended intellectual and material support to the Maoists. It is only if the whole country condemns the so-called armed struggle that we can put an end to this menace,” P Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram, who is a firm votary of strong and coordinated attack on the insurgents, finds himself handicapped by the attitude of the states. Political priorities seem to have taken precedence over the need to take on the Maoists in states such as Bihar and Jharkhand and to some extent in Orissa and West Bengal where non-Congress governments are in power.

While Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has maintained a safe distance from preparing for the proposed inter-state operations as the state prepares for the assembly elections later this year, his Jharkhand counterpart Shibu Soren has made no secret of his reluctance to act against the Maoists. It’s no secret that the Maoists supported Soren’s party during the elections and also helped facilitate his becoming the chief minister.

“Certainly, there is this disturbing trend with political overtones. But everyone must realise that the challenge posed by the Maoists has to be countered for long-term benefits” the official said.

In West Bengal, the political rivalry between the ruling Left Front and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinmool Congress has made any strong action against the insurgents difficult. However, in view of the changing public mood following such merciless killings, the Trinmool leadership seems to be having second thoughts. They want the Centre to play a bigger role than its arch-rival the CPM-led government.