Chhattisgarh is becoming the country’s key paramilitary force station in the Central sector in the aftermath of the martyrdom of 25 CRPF troopers in Sukma in a Maoist ambush in Bastar on May 24 this year.
Moreover, with the Union Home Ministry shifting the strategic anti-Naxal operations command headquarters of the CRPF from Kolkata to Raipur, the entire logistics of paramilitary movement in the State is set to undergo a sea change in the coming days.
This puts the Chhattisgarh Government under bigger role of key a facilitator and partner in anti-insurgency operations under direct monitoring from none other than the Union Home Ministry now.
On May 8 review meeting of lWE affected states this year, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had stated in his address : “You will all agree that in addition to the various facets of security, the socio-economic empowerment of the people at large is essential so that the public support stays with the Government."
It is necessary for States to work on a coordinated strategy of security and development so that the confidence of the public in the democratic process is maintained in the lWE affected areas, he had stated.
Our Government (Centre) has taken various steps with this objective, so that the confidence in our Government has grown in the minds of the tribals and others living in the lWE affected areas. They are coming forward to avail the benefits of Government Schemes, Singh said.
Notably, as many as 259 battalions of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed in Chhattisgarh’s left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected regions as on 2015-16.
The deployment in other states was as follows- Andhra Pradesh ( 16), Telangana ( 12), Bihar (57), Jharkhand ( 144), Madhya Pradesh ( 8), Maharashtra (34), Odisha ( 102), Uttar Pradesh ( 6), West Bengal (53).
A total of 691 battalions of CAPF were deployed across the country in lWE areas as on 2015-16, officials stated.
Deployment of CAPFs is a dynamic process and keeps on changing from time to time depending upon the requirements projected by the State as well as demands of other lWE affected states, availability of force and security situation in the particular State, they stated.
Notably, Chhattisgarh stands fourth in the country in terms of the number of districts affected by left Wing Extremism (lWE).
A total of 106 districts in the States are considered as left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected. Of these, Bihar has maximum 22 districts, followed by Jharkhand (21), Odisha(19), Chhattisgarh (16), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,- both 8 each, West Bengal and Maharashtra,- both 4 each, Uttar Pradesh,- 3 and Madhya Pradesh, one.
Apart from the above, it is worth mentioning that the numbers of incidents of lWE violence and resultant deaths have also significantly declined during the last four years from 2011 to 2014, officials stated.
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved raising of four 'India Reserve Battalions' (IR Bns) for Chhattisgarh State to be deployed in left Wing Extremism (lWE) pockets of the State.
The Union Cabinet announced to raise a total of 17 India Reserve Battalions (IR Bns) for Jammu & Kashmir and left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected States, officials stated.
It includes five IR Bns in the State of J&K, three IR Bns in Jharkhand, three IR Bns in Odisha and two IR Bns in Maharashtra including four for Chhattisgarh.
A total of 48 security force personnel and 45 civilians lost their lives in insurgency-infested Bastar region of Chhattisgarh during 2015-16, the Union Home Ministry has informed.
Notably, a total of 413 left Wing Extremist (lWE) cadres surrendered in 2014 as compared to 28 lWE cadres in 2013.
During 2015-16, 317 lWE cadres surrendered in Bastar region. In 2016 (upto April 15), 541 lWE cadres surrendered in Bastar region as compared to 65 surrenders in the corresponding period of 2015.
The CRPF troopers deployed in left Wing Extremism districts of Chhattisgarh killed as many as 17 Maoists in various encounters during financial year 2015-16 as on December 16, 2015, a Union Home Ministry data revealed.