After bearing the brunt of Maoist insurgency for over two decades, in the beginning of this year Bijapur District police took the challenge of encountering the menace head on and thereby devised its strategy putting pressure on insurgents from all corners leading to Maoists were forced to flee to other districts. During one year’s time over 100 insurgents fell in to police net even as their four major hideouts were busted and an armoury was destroyed, said SDOP of Bijapur police (Naxal Operations) Ashok Singh.
In fact the Bijapur District police abandoned its defensive posture and instead went for offensive taking the pressure to the court of Rebels. Round the clock patrolling, searching irrespective of bad weather and earning trust of villagers by establishing good relation with them besides strengthening the information network up to rural hamlets paid dividends as not only the members of their frontal organisations like village committees, dalams, cultural troupes, who acted like their eyes, nose and ears, were arrested but also their suppliers were exposed and put behind the bars, Singh added.
Putting its entire energy towards fighting against the Maoists, without caring whether it was rainy season or summer, the district police virtually launched a war in jungles and the result is that Maoists suffered several crushing defeats and are forced to change their hideouts day and night. Due to the heightened pressure created by the police, most of the Rebels operating in Bijapur district either went underground or forced to flee to Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. On the other hand, sympathisers / militiamen returning to their home after getting frustrated by oppression of Maoists fell in to police net one after another.
According to insiders the rebels are also facing internal rifts and are in a State of dilemma thanks to the increased police pressure and erosion in their ranks. They are also facing hardship on ammunition front as supply lines have been shattered by the vigilant police force. On the other hand senseless killings, useless diktats and oppressive attitude of Maoists have virtually alienated villagers from the rebels, Singh said.