Police have apprehended suspected rebels from the interiors and sensitised the security forces over the past couple of days in a bid to avert any untoward incident during the Martyrs’ Week observed by the CPI (Maoist) rebels across the country from July 28 to August 3.
“We have apprehended suspected rebels and sensitized our forces to avert any attacks by the outlawed group during their Martyr’s Week. Central and State forces have been deployed at strategic points to foil all the attempts of the rebels to disrupt peace,” said Inspector General (Operations), Ashish Batra.
Jharkhand has witnessed a sudden surge in Maoist incidents since the conclusion of the 17th General Elections here. At least four encounters between the security forces and rebel outfits have been reported in the State since the elections, resulting in over a dozen casualties and martyrdom of at least five police personnel.
The possibilities of an attack by the CPI (Maoist) during their Martyr’s Week are high. During the Martyr’s Week, the rebels pay tribute to their cadres who were neutralized by the security forces and plan counter actions to avenge their deaths.
According to figures with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), at least 18 of 24 districts in Jharkhand are Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected. On Friday, the police recovered a poster of the CPI (Maoist) from Dumri in Giridih. The poster sought the support of villagers to complete the work that the “martyred Maoist cadres” could not. Batra, however, said that the posters were not pasted by the hardcore Dastas of the CPI (Maoist) and were not a major threat.
“We have taken tactical steps. I cannot disclose our operational secrets to the media, but all possible measures have been taken to keep all Maoist actions under control during the week,” Batra said.
The number of Maoist incidents in the state has reduced over the past couple of years and the CPI (Maoist) was fast losing ground to the security forces, added Batra. “Only 56 LWE incidents were reported in the first six months of this year. Last year, at least 59 incidents were reported in the first six months. If we look at the figures from year 2013 to 2015, then the number of Maoist incidents reported annually was nearly 200,” he said.
Even during the monsoon, when security forces ideally de-escalate their operations due to the challenges of the weather, the combing operations continued and were further intensified in Jharkhand. “Our regular combing operations are still on. Many areas where the Maoist once called the shots are now under our control,” said Additional Director General of Police, M L Meena.