Red vengeance seemingly has rocked Odisha again. Though increased killing of civilians by Maoists labelling them as police informers was the trend last year, a spurt in attacks on economic targets has been the trend in last few months only. Moreover, the fatalities, especially of civilians, inflicted by the Reds in Odisha, have risen in 2015, reveals a recent review by the Union Home Ministry.
According to a recent Union Home Ministry review, Odisha has reported around 33 casualties till January 8, 2016. The civilian deaths stood at around 30 and 'police informer' fatalities were at around 22 only. Significantly, Maoists killed the rest in extortion bid, revealed highly placed sources. This reveals the Naxal terror plot of killing 'police informers' and simultaneously to build up a fear psychosis to mop up extortion money, added sources.
The review also maintains that when the total naxal incidents in Odisha have seen a drop by nearly 20 per cent in 2015, total casualties, however, have increased marginally over that of 2014. Similarly, when not a single telephone exchange tower was attacked till November last year, as many as three such towers faced Red rebels' wrath recently in less than a month. Above all, Maoists starting recruitment drive only in last month in Mayurbhanj district shows the ultras upping their ante recently in the State against administration and security forces.
The security liability for the State here is if Maoists open up more fronts and form new corridors in State then it would be hard for the security forces to rein in them, remarked a senior official engaged in anti-Naxal operations.
The Government's drive to brand the ultras as anti-development looks somewhat failing as the Naxals have seemingly changed tack when last year they torched road construction machines in Balangir but simultaneously left leaflets and posters at the site demanding drinking water and medical facility. Significantly, people in Naxal-hit districts have poor access to water supply and health outreach. Result: The double-game played by ultras gets clear on the canvas as on the one hand they target all assets that are detrimental to them and simultaneously on the other they drum up people's support by raking up inhabitants' hard pressed needs. And, the clue lies here for the Government.
Meanwhile, the report analysis finds some slack in State's intelligence apparatus and has recently counselled Odisha to adopt the Andhra Pradesh model of designating anti-Naxal special intelligence wing as police stations so as to vest them with the power to arrest and investigate. Senior security officials are of the view that this will institutionalise the intelligence gathering activities in the State against Naxal operations.