The banned CPI(Maoist) has chalked out a new action plan to expand its base in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and North Bihar besides West Bengal.The latest Maoist strategy named ‘3-U’ (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Bihar) is being acted upon by Special Area Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), according to reports with the Central paramilitary forces.
The Naxal plan includes expansion of support base among both tribal and non-tribal communities through mobilisation of cadres of the Uttar Bihar Regional Committee of the CPI (Maoists).Inputs with the security agencies indicate the Maoists are also seeking to expand their base in West Bengal. The ultras already have a strong presence in Southern West Bengal districts including Purulia, Bankura and Midnapur.
The ultras are now trying to extend their footprint in North Bengal via Malda as transit point and exploit the tea garden workers besides targeting the disgruntled workers in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts. “The Naxals are apparently hoping that the past Naxalite history and growing unrest among tea garden workers may pave the way for creating a stronghold in these districts,” an official said.
Recent reports also indicate that the Maoists are trying to expand their operational areas in Telangana by exploiting the fault-lines arising out of creation of the new State. As a follow up to these inputs, the Central paramilitary forces including the lead anti-Naxal force, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal are tracking the developments and formulating counter strategies to tackle the emerging threats, sources said.
Assessments suggest the latest Naxal strategy could be linked to the major reverses suffered by the outfit in major areas dominated by them in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in the wake of offensives by the security forces. The onslaught by the security forces has also led to a leadership crisis within the outfit’s ranks with a number of them either being eliminated or surrendering themselves before Government’s authority.
In the wake of recent successes in operations against the ultras, the CRPF is in the process of overhauling its strategies in order to further boost its results. The paramilitary has already reconstructed reverses suffered by it at the hands of the ultras and has fortified vulnerable camps.
The SSB on its part views the latest Naxal plan in a strategic perspective and from the point of view of the threat causing challenges in border management if unchecked, sources added.