Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's recent letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rapping the State Government for its failure in containing the Naxal menace was not without reason. While the ultras killed 27 security forces' personnel from January to November this year, the security forces did not eliminate a single Naxal during the period.
Naxals are also extorting 'levy' from construction work in their stronghold areas in the State. So far this year, the number of Naxal incidents has reached 163 in which 41 civilians have also been eliminated. The security forces, however, were successful in arresting 258 Maoists in the State.
According to inputs with the Centre, Naxal groups, particularly, the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) extort levy from contractors engaged in construction work and material suppliers from Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Similar extortions to lesser extent are also reported from parts of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The poor performance of the State police in containing Naxalism had recently prompted Shinde to write the letter to Kumar on Wednesday stating that there was a complete breakdown in coordination between the State police and Central forces. A day later, the JD(U) MPs had protested the move and sought an apology from Shinde who stood his ground.
While the Naxal situation was becoming alarming in Bihar, the State police chief had during the conference of DGPs organised by the Intelligence Bureau claimed that there was no problem on that front, a senior security official who attended the conference said.
In his letter, Shinde also highlighted that the CPI(Maoist) have looted 38 sophisticated weapons and ammunition from the Bihar Police this year which was the largest number in the country. "There is a worry that the Maoists have identified Bihar Police for snatching weapons and ammunition since the State police personnel appear to be poorly trained in tactics. The State has also witnessed the killing of 27 security personnel this year, which is a very high number," he said.
The Home Minister also advised the Bihar CM to examine the successful counter- insurgency models of other States and adopt such structures in the State. "We have noticed a complete breakdown in coordination between the State police and the Central forces as well as with the neighbouring States like Jharkhand," Shinde wrote in his letter to Kumar. Taking exception to his letter, JD(U) MPs had raised the matter in Parliament in the recent Winter Session and sought an apology from him.
Requesting to revisit the Bihar Government's strategy's of fighting the Naxals, Shinde told Kumar that situation in the State has become alarming and if it is not addressed immediately, there is a possibility that the lWE situation may go completely out of control in the near future.
The Minister told the Chief Minister that the Maoists have realised that Bihar is a soft target to build their arsenal and may resort to further spectacular strikes and therefore the State Government should immediately take necessary steps to improve coordination with the Central forces and neighbouring States.