Very few deputy inspector generals (DIGs) of police have found time, courage and passion to write on naxalism and how this affects and pollutes the unsuspecting minds of the youth.
Vipul Shukla DIG of Palamu police range is different. He wrote a big piece on this issue of naxalism and sent a copy of it to the Pioneer man here. Here is the extract of what this DIG of police Shukla meant to say in his write up.
Naxalism is a big internal threat wrote the DIG and even to buttress his point that internal threat is far more dangerous for any nation he referred to Chanakya’s most oft quoted line that internal abettor of violence is like a ‘lurking snake.’
He went on to say further that naxals cobbled together to ‘overthrow ‘the system of the country by ‘violent means’ but the fact is that naxals are now most badly over thrown by the security forces who have made supreme sacrifices of their lives in curbing, containing and limiting naxalism in Jharkhand.
Shukla also got a list of cops and officials slain fighting naxalism from 2001 to 2018 ( till 21.10.18) in this Palamu police range which comprises 3 districts Palamu, Garhwa and Latehar. It showed his pains and concerns for the families of the slain police personnel.
According to Shukla’s list covering 2001 to 2018, 25 police personnel were slain in Latehar district, 7 in Garhwa district and 26 in Palamu.
By his account extremism was at a very low key in Garhwa district in all these 17 years beginning 2001.
This man in uniform culling a point from history of extremism wrote that Palamu was the breeding ground of naxalism, which took is birth although in naxalbaree in 1960 in West Bengal but later its tentacles got spread faster and there came on the scene Red corridor.
Author DIG appears to have researched hard on naxalism here as he further went on to write areas which remained ‘deprived’ ( read where development could not reach) became the ‘recruiting grounds’ for the Maoists.
He has not talked about the problem of naxalism alone. He has suggested ways and means to curb it. He bats for ‘multi dimensional’ approach to tackle this internal threat by putting emphasis on development with full security provisions.
Two vital questions have been asked by DIG. One is “Why should we honour our martyrs? and second how should we honour them? He gave answers to both knowing well that many will duck these questions.
As for honouring martyrs DIG reiterated a nation that forgets its martyrs languishes and naming any road after the martyr’s name or setting up statue of the martyrs is quite a temporal attitude as the real honour to a martyr is inculcate his chivalry and heroism and rise to serve the nation with great will and determination.
Like all soldiers this DIG holds the view police are the first line of defense and it be well taken care of.