The Naxals have managed to consolidate their position considerably during the suspension of the armed operations against them in the wake of certain recent high profile kidnappings. As expected, most of these gains have been made in Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
This has been revealed in a classified report, in possession of this newspaper, sent out by the Central intelligence agencies last week to Maoist-infested states. The report further goes on to add that even the intelligence gathering mechanism came to a halt in view of the kidnappings.
Importantly, according to the secret note, the Maoists used this period — when security forces were not on their trail — to lay out a vast network of landmines. This is a deliberate ploy as landmines are extremely lethal and will severely cripple the movement of Central paramilitary forces in the entire Naxal-dominated region.
The report goes on to mention that anti-Naxal operations have been hampered due to kidnappings of Italian tourists, Paolo Bosusco and Caudio Colango, BJD MLA Jina Hikaka and recently of Sukma collector Alex Paul Menon. According to the classified note, the areas where the Naxal made gains in Orissa are Rayagad, Deogarh, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Sambalpur. While in Chhattisgarh, the districts are Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Rajnandgaon, Surguja, Narayanpur and Bijapur. During the suspension of operations, the Naxals also managed to recruit new cadres and procure more arms and ammunition as well.
“In a situation where our forces are fighting the Naxals each and every day is extremely crucial. But we have now given an edge of almost two months to the Naxals which is a huge setback for the paramilitary forces,” a senior security official said.
The note mentions that what was disturbing was that the local intelligence units were unable to keep a watch and monitor activities of the Naxals. “The intelligence gathering should continue independent of suspension of armed operations by the forces,” report states.
Highly-placed sources said all state multi-agency centre (SMACs) working under the Intelligence Bureau have been categorically told to ensure that intelligence work is never hampered in Naxal-affected states. Senior security officials also argue that since Naxals have laid out landmines in a vast area now the security forces cannot give them a hot pursuit, particularly when they move from one state to another.