Shocking security failures in the complex fight of the Indian State against the Maoist insurgency have become routine. These undermine the idea that along with serious initiatives to take the fruits of development to the tribal poor, a forthright riposte to the depredations of vicious Naxalites is unavoidable. Public funds are spent for this, but without any accountability.
Security shortcomings revealed in the massacre of Chhattisgarh’s top Congress leaders on Saturday was uncannily similar to those when 76 CRPF jawans were blown up three years ago in Bastar. It is like failing over and over again in kindergarten.
Road-opening parties weren’t sent out before a 25-car convoy carrying top state politicians was to pass. A CRPF camp lay just 10 km from the ambush site, and a police station was even closer, but no sanitisation of the route was done. Failure of intelligence is written all over the episode.
This is callous and irresponsible. It’s as if training and following standard safety procedures have been junked as a requirement. There must be an audit of anti-Naxal operations across the country and a debate brought to Parliament and state Assemblies.
Recently, when Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh went to several villages in Naxal areas, his team had 3,000 securitymen in tow. In contrast, the Congress convoy was guarded only by individual security officials assigned to some politicians. What kind of security planning is that?