Govt's new anti-Naxal plan: Deploy Army
New Delhi: Union Home Ministry's new anti-Naxal battle plan includes calling in the Army to take on the rebels in the dense forests of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.
CNN-IBN has got exclusive details of the Government's new battle plan in tackling Naxals in Dantewada, which could be the first Naxal-infested area in the country to be declared a disturbed area. The Army could be called in and given sweeping powers when the Cabinet Committee on Security meets to discuss the Naxal menace on Thursday in New Delhi. The Ministry also wants more then 30 Chetak and MI 17 helicopters, some of them armoured, deployed in the area to take on the Naxals. There is also a proposal to raise a force of over 18,000 Special Police Officers, roping in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) for technical intelligence, Army Sappers for de-mining operations along with Rashtriya Rifles and Para Battalions for surgical strikes.
Even the Army appears to be coming around to the idea of getting involved in anti-Naxal operations.
"Once the government finally takes decision that decision applies to all arms of government, and armed forces also," Defence Minister AK Antony has already said.
But the full impact of any strike will be felt after monsoons as the Commonwealth Games and the Amarnath Yatra are stretching the armed forces.
But is the strategy the Centre is adopting really right?
"Do you think the Maoists are just sitting there worrying about the army coming? For the last year and half they have been preparing for the deployment of the army. It is going to be a bloody reaction on their part," says Ajai Sahni, counter-terrorism expert and Executive Director of the Institute for Conflict Management.
As the Home Ministry prepares for a final assault on the Naxals, it is hoping to rope in the defence forces as well this time around. But without clear cut intelligence and forces spread out thin, the worry at South Block is should the Army be directly involved, and the bigger worry for the UPA is should armed forces be used at all?
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