Buy copters, chase naxals

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
23rd oct 2008

Play it tough, Centre tells states
The Centre has ordered state governments not to hold any peace talks with Maoists until they give up violence and lay down arms.
The Centre, which was insisting on a holistic approach towards the Naxal problem, now prefers police action to peace dialogue with Maoists.
The Union ministry of home affairs has sent a strong message to the states to improve the police response and pursue sustained action against Naxals indulging in violence.
In the status paper on the internal security situation by the ministry of home affairs, the Centre asked the naxal-hit states to buy helicopters for the police for improve surveillance.
The Congress government in the state had gone for talks with the Maoists. The talks failed.
The MHA in the status paper stated, “States should effectively implement surrender and rehabilitation polices for Naxals and use mass media to expose the violence.” The Centre has already set up Cobra (Combat Battalion for Resolute Action) that trains police personnel in guerrilla warfare.
According to the MHA, overall Naxal violence has dipped due to the changed situation in AP and Bihar.
An official of the state home department said, “MHA says 68.07 per cent naxal incidents were reported from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and 58.56 per cent deaths were reported from the two states in 2008.” Experts attribute this to use of improvised explosive devices and landmines by Naxals, the officer said.
He said naxal violence had also come down in Maharashtra.
In Andhra Pradesh, there were 62 naxal attacks reported till August this year compared to 93 in 2007.