Odisha constructed its combat towards Left Wing Extremism brick by brick

Express News Service

From a Naxal hotbed that lay between a crucial junction of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to a State that has pushed Left Wing Extremism (LWE) to the fringes and ushering in growth in areas that had been lengthy beneath the maintain of the ultras, Odisha’s is a hit story that has come by way of numerous phases of studying, re-learning and strategic innovation by its police drive over final 20 years.

The Naxal insurgency began in Odisha in late Sixties and by the start of 2000s, the purple rebels had been well-entrenched and calling the photographs. The unprecedented assaults on Kalimela and Motu police stations in 2001 and armories of Koraput and Nayagarh districts in 2004 and 2008 respectively had been a wake-up name for the State Government and its police drive.

The Government was ill-equipped, like different Naxal-affected States again then, to deal with such insurgencies because it neither had enough manpower, credible intelligence or strong infrastructure to verify the rising menace of LWE. The Government additionally didn’t have the help of tribals within the Naxal affected districts on account of lack of growth actions within the area.

In 2007, the Odisha Special Security Force (OSSF) comprising over 700 retired protection personnel was shaped to protect necessary installations like armouries, jails and police stations within the Naxal-affected districts of the State. Though the Government had arrange Special Operation Group (SOG) and Special Intelligence Wing (SIW) of Odisha Police in 2004, the 2 specialised models existed merely on papers and didn’t have any tooth to deal with the purple ultras.

Alarmed over the rising incidence of Maoist violence, Odisha Police intently adopted the techniques of Greyhounds, an elite anti-Naxal drive of Andhra Pradesh shaped in 1989, and replicated its method to penetrate into the purple zones of the State.

Start of the method

SOG and SIW models had been strengthened after the Nayagarh assault and anti-Naxal operations have since then being carried out completely on intelligence and source-based info to inflict most injury on the methods, plans and bases of the purple rebels working out of the State. The authorities additionally targeted on imparting anti-extremist coaching to its personnel to tackle Naxal violence. Odisha Police personnel had been earlier despatched to Greyhounds for coaching.

However, the State Police Force now has its personal anti-extremist techniques coaching centres in Bhubaneswar’s Chandaka and Koraput. The anti-extremist techniques coaching, by now, is necessary for the immediately recruited officers of Odisha Police. Even the police personnel of different States are enterprise anti-extremist techniques coaching at SOG Centre in Chandaka to boost their counter-insurgency experience.

District Volunteer Force, Odisha Special Striking Force (consisting of ex-servicemen), 4 Special Security Battalions and 9 India Reserve Battalions had been additionally set as much as fight the Naxalites within the State. Apart from establishing particular models, the Government additionally inducted tribal youths as particular cops in 2008.

However, after the Supreme Court declared Chhattisgarh’s Salwa Judum, a militia of native tribal youths, as unlawful and unconstitutional in 2011, the Odisha Government disbanded its SPOs programme. In 2013, the Government shaped Odisha Auxiliary Police Force (OAPF) and recruited over 4,000 tribal youths as constables.

Decisive push

In one other decisive push by to make main inroads into the Maoist citadel, Gurupriya Bridge was inaugurated in Swabhiman Anchal, as soon as often called the cut-off space of Malkangiri district, in 2018. Built at a price of Rs 87.25 crore in a document time of 4 years in Chitrakonda, the 910-meter lengthy and eight.4-meter huge bridge offers important connectivity to 151 villages unfold over 9 panchayats with a inhabitants of 30,000 tribals that had been cut-off from the mainland for the final 5 a long time.

Conceptualised in 1986, the development work for the bridge really began in 2014 after a number of failed makes an attempt on account of technical challenges and threats from the left wing extremists. Development of infrastructure, fortification of significant installations and enhancing manpower at susceptible institutions led to a noticeable drop in left wing extremism actions within the State.

Deployment of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) battalions additionally witnessed a big rise within the final 20 years beneath Centre’s Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme. From only one battalion in 2001, CRPF at present has deployed eight battalions in Odisha. BSF additionally has eight battalions within the State. Each battalion includes six firms and every firm consists of about 96 personnel.

About 90 per cent safety camps in Odisha have now helipads to satisfy any contingency and to implement the federal government’s technique of going deep into the inside areas of the State. Night touchdown succesful helipads in six locations – Malkangiri, Hantalguda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput and Rayagada districts will quickly be operational. These helipads are fitted with sensors and infrared-enabled options which mechanically information a chopper when it’s approaching.

The helicopters are fitted with the identical sort of sensors that assist the pilots in recognizing the touchdown floor.

“Availability of natural light is one of the most important factors due to which choppers are either delayed or sorties cancelled leading to huge resentment among ground troops. The night landing capable helipads will act as force multiplier and in case of injury, the security personnel can be evacuated to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment,” senior officers of Odisha Police level out.

Apart from finishing up strategic anti-Naxal operations, the safety personnel are conducting frequent outreach programmes to earn the belief and confidence of the tribals staying within the far-flung areas of the State.

Strategic strikes

Most of the company-operating bases of the safety forces present medical help to locals within the Naxal-affected districts. BSF additionally launched a ship ambulance for the folks of Swabhiman Anchal of Malkangiri on the event of Republic Day this yr.

The facility was launched with an goal to assist the ten,000-odd residents of over 35 villages close to Balimela reservoir within the cut-off space. A majority of those villages should not have street connectivity which makes it troublesome for them to entry ambulance companies. In case of well being emergencies, they carry a affected person on slings or bamboo stretchers by way of forest areas to succeed in the mainland.

State Government’s beneficiant give up and rehabilitation coverage, which incorporates monetary help, offering ability growth coaching and homes to the Maoists, can also be encouraging ultras to put down their arms and be a part of the mainstream, he added. Last yr alone, 21 Naxals surrendered, as many had laid down their arms in 2020, 13 in 2019, 27 in 2018, 26 in 2017 and 31 in 2016. As the federal government began regaining Naxal affected areas, Jajpur,

Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati and Ganjam districts had been faraway from SRE scheme in 2018 whereas Angul, Boudh, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Nayagarh had been taken off in 2020.

Only 10 districts are at present designated as LWE-hit – Bargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Rayagada and Sundargarh. The variety of civilians killed by purple ultras and safety personnel martyred throughout anti-Naxal operations within the final 5 years additionally level to the appreciable success achieved in Odisha Government’s anti-Naxal operational technique.

Last yr, two civilians had been killed and one jawan was martyred as in comparison with seven civilians and two jawans in 2020 and 10 civilians and one jawan in 2019. In 2016, the numbers had been 23 civilians and three jawans. By now, the operational bases of Naxals has decreased and as has the variety of cadres in operation. About 250 Naxals are lively in Odisha and out of them lower than 25 are natives of the State. Notwithstanding the success, SOG, SIW and the police in these components by no means let their guard down.