Jharkhand cops to translate Naxal surrender policy into local languages

“Our surrender policy is one of the best. I think language problems have meant it has not been well understood. I am trying to get it translated to tribal languages,” said Rezi Dung Dung, Additional Director General, Special Branch. Jharkhand was the worst Left Wing Extremism-affected state in 2013. It topped in Naxal incidents (383), as well as related deaths (150).

Police sources blame bureaucratic inefficiency. “Whenever someone surrenders, the government is quick to release the first instalment of the grant. The other promised payments get delayed. The state fails to take care of education of children of cadre,” said a police officer who did not want to be named.

At a review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary R S Sharma in September 2013, it was proposed that land be allotted and houses constructed for surrendered militants. Those proposals are still in pipeline. The state government inaugurated the first open jail in November last to rehabilitate surrendered Naxals but that did translate into more surrenders. According to data provided by the Naxal Management Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Orissa led surrenders in 2013, with 101. The total across the country was 283.

The presence of at least 19 groups — including CPI-Maoist — complicates matters. Splinter groups account for about 40 per cent of LWE violence in Jharkhand. “We are too focused on CPI-Maoist. There is not enough pressure on splinter groups. These splinter groups do not attack police parties and withdraw each time there is an encounter, so FIRs are mostly unnamed,” said the police officer.

In Jharkhand, disillusionment among LWE is not visible yet. There have been no surrenders in 2014. The South Asia Terrorism Portal, which tracks LWE, gives figures that vary marginally with MHA’s, but are indicative. Between 2005 and ‘09, there were no surrenders in any year save 2006, when five laid down arms. In 2010 and 2011, less than 20 surrendered.

“We may have had a low number of surrenders in 2013 because there have been a large number of arrests. Top leaders have been picked up,” said state Home Secretary N N Pandey.