Why forces lost in Bastar jungles

Fighting a faceless enemy,the CPMF deployed in the Maoist hotspot of tribal Bastar region are facing several odds.

Fighting a faceless enemy,the Central Para Military Forces CPMF deployed in the Maoist hotspot of tribal Bastar region are facing several odds language problem,lack of intelligence inputs and coordination with state police,no proper training in jungle warfare and inability to win the confidence of local people making them more vulnerable to attacks from the highly motivated rebels.

In the five districts of Bastar region which is bigger than Kerala and many other states in area 17 battalions of CPMF and one battalion of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force are deployed to take on the Maoist guerrilla fighters,who are supported by many sangams or village-level supporters. The sangam members extend logistic support to the rebels and also form part of the strong Maoist intelligence network.

Official sources said four CRPF and two BSF battalions are deployed in hyper-sensitive areas of Dantewada district. Similarly,three battalions of CRPF are deployed in Bijapur district,followed by one CRPF battalion in Narayanpur,two CRPF battalions in Bastar,five BSF battalions in Kanker and one CAF battalion in and around Jagdalpur,the divisional headquarters of Bastar.

Tuesdays worst-ever Maoist attack has brought to focus the issues plaguing the paramilitary forces fighting the rebels in the forested and hostile terrain and the precision in Maoist planning in executing a major action.

While the police and CRPF top brass are still visiting the site and corroborating statements of the seven survivors to find out what went wrong during the attack,police insiders pointed out that some time back word had spread that the rebels were planning to strike a few police stations,located on the national highway and other main routes,in Bastar district.

Subsequently,steps were taken to strengthen the security. Now it is being suspected that the rebels themselves had spread the word to divert police attention towards Bastar district while they were preparing for a major strike in remote forest location in Dantewada, an official said.

Konta block has been a safe haven for Maoists as it borders four states Andhra Pradesh,Orissa,Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and borders always remain a weak point, says former Madhya Pradesh DGP A N Singh,who had served in this region. I had inkling about the risks involved and that Green Hunt could soon turn into a major tragedy.

Story continues below this ad

A force like CRPF has got many limitations,particularly when they are deployed to take on the Maoists in a forest terrain like Bastar. They do not have proper training in jungle warfare. The condition in the forests is horrible during summer and only those who are well acclimatized to the humid conditions could stay there and fight such a war.

Singh said lack of knowledge of local Gondi dialect was a major problem for paramilitary personnel,who find it difficult to gather intelligence inputs. Since Gondi dialect is somewhat close to Telugu,there has to be some recruitment of Andhra cadre officers for intelligence gathering, he said.