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OpINION DECEMBER 03, 2021 | The Indian Eye 13

Maoists blow up railway tracks in between Richughuta Station-Demu Station at Tori-latehar Three aides of CPI-Maoist and other criminal groups arrested by a team of
Rail line over the arrest of Maoist leaders Prashant Bose and Sheela Marandi, in latehar (ANI) Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in Ranchi (ANI)

ests and Bhoramdoe Tiger Reserve, The CPI (Maoist) has been increas-
which are interconnected through ingly making efforts in the areas to
impregnable patch of forests located encash on the disenchantment and
on the borders of Madhya Pradesh grievances of the local tribals against
(Balaghat and Mandla) and Chhat- the administration.
tisgarh (Kabirdham). Since the ar- To tackle it, there is a need to un-
eas do not have many roads and are dertake a judicious mix of security and
scantly policed, Maoists are believed developmental interventions in the
to be cultivating their organizational region, wherein, development should
roots in the region, recruiting new proceed the security initiatives.
cadres and generating human intel- While the security measures such as
ligence. deployment of Central Armed Police
According to the Gadchiroli Po-
lice, two platoons of ‘Vistar Dalam’ Forces (CAPFs) should be employed
to tackle the Maoist rebels, the gov-
of the CPI (Maoist) are active in the ernment should emphasize more on
Kanha–Bhoramdeo region. Similar- development initiatives. As large
ly, the forests of Amarkantak, being parts of the region are inhabited by
highly inaccessible for the security the particularly vulnerable tribal
forces, have a strategic significance groups (PVTGs) like Baiga, Abujh
for Maoists and could prove to be a Marias, etc., ensuring rights and en-
safe haven for the senior leaders who titlements of local tribal population
are under pressure from security forc- Security personnel patrol the area under heightened Security over the lands and forests tradition-
es in Jharkhand and Bastar. Besides, as the banned CPI (Maoist) given a call to observe the week as Martyrs' Week in memory of ally used by them and ensuring them
the forest is also close to the Mao- the killed extremists, in Visakhapatnam (ANI) a dignified life in harmony with the
ist-affected districts of Jharkhand, local culture and customs may prove
Odisha, Maharashtra and Madhya to be effective tools for keeping the
Pradesh and could provide the Mao- The neutralization of 26 hardcore maoists, including the Central Maoist extremists at bay.
ists easy passage to these states. The
Maoists are consistently trying to de- Committee member and mmC secretary milind Teltumbde, in the
velop a new ‘base area’ in the dense latest operation by C-60 commandos in Gadchiroli serves a huge Rajbala Rana is Research Analyst at
Amarkantak forests to intensify their the Manohar Parrikar Institute for De-
activities/operations in the areas fall- setback for the CPi (maoist)’s expansion designs in the mmC region. fense Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
ing under the MMC zone.
Notably, the Maoist stronghold Views expressed are of the author and
in Gadchiroli has proved to be the dar. Nevertheless, the recent tactical tri-junction region (MMC) so as to do not necessarily reflect the views of
fulcrum for not only expanding the success against the Maoists should consolidate its position vis-à-vis secu- the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
Maoist activities in the MMC region not override the security forces’ pre- rity forces. Currently in the ‘strategic Government of India.
but also helps in sustaining Maoist paredness as the retaliatory attacks defense phase’ in the region, the Par-
war machinery in south Bastar. The are imminent. ty is largely focusing on socializing This is the abridged version of the
region enables supply of war logistics Presently on the backfoot in their and identifying with the local tribal article which appeared first in the
to other areas of Maoist operations strongholds of Bastar and Andhra– population to get their support for Comment section of the website (www.
and also offers safe hideouts as well Odisha Border, the outlawed outfit is the ‘protracted people’s war’, re- idsa.in) of Manohar Parrikar Institute
as safe passage for the armed and se- striving hard to develop and activate cruiting armed cadres and preserving for Defense Studies and Analyses, New
nior leaders to escape the security ra- some ‘base areas’ in and around the their areas of operation in the region. Delhi on November 23, 2021

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