The Weekend Leader - Maoists continue to be a challenge in Jharkhand

Maoists continue to be a challenge in Jharkhand

BY MANOJ PATHAK   |  Ranchi

03-January-2020

 It has been two decades since Jharkhand state was carved out from Bihar. The state has seen various governments, various Chief Ministers but Maoists continue to be a challenge despite every government promising to eradicate them.

The Maoists remain one of the biggest challenges for the newly formed Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) government.

The challenge is evident as members of the restricted organisation Indian Communist Party (Maoist) blew up a community centre in Selda just hours before the swearing-in of Hemant Soren.

The Maoists activities have increased since the formation of the new government.

Jharkhand DGP Kamal Nayan Chaube said the government has taken up the challenge of eradicating Maoists from the state.

As per the police records, 133 Maoist attacks by various Maoist organisations were carried out in 15 districts of the state whereas such incidents in nine districts were not confirmed.

Various Maoist organisations are active in different areas of Jharkhand. The CPI (M) carried out 64 attacks whereas the Tritiya Prastuti Committee carried out 27, 22 by the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), 13 by the Jharkhand Janmukti Parishad (JJMP) while small organisations were allegedly involved in four attacks.

A police officer said that last year 24 Maoists were killed by the police in 36 encounters. The Maoists retaliated by killing 22 people, committing arson at 26 places, kidnapping two people and blowing up 13 places. They even attacked the police four times.

Another police officer said the governments work out strategies against the Maoists. The previous government also had some strategies. In the last one year, 12 Maoists have surrendered. The previous government claimed that it has eradicated Maoism but they continue to register their presence by carrying out various attacks.

A former police officer on condition of anonymity said both, the police as well as the Maoists, keep on formulating strategies against each other.

He said the Maoists have formed a motorcycle squad which uses the vehicles to reach the place where they want to attack. Now, the police will have to work out a strategy against this.

He claimed that no one can deny that Maoist activities have come down in the state but it is important to provide employment to the youths of the state, to spread awareness about education among children and their parents because no one wants to become a Maoist.IANS 



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