The Hindu : Karnataka News : Police seek package to combat naxalites

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 09, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Police seek package to combat naxalites

By Jaideep Shenoy

MANGALORE, SEPT. 8. The State Government is of the opinion that the naxalite movement in Kudremukh National Park in Chikmagalur district and adjoining areas bordering Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts is more of a socio-economic problem.

At the same time, it has also expressed its intention to crack down on armed struggle by naxalites.

Vigil

The Government, while announcing a package aimed at rehabilitating the tribal people in the KNP and adjoining areas, has also directed the police to keep a vigil on naxalites. The recent exchange of fire in the Bukkadibylu area in Sringeri taluk of Chikmagalur district is only a fresh instance of confrontation between the police and naxalites.

Keeping in mind the difficulties likely to be faced in the event of an operation against naxalites in the dense forests in and around Kudremukh, the police have sought a comprehensive package from the Government to enhance their striking power. The Western Range office of the Police Department had forwarded a proposal in this regard to the authorities concerned in Bangalore.

Sources in the Western Range office told The Hindu that the package encompassed the needs of policemen involved in operations against naxalites from the Venoor police station in Dakshina Kannada, the Hebri, Karkala and Shankarnarayana police stations in Udupi district, and the Sringeri, Kalasa and Kudremukh police stations in Chikmagalur district.

Requirements

The sources said the Western Range office compiled a list of requirements and sent it to the State Police Headquarters for action. This was seen as a more prudent step rather than forward proposals from superintendents of police of three of the four districts under the Western Range affected by the naxalite menace.

The package sought included jeeps, self-loading rifles, night vision devices, wireless sets, torches and enhancement of staff strength in the eight police stations. Additional personnel mobilised could be repatriated to their respective police stations once the operation against naxalites ended. Likewise, additional equipment procured for such operations could be stored in the police armoury. They could be used for similar operations in the future, the sources said.

Exchange of fire

On the Bukkadibylu incident, the sources said it was not a new development in the drive against naxalites. Noting that naxalites had exchanged fire with officials of the Police and the Forest departments in the past, they said at least a dozen cases had been registered against naxalites in the eight police stations.

Stating that naxalites had not succeeded in gaining the confidence of villagers in the KNP area, the sources said they obtained ration and other needs by coercing the people who they claimed to protect from "official repression''. The presence of anti-naxal squad was a major impediment for them to move about freely in the area, they added.

The sources said there might be 20 naxalites who had conventional and automatic weapons. Noting that the squad too was well armed to meet any eventuality, the sources said the package, if approved, would provide additional strength to the anti-naxal squad.

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