The Hindu : Front Page : Security forces prepare for a fresh offensive against Maoists in Lalgarh

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Friday, Jun 26, 2009
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Front Page

Security forces prepare for a fresh offensive against Maoists in Lalgarh

Special Correspondent

— Photo: PTI

A couple in a village in Lalgarh assess their damaged house on Thursday.

KOLKATA: Security forces deployed in Lalgarh and its adjacent areas in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district are preparing for a fresh offensive to flush out Maoists and activists of the Maoist-backed Police Santrosh Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC) from the region.

Six additional companies of the central forces arrived at Goaltore, about 20 km from Lalgarh, from where they, along with the State police, went on the job on Thursday.

The joint operation by the paramilitary forces and the State Armed Police against Maoists holed up in the Lalgarh area entered its eighth day.

Ever since the forces reclaimed the police station there on June 20 the operation has progressed steadily, though on a low key, with security personnel scouring the area for landmines and other explosives.

The operation will continue until normality is restored in the troubled area and a sense of security returns among the people there, according to Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty.

More companies of the central forces were expected to arrive to supplement the forces engaged in the operation, he said.

A base camp was set up by the security personnel in the Lalgarh Police Station and plans were on to make forays into the Ramgarh area, a Maoist stronghold, reports reaching here said.

The government had reiterated that the operation should not be viewed as one aimed at “occupying” the area but to provide protection to the victims of months of violence in the area and instil in them a sense of security.

It was difficult to estimate how long the operations would continue “but the end objective is to restore law and order, see development work resumes and schemes implemented and proper rule of law established,” Mr. Chakraborty told journalists during a visit to Lalgarh on Wednesday.

He said the government was always willing to hold talks with the leaders of the PSBJC, but it was asking them to surrender their arms before discussions could be held.

The PSBJC leaders recently said they were agreeable to talks if the security operations were stopped.

The government said that it would look into specific complaints of police highhandedness on some local villagers in the course of the operations. “The police have repeatedly been told to ensure that local villagers are not harassed in any way … The central security forces and the police have no discord with the people. Rather they are here to safeguard the people’s interests,” according to Mr. Chakraborty.

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