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| India-Pakistan |
| Maoists on backfoot, flee Chhattisgarh |
| 2008-06-16 |
| For the first time in years, Maoists are on the run in the dense jungle and hills of Chhattisgarh. A combined assault by paramilitary forces and the police has left behind tracks of blood and dead bodies and given a new thrust to the operation for de-fanging the Red Brigade soldiers. The Maoists lost 68 cadre last month, the biggest casualty they suffered in a month. Sources said that the thrust of the anti-Maoist operation is on penetrating their stronghold in Bustar and Bijapur and establish forward bases from where the security forces can launch major offensive. The security forces, now enforced by the arrival of four additional battalions of Central paramilitary forces, are moving in large numbers inside the Maoist terrain, sources said. Pushed on the defensive, the Maoist leadership is making desperate attempts to stir up their cadre and engage in diversionary tactics. Last week they blew up 220 KV high-tension electricity towers in the forests of Dantewada, plunging the region into darkness. The Maoists also forced stoppage of mining activity at the State-owned National Mineral Development Corp Ltd and torched 19 trucks of Essar Steel. In April too, insurgents had set ablaze 53 trucks at Essar's complex. "These are desperate attempts by the Maoists. They are losing their men in large numbers and we have pushed them on defensive," Chhattisgarh DGP Vishwaranjan told The Pioneer on phone. The DGP pointed out that the Maoists have themselves claimed to have lost 68 cadre last month. "We have seized documents where the casualty figure for the month is mentioned," the DGP said. He added that the figure mentioned in the Maoist document is higher than the bodies of Maoists recovered by the police. "The difference is due the fact that in many encounters, wounded Maoists manage to escape to their hideouts and later succumb to injury," he said. The DGP attributed success of several anti-Maoists operations to the insiders of the Red Brigade, who are now helping the police. Last month, the police gunned down 19 Maoists in an encounter at Pamer, on the Andhra Pradesh-Chhattisgarh border, following a tip-off by a 'mole'. Later, the Maoists held a jan adalat and killed nine suspects for leaking out information. Reports from Gadchiroli on Sunday said Maoists have beheaded a former member of their organisation who had surrendered to the police and warned his colleague, who too had surrendered along with him, against acting as police informer or else he would meet the same fate. The incident that occurred in village Murgaon of Dhanora sub district has the entire Maoist-affected region in the grip of tension because of the manner in which the reprisal has been carried out. Even on Sunday, a Maoist was killed at Arpulpeta in Dantewada when security forces attacked their camp. Vastly outnumbered, the Maoists chose to escape, leaving behind a dead body, drilling machine, explosive materials and huge amount of food grains. "The current phase of war against the Maoists is entering a decisive phase. We are determined to deliver a bloody blow to them," said the DGP. However, he cautioned that the desperate Maoists could go for soft targets to divert the attention of the security forces. "The Centre had promised us another CRPF battalion. We need it badly to pre-empt the diversionary engagements of the Maoists," he added. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #4 We'd have to take out half the college professors in the United States to actually do any good, RJ. It's possible to do with enough people, but I'm sure the blowback would be he$$. A better way of dealing with the problem is to institute a "blacklist" of teachers who teach crap, and get businesses to refuse to hire anyone who's attended those teachers' courses. Pretty soon the student body will get the message. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-06-16 21:06 |
| #3 Start with the Phelps Clan, no survivors. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-06-16 13:49 |
| #2 This is what needs to happen everywhere these vermin poke their head up. Too bad we can't engage the Leftists in our own country in the same manner. |
| Posted by: One Eyed Trout 2008-06-16 07:03 |
| #1 Sounds like totally typical Maoist behavior. But usually, they're executing people regardless, and this time they seem to have an actual purpose. |
| Posted by: gromky 2008-06-16 05:52 |