By killing 12 CRPF jawans in a landmine blast in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district on Tuesday Maoists have opened another front after the abduction of two Italians and an MLA in Orissa.
The incidents in Maharashtra and Orissa may not have been planned and executed by the same group because Maoists have a decentralised organisational structure and are known to employ different tactics in different locales and situations. But the attack on the CRPF personnel shows that they have the firepower to put the governments under pressure simultaneously in different states.
The Gadchiroli area has been known as a major Maoist stronghold and security forces have been attacked many times in the past there. It is surprising that the forces still did not take enough precautions to avoid the trap laid for them. The area is contiguous with Maoist-infested areas in Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The forces had recently launched an offensive in Chattisgarh and Maoists may have been hitting back at them in Gadchiroli. This should have been anticipated.
The killings took place when the crisis arising from the hostage situation in Orissa is still unresolved. The Maoists there had taken two Italians and a legislator hostage. One Italian has been released but negotiations are continuing for the release of the other. The state government has conceded some demands of the Maoists like stoppage of combing operations. They have also demanded release of some prisoners. The Orissa abductions are different from past cases because it is the first time foreigners have been taken hostage. The government is especially under pressure because diplomatic relations are also involved.
Whichever way the crisis is resolved, the recurring incidents of Maoist violence show that they are capable of strongly challenging the state in many parts of the country. The Central and state governments swear by the two-pronged strategy of promoting development and enforcing security in areas where the Maoists are entrenched. But security operations are often too coercive and ill-planned, often alienating common people, and development efforts hardly reach the targeted areas and populations. The Maoists often scuttle developmental work in areas which they control.
The kidnapped MLA was popular in his constituency for undertaking developmental activities. It will be simplistic to think that the Maoist challenge will be met successfully in the short term. There is a long haul ahead and success can be ensured only if both parts of the strategy complement each other and are implemented effectively.