The Naxal attack on the Congress convoy in Chhattisgarh, which killed several top politicians, has once again raised questions about security and governance in the left wing extremism-affected areas. Former home secretary Gopal Pillai talks to Avantika Bhuyan about the ways to counter the problem
What has led to this grave situation?
Naxals have a fascist ideology and have no belief in parliamentary democracy. Their aim is to capture political power through armed struggle. They are not interested in improving the situation as it suits their ends. It is the failure of the government, to some extent.
Secondly, armed with ammunition, the Naxals are driving the political parties out. In Andhra Pradesh, many panchayat presidents and block administration staff have been killed. According to 2010 figures, out of 1,200 people killed by extremists, 800 were innocent tribal people who were killed on the presumption that they were police informers. Now people don’t come out against them for fear of being killed.
Another issue is about genuine grievances related to land rights and forest rights. We need to give the tribal people the rights over forest produce.
In April 2011, Mendha (Lekha) became the first village in Gadchiroli district to sell bamboo under community forest rights. Now 18 gram sabhas in Maharashtra have been allowed to sell tendupatta under CFR. Earlier, they were given Rs 3 lakh as revenue by the forest department. But when they auctioned it on their own, they got Rs 2 crore.
What policy measures are needed?
First, improve security so that development can take place. Second, ensure tribal land rights and give land pattas to the people. Declare tendu and bamboo as minor forest produce and give the tribal people full rights over these. Also, when land is acquired, ensure full rehabilitation and compensation.
What are the policing challenges?
In 2009, when I took over as home secretary, there was a huge shortage in the police force. Originally, the Bastar district was much larger than the state of Kerala. But there were only 1,000-odd policemen here, compared to 95,000 policemen in Delhi which is much smaller.
In 2005, the whole of Chhattisgarh had only 23,000 police personnel. Now the strength is 48,000. But there is a need to double, or even triple, that number. Induction of forces is crucial.
Unlike elsewhere, policemen in places like Bastar are required to be like commandos who can go into the jungle and live off the land. Training such personnel will take time and the full impact of the build-up will be felt only in 2016.
How can such attacks be prevented?
Such setbacks are inevitable till the expansion of the forces takes place. Besides, Congress leader Mahendra Karma was on top of the Naxal hit-list. Maybe it was the presence of such an important anti-Naxal crusader that led to the attack.
But, positive changes are taking place. Between 2009 and 2011, we got 10,000 sq km liberated. All the villagers in those areas said, ‘We are supporting the government, but don’t take the security forces away for at least ten years’.
Earlier, the BSF was withdrawn as soon as the operation was over and the Naxals returned. But for the past four years, the same BSF battalion has been stationed there. Development has started but it’ll take us a decade to gain the upper hand.
Should the army be employed?
The army shouldn’t be used against local people. The army is already overstretched and doesn’t have the capacity to employ so many divisions in this area.
But we are using the army training facility to train the local police and Central Reseerve Police Force jawans for three to six months before they report to the field. We are also employing two retired sappers per company who are experts in detecting and disarming explosives.
What is the way forward?
The only way is to build infrastructure and add manpower -- teachers, nurses and doctors. All grievances need to be addressed through a redressal cell so that tribal people feel faith in the government. The minute that happens, Naxal influence will come down.
The Naxals, in some ways, work like organised criminal extortionists. They earn approximately Rs 1,200 crore a year through extortions that they use to pay the cadres and buy ammunition with. We have to tackle this.
It is all about winning the hearts and minds of the locals, and that can only be done by the political parties. Politicians can’t come to the villages just once in a while to give speeches. They have to stay there and establish aconnect.
Naxals have been trying to get into Uttar Pradesh as well, but haven’t succeeded as the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party have such a stronghold on the ground that there is no vacuum.
