While incidents of violent Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) attacks in Chhattisgarh dropped by 77 per cent in 2022, compared to 2010, the data provided by CRPF shows that incident of killings are increasing, with 10 security personnel killed in the last year and seven personnel killed until February 28 this year.

The CRPF believes Maoists have changed their strategy and started targeting fewer personnel in a single ambush.

On the suspicion that Maoists have changed their modus operandi, a CRPF officer said, “Nowadays, instead of attacking a large number of personnel in one attack, they have started targeting them when they find them in low numbers.”

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Another officer said that Maoists have also upgraded their weapons, and they are now using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which is a matter of concern.

Former CRPF director-general Kuldiep Singh told The Sunday Express that the paramilitary force will handle Maoist operatives properly if they have changed their strategy. “The number of LWE-related violent incidents have come down after CRPF entered their dominated areas to execute their operations. Overnight, we have made camps in their areas (of influence) and started operating,” Singh said.

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Last month, three security personnel were killed during an encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district — the CRPF men had gone there to provide security cover for road construction work. The incident occurred when a joint team of security forces were conducting searches in jungles in the area between Kunded and Jagargunda, in Sukma.

Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, had last month informed the Lok Sabha that the Centre has approved the ‘National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE’ in 2015. The policy envisages a multi-pronged strategy involving security-related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities, etc. Steadfast implementation of this policy has resulted in consistent decline in LWE violence across the nation, Rai said.

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“The number of LWE-related violent incidents have come down by 77% in 2022 in comparison to the high of 2010. The number of resultant deaths (security forces and civilians) have also reduced by 90% in 2022 as compared to the high of 2010,” Rai told the House.

© The Indian Express (P) Ltd