Beltangady: Naxal-Police Encounter - Another Futile Operation?
Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (PS)
Beltangady, Mar 12: The Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) have been continuing their combing operation around the encounter site following the Saturday March 10 incident in which they reportedly exchanged fire with a group of Naxals near Kukkadi Urdyaru waterfalls beneath the Western Ghats in Malavanthige village.
Reports emerging on Monday March 12 stated that Beltangady police are in the process of scrutinizing the pistol and other articles seized from the Naxals, and that it may take another three days. ASP Anucheth is the investigating officer of the incident.
However, the recent encounter has raised several questions. The police, though they displayed the articles seized from the Naxals, refused to divulge any details when asked. In earlier operations in Sringeri, Karkala and Chikamagalur, the police had displayed the sezied articles to the media at press conferences, but this time they did not do so for more than 24 hours after the operation.
Another question nagging the public is what makes the Naxals escape every time after an encounter. The episode usually ends up as a low-key affair with the police seizing some articles of the Naxals. Though there are more than 100 trained personnel in the ANF and staff of Punjalkatte, Belthangady, Venoor police stations to combat Naxals, they have not been able to catch them despite the fact that the latter are relatively small in number, as asserted by state home minister R Ashok.
In last year's Manjala Kaadu Naxal-police encounter which claimed the life of ANF staff Mahadev Mane on August 8 night, the intelligence department had information on the movement of Naxals in the area. Likewise, this time too, it is said, the ANF was informed by the intelligence department about the presence of Naxals. Is it then a failure on the part of the police or sheer negligence? Or, are the Naxals too clever for our police?
The erstwhile IGP (western range) Alok Mohan had that Naxals were very less in number near the Western Ghat area. Also, as per the present home minister, only about 12 Naxals are believed to be operating in the state. But more than 400 ANF personnel are combating Naxalism. They carry out operations in Chikamagalur, Shimoga, DK and Udupi districts. There have been many incidents of ANF team encountering Naxals. However, it must be admitted that it not possible to completely curb Naxal activities.
Also, though it is said that in the Malavanthige ANF-Naxal battle there were about 25 Naxals, only 25 kg of rice was found. It is therefore hard to believe that the spot could be their training camp, where they would have otherwise stocked a lot more food to last them several days. Even the small size of the cooking utensils found at the spot belies this theory.
The state is reportedly spending crores on curbing Naxal activities in the state. But all that we hear of are only encounters in which policemen are injured or killed. There have also been cases where 'suspected' Naxals have been caught, only to be let out later. Will we ever see a solution to this Naxal-state deadlock that is plaguing the country at large?