26 CRPF jawans killed: No lessons learnt from past

The ambush on Monday afternoon that left at least 26 CRPF jawans dead in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, raises inconvenient questions about the strategy, training and approach of the para-military forces in dealing with Maoists.

Ninety armed jawans (150 according to some accounts) of the 74th CRPF Battalion had ventured out to provide protection to people engaged in laying roads in the Maoist stronghold, when they were ambushed at around 12.30 pm, according to information reaching CRPF headquarters and at Raipur.

One of the injured CRPF jawans claimed that Maoists numbered around 300 (though initial reports had put the number at 50 or 100) and caught the CRPF contingent by surprise.

Contrary to this version, the Maoists are said to have taken away the arms, wireless and ammunition of the CRPF jawans killed, which would indicate the strong possibility of the remaining CRPF jawans deserting the men caught in the ambush and saving themselves.

Road Opening Parties (ROP) are undertaken to sanitise routes. But while the contingent may have been looking for landmines, normally used by Maoists, the daring ambush was apparently unexpected. Ambushes by Maoists are, however, not unknown in Chhattisgarh and several such ambushes – at Jhiram Ghati in 2013 and at Dantewada in 2010 when 76 CRPF jawans had been killed – are known instances. Therefore, the explanation that they were caught by surprise does not cut much ice, said an expert on condition of anonymity.

According to reports, the ambush took place in the Chintagufa area of Sukma, one of the Maoist strongholds in the state.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh cancelled his engagements in Delhi and rushed back to Raipur even as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh held an emergency meeting to review the situation.

The daring ambush could have been prompted by several factors. Chhattisgarh Government has been claiming spectacular success in recent years in its fight against Maoists. It is possible that being cornered, Maoists chose to hit back to regain the psychological advantage. It is also possible that the depleted rumps of Maoists (Chhattisgarh has been claiming that large number of Maoists have either been eliminated or surrendered) were in desperate need of arms and ammunition and, hence, decided to undertake the daring mission.

It is equally possible that the Maoists wanted to avenge some of the killings or wanted to demoralise the security forces and contractors laying roads in the area.

But, while no clear answer is available to the various questions, what is certain is that despite turning Chhattisgarh into a police state, even after letting loose vigilante groups on the media, tribals and activists, Chhattisgarh is nowhere near winning its war against Maoists.