Maoists occupy political vacuum: Politicians must bell the cat 

Reaction to the Maoist ambush of a CRPF contingent in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, on Monday in which at least 26 jawans were killed has been predictable. “Cowardly attack” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while Home Minister Rajnath Singh described the ambush as an “act of desperation”.

Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the media that the ambush and the high toll was “unacceptable” and that “leadership and Intelligence failure” and not following the standard operating procedures (SOP) had been identified as reasons for the high casualty.

There was nothing new in what the MHA said. After every such landmine blast or ambush, it routinely repeats the response. The CRPF’s grouse, voiced more guardedly, is also familiar. The paramilitary force was doing a thankless job in harsh conditions and in remote areas, the sources reiterated. It was not possible to maintain alertness at the same level for a long period of time.

While both MHA and the CRPF brass alternate between euphoria and despair, with the former often thinking aloud on the desirability of deploying the army and the air force to deal with the Maoist threat, long-time observers point out that political parties and politicians are actually responsible for abdicating space to the Maoists.

Political parties have fled Maoist strongholds, where mainstream political activity has come to a halt. People are sandwiched between Maoists and security forces and are getting squeezed and killed by both. Unless political parties recover on the ground, they believe, CRPF camps would not be able to usher in any lasting peace.

Although the BJP has been in power in Chhattisgarh for 14 years, neither the ruling party nor the formidable Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates have been able to revive routine political activity and acting as a bridge between people and power. The Opposition is as culpable and after the Maoists ambushed and killed the entire topline leadership of the Congress in the state at Jhiram Ghati in 2013, some believe with some collusion with sections in the state government, the Congress and the Opposition have not been able to re-establish themselves.

The government has complicated the process by arming some villagers, hoping to pit civilians against the Maoists. Despite the Supreme Court frowning upon such practice and declaring it unconstitutional, the Chhattisgarh Government has circumvented the ruling by arming poor and unemployed Adivasi youth, in the hope that they would fight the Maoists on its behalf while the regular police target the media, civil society and activists.

It has been written about extensively that the CRPF jawans, drawn from across the country, are often sitting ducks in unfamiliar terrains and forests. Even the jungle warfare school, launched with much fanfare, does not seem to have succeeded in training jawans with necessary survival skills.

It is, therefore, pathetic to hear, once again the alibis trotted by the CRPF brass. Mosquitoes, an officer has been quoted as saying, the chronic shortage of water and the harsh sun in Bastar have been debilitating. What is more, remote areas have no telecom towers to provide signals for mobile telephony. And jawans tend to get restive, he added, when they are unable to speak to family members back home.

None of this explains why the jawans of the 74th Battalion were ambushed while they were having their lunch. The same report in the media quotes an officer as saying that Maoists have identified lunch-time for their attacks because that is when the jawans unwind and are less alert, making them more vulnerable.

It’s a pity that with such profound wisdom already available, as many as 26 jawans had to lose their lives because politicians do not want to do their job.