M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Sept 10: The ‘release’ of the infamous Burha Pahar means many things to many people in their own way. The security forces which got it disengaged from the CPI Maoists are very upbeat. The villagers rejoice at their freedom from the servitude of the Maoists.
“It is the Maoists who are sulking. They find it hard to cope with the new situation they now find themselves in. The Maoists are now the new ‘nomadic tribe on the verge of extinction,” said one police officer.
Lagatar24.com correspondent spoke to the Additional Director General of Police Operations Sanjay Anand Lathkar, a 1995-batch IPS officer, to know what he and his officers think of the ousted Maoists of the Burha Pahar can do as there is no end to their aberrations.
Here is an excerpt of the conversation:
Q: Burha Pahar Maoists are now oustees. What will be their next rendezvous?
A: They have no new destination now. The space has shrunk for them. They can’t afford to get any more new places to set up themselves.
Q: The operation went on the expected lines or was it just a success by fluke?
A: Our success was written in advance. Everything went on our expected lines. There is nothing called a fluke. We were hopeful about driving the Maoists for a long. We had strategic planning and preparations for it and when the time and chance came, our boys and officers proved their mettle. We had made significant strides from Hesatu to Bairatoli, from Karamdeeh to the side of the river Koyal. The Maoists were checkmated and outwitted by us.
Q: Lagatar24.com has this information that the ousted Maoists are still inside Jharkhand, not very far from where they were thrown out. Can you confirm it?
A Maoists are definitely inside Jharkhand as you said. As regards where they are right now, close to the place from where they were displaced or far away from the Burha Pahar, I understand you will not pester me to talk about it as I tell you this piece of information can’t be shared with media.
Q: According to police lingo, Chakarbandha in Bihar is the same as Burha Pahar in Jharkhand. Will the ousted Maoists take refuge there?
A: I don’t think so. The place in Bihar that you mentioned right now is not safe and secure for the Maoists anymore. They are facing the same kind of heat there as they underwent at Burha Pahar here in Jharkhand.
Q There are at least 2 or 3 locations left in Jharkhand like Parasnath Hills and others where the Maoists can find a roof for themselves. What do you say about this?
A: Yes, there are a couple of locations but our entire efforts will be to stall any entry or perching of the Maoists in these locations.
Q: How did the Maoists flee Burha Pahar in bulk or smallest groups?
A: The Maoists fled in 3 small groups each having little over half a dozen cadres from the Burha Pahar.
Q: Is there any hope of the ousted Maoists regrouping or reassembling to strike big and bad?
A: Our security forces will spare no stone unturned to foil any of the Maoists’ moves to regroup or reassemble. We are chasing them. The Maoists also know our security forces are on their trail.
Q: Then any fierce encounter on the anvil now?
A: It is the Maoists who first of all begin it and our security forces just respond to it. Exchange of fire is the most in-thing when security forces and the outlawed race are against each other.
Q: So by this account of you, the Maoists are now persona non grata. No place to go and stay then should they be seen as swinging in the air?
A: There is still a place for them which is surrender. They must shun violence. They should lay down their arms and ammunition. Jharkhand has a fantastic Naxal surrender policy. They should be wise enough not to fritter away time from surrendering. Come to law and we will take care of them within the ambit of the law. Many who surrendered in the past not only reaped the huge benefits of the surrender scheme but are now also leading a somewhat dignified and peaceful life.
Q: What if they do not surrender and prefer to fight you?
A: Then be ready for arrest and jail and where Naxals will first open fire at us, we will not make any mistake to neutralize the Naxals. We will get the Naxals by their throats.
Q: Can the Maoists try to reclaim their previous pastures which they either left on their own or were made to leave like Chak in Manatu in Palamu, Jhumra Pahar in Bokaro etc?
A: It is not possible for them to reclaim any land from where they were thrown out. They can’t make any new foray. Their days of misadventures are all gone. There is a great erosion of their public contact.
Q: So you think they will just wail and cry in the wilderness over the loss of Burha Pahar? The Maoists are notorious for retaliation. What have you to say on this?
A: We know the Maoists will not be wailing only. They may try to do some sort of retaliation. We never rule out retaliatory tactics of the Maoists but let me tell you our security forces too are well prepared to abort and frustrate any of their sinister design.
Q: What may be the possible way of their retaliation?
A: The Maoists are now in no position to take our brave boys head-on. They can’t afford to have a straight gun battle with us. They know our boys do not miss the target when fired at first. I believe they may resort to open fire from a distance or may trigger improvised explosive devices. Their striking power has diminished considerably.
Q: The Maoists saved their men but were not lucky enough to save ammunition ranging from explosives to grenades etc right?
A: The Maoists lost their explosives and now they may not be having it much to make a new vessel of the improvised explosive devices to harm the security forces but nevertheless we are neither complacent nor overconfident and we see them as our most hostile elements.
