CT & COIN Operations in India: News, Images and Discussion

[Kanson]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 776908.cms

NEW DELHI: Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday accepted "full responsibility" for the Dantewada massacre of a CRPF contingent by Naxalites and said the "buck stops at my desk".

Actually it is a good thing if PC accepts responsibility. Every action has opp reaction, it is better to have the reaction coming from higher table rather than from the lower desk. Let's see what he has on the table.

[Sid]

[rant]
Today saw some fat politician on some News X channel shouting why "Armed forces chiefs" are saying we should not fight Naxals, and this should be a job of PM or some fat-a** politician to decide what IA/IN/IAF should and should not do and haw they should do it!!

From when it became job of politician to fight a war, they should stick to diplomacy which they are supposed to do. If diplomacy fails they should stand back and let forces do the work they are best at. I just cant believe it. Such partisan politics is splitting India and should be banned altogether.
[rant]

[Nayak]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 776908.cms

NEW DELHI: Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday accepted "full responsibility" for the Dantewada massacre of a CRPF contingent by Naxalites and said the "buck stops at my desk".

Will any heads roll for this fiasco ?

[K Mehta]

Lessons from the Dantewada debacle: training, not threats- Ajai shukla

It has been 44 years since that forgettable incident when New Delhi --- for the first and only time --- used its air force against its own citizens. With the Mizo National Front rampaging through Mizoram in 1966, the government warned that any Mizo who did not relocate to designated safe villages would be treated as a rebel. On the heels of that announcement came the Indian Air Force, bombing and machine-gunning stretches of jungle. Resentment against that indiscriminate killing, in which innocent Mizos died, sustained the insurgency for years thereafter.

Home Minister P Chidambaram’s warning, after the killing of 75 men of the 62nd Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in a Naxal ambush on Tuesday was put into context by an alarmed IAF chief, who clarified quickly that air power was a blunt weapon ill-suited for discriminating between insurgent and innocent. Mr Chidambaram’s words, however, linger as a reminder that the Home Ministry still considers --- as it did after the terror strike on Parliament in 2001, and the Mumbai attack of 26/11 --- that bluster and threat are convenient tools for masking abysmal security failures.

A key reason for the CRPF’s dismal response to the Naxal attack has been their lack of training. As CPO units poured into Chhattisgarh for Operation Green Hunt, 5 battalions of the Border Security Force (BSF), 5 battalions of the Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) and 2 battalions of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were all put through jungle warfare orientation courses at Chhattisgarh’s well-reputed Jungle Warfare College in Kanker. The CRPF, inexplicably, refused to undergo this training. Neither did CRPF HQ in New Delhi order them to do so; nor did the Home Ministry.

Training at the Jungle Warfare College, as every organisation except the CRPF seems to have known, has underpinned anti-naxal operations in Chhattisgarh since 2005, when the college was set up with the help of the Indian Army. Over the last five years, Chhattisgarh has trained 12,700 policemen (including 3700 from other states) at this institution. The college’s credo: fight the guerrilla like a guerrilla.

Interesting points made

[ASPuar]

[rant]
Today saw some fat politician on some News X channel shouting why "Armed forces chiefs" are saying we should not fight Naxals, and this should be a job of PM or some fat-a** politician to decide what IA/IN/IAF should and should not do and haw they should do it!!

From when it became job of politician to fight a war, they should stick to diplomacy which they are supposed to do. If diplomacy fails they should stand back and let forces do the work they are best at. I just cant believe it. Such partisan politics is splitting India and should be banned altogether.
[rant]

That was Raman Singh, CM of Chattisgarh. Pay little heed to it. Its the panicked reaction of a non military man who doesnt know what to do.

Army Chief should play it cool, keep quiet, and tell the home ministry to let him put a General in command of a force of 60 bns drawn from the best raw material that the CRPF has to offer, train it, and let him do the job. This way army manpower is not drawn away, and credible force is put up against the Naxals.

Anyway CRPF is the least battleworthy of the CPOs. BSF/ITBP/SSB are much better in terms of training and equipment. Assam Rifles, of course, is in a league of its own.

[ASPuar]

http://news.oneindia.in/2010/04/08/dive ... nsing.html

Diverse Statements on Maoists Worrisome, Says Raman Singh

New Delhi, Apr 8 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Thursday said that the diverse statements coming from different levels of Government on the Maoists issue are Worrisome.

"The diverse statements that are coming on the Maoists issue are worrisome. I have not been able to understand it. The statement of country's Home Minister came, Prime Minister's statement came; after that, Chief of Army and Chief of Navy issued their statements," said Singh in New Delhi on Thursday.

"Is the decision-making in the hands of officials (what means to use), or it will be decided by Prime Minister, or Home Minister," he added.

"We are working on such terrain, such forest where landmines are laid for 100 kilometres. I am not asking for air attacks because population is there, but they (security forces) should get air support," said Singh.

"If we had to drop soldiers, to supply food, to bring back injured, (air) support in any system would be good," he added.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said that while at the present there was no mandate for the government to use the military or the air force in anti-Maoists operations, the option of using the air force could merit a revisit.

Air Chief Marshal P V Naik on Wednesday expressed his reservations over using the air force in ongoing anti-Maoist operations, but said the IAF would involve itself if the state ordered. At this level, it is not required. If the state is willing, they can order us at any time, we are ready for that," Air Chief Marshal Naik said.

At least 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed by the Maoists in an ambush in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada District on Tuesday, which is considered to be the most brutal attack ever by the rebels. (ANI)

As I say, dont pay much attention to him. He doesnt even know what the difference between the Air Force and the Navy is!

Alas, he is also taking potshots at the congress government from the Army and Air Force's shoulders, suggesting that noone is in charge. This is a bad tendency. I hope that the BJP national executive will pull him up strongly. After all, their stated policy is to not involved the Armed Forces in anti-insurgency ops.

[Singha]

article in TOI today quotes crpf people posted in such jungle camps that living conditions
are very hard - not much food, and very little potable water on patrols so they have to either carry water or drink from ponds and streams, malaria and poisonous reptiles in some numbers. the people were speaking about the lack of good medical facilities and hence lots of guys were falling ill. they also said when army forces went on patrol, special rations like
dry food were given but crpf wasnt getting any such.

so the picture seems to be they are NOT equipped and resupplied like a army infantry unit
and probably has to carry sacks of food and jerricans of potable water and kerosene around
using porters and camp followers like a ponderous army of old, not exactly a highly mobile
and stealthy force.

[rohitvats]

article in TOI today quotes crpf people posted in such jungle camps that living conditions
are very hard - not much food, and very little potable water on patrols so they have to either carry water or drink from ponds and streams, malaria and poisonous reptiles in some numbers. the people were speaking about the lack of good medical facilities and hence lots of guys were falling ill. they also said when army forces went on patrol, special rations like
dry food were given but crpf wasnt getting any such.

so the picture seems to be they are NOT equipped and resupplied like a army infantry unit
and probably has to carry sacks of food and jerricans of potable water and kerosene around
using porters and camp followers like a ponderous army of old, not exactly a highly mobile
and stealthy force.

Singha, that is very simplistic picture. Whether it is Infantry Battalion or CRPF Battalion, they will have one base from where the Bn HQ will operate. Ideally, the base will also hold all the Companies of the Battalion. From this base, the patrol parties will go out for Search and Destroy/Cordon and Search/Area Dominance and if required, Long Rane Patrols to hunt out the maoists in their den...of these, except for the LRP, other will be day-night/night-day operations. When IA battalions go on LRP, they also carry their rations on back-packs...It is because you don't want to expose your troops for prolonged period (and acheive area dominance), you have the grid pattern of responsibility...

One big difference between IA and CPO is the self-sustained nature of IA Structure, where lot of stuff is available in house and somebody is tasked to care for logistics...CPO and State Police need to be part of one 'Combined Structure' which is made the single nodal body of anti-maoist operations across the state boundaries...CPO Battalion should not be made to run after some two-bit babu in district admin. for basic things like water/ration/electricity connection for base camp...

[mmasand]

ASP sahab im sure the army chief has blurted out bcoz no one has been paying heed to what the army might have suggested in the past.Nowadays if you want to convey a msg to ur neighbour,u call the media.Its just simpler and less time consuming!

Mere frustration shown by the MHA and CRPF IG by defending their actions.It will only boost the morale of the Naxals.

[Tanaji]

Will any heads roll for this fiasco ?

Well if you wanted tamasha of head rolling:

http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/apr/ ... aid-no.htm

[Tanaji]

read a report in today's TOI which says that naxals r being trained by RETIRED ARMYMEN in some areas of jharkhand! Quoted by an IPS. SHOCKING!

Why? This is not the first and neither will it be the last. Khalistan insurgency is the prime example of past occurrences.

[ASPuar]

No proof. No evidence. Mere conjecture.

"Quoted by an IPS", im afraid, doesnt cut much ice here. Many things are "quoted by an IPS". Not all of them are true, or accurate.

Besides, as Tanaji points out above, big deal. You may as well say that Maoists ranks are filled with retired farmworkers. What they did in the past doesnt matter. If theyre working with Maoists, theyre Maoists.

Punjab insurgency was largely funded and trained abroad. Only person there was the MajGen of Mukti Bahini fame, whose name I now forget. He was killed during Blue Star, IIRC.

[Pranay]

ASPuar - That was Maj. Gen. Shahbeg Singh of the Mukti Bahini fame...

[Viv S]

No proof. No evidence. Mere conjecture.

"Quoted by an IPS", im afraid, doesnt cut much ice here. Many things are "quoted by an IPS". Not all of them are true, or accurate.

Besides, as Tanaji points out above, big deal. You may as well say that Maoists ranks are filled with retired farmworkers. What they did in the past doesnt matter. If theyre working with Maoists, theyre Maoists.

Punjab insurgency was largely funded and trained abroad. Only person there was the MajGen of Mukti Bahini fame, whose name I now forget. He was killed during Blue Star, IIRC.

Its very likely that's true. There are hundreds of thousands of retired army personnel and often a lot of them don't see the bigger picture or don't consider their actions anti-national. I've met atleast two jawans who were very clear that they wanted to join the Ranvir Sena when they left the army. I never asked them their surname but they probably believed the Ranvir Sena was a champion of their particular caste. Soldiers from a tribal background may think of the Naxals as a champion of tribals, ignorant perhaps to the Maoists' idealogy or long term plan.

[ASPuar]

Its very likely that's true. There are hundreds of thousands of retired army personnel and often a lot of them don't see the bigger picture or don't consider their actions anti-national. I've met atleast two jawans who were very clear that they wanted to join the Ranvir Sena when they left the army. I never asked them their surname but they probably believed the Ranvir Sena was a champion of their particular caste. Soldiers from a tribal background may think of the Naxals as a champion of tribals, ignorant perhaps to the Maoists' idealogy or long term plan.

And as I say, soldiers come from society itself, and once they are released from service, go on to do many other things. Some, it is possible, become naxals. Anyway, that doesnt change the way that the war against them has to be fought.

[Viv S]

And as I say, soldiers come from society itself, and once they are released from service, go on to do many other things. Some, it is possible, become naxals. Anyway, that doesnt change the way that the war against them has to be fought.

Of course. No concessions can be made for them just because of their service history.

[Kanson]

Lessons probably useful in tackling maoist menace ?!

Technology Improves Security for Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

In a new wrinkle in surveillance, the Army is expanding security monitoring stations, with closed-circuit television taking feeds from pan-tilt-zoom cameras, mid- and long-range thermal imagers mounted on towers, and blimplike aerostats tethered to the ground.

The two-year, $1.5 billion program, called Base Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance System-Combined (BETSS-C), was described last Thursday to the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense as an "urgent requirement."

Lt. Gen. N. Ross Thompson III told the subcommittee of a major need for "improved persistent surveillance" at the 450 joint security stations, forward operating bases and combat outposts manned by U.S. troops. The new systems are being installed at rates of nine to 12 locations a month in Iraq and 13 a month in Afghanistan.

"Our battlefield has no front lines and poses threats throughout the entire operational area," Thompson said in describing a continuing effort to "rapidly procure equipment and promising technologies to protect the force" against "an adaptive enemy who works continually to identify and exploit our vulnerabilities."

The towers are increasingly supplanting the aerostats. They have been installed at about 200 bases, and more are on the way. Some, nicknamed Eagle Eye, are more than 100 feet tall and can gather images up to 25 kilometers away.

Commanders using the BETSS-C system can see digital map display of the video, images and other information from ground sensors, towers, aerostats and other unmanned airborne vehicles. The system has been in operation for less than two years and will not be fully integrated into the field until later this year.

[Samay]

read a report in today's TOI which says that naxals r being trained by RETIRED ARMYMEN in some areas of jharkhand! Quoted by an IPS. SHOCKING!

"I have got billions in swiss bank. Indians, who are they?"
quoted by an Indian minister . Not shocking though

[Gerard]

CRPF battalion attacked in Dantewada was properly trained: Chidambaram, CRPF

[Craig Alpert]

Dantewada massacre: CRPF men fought till bullets ran out

NEW DELHI: Though suddenly overwhelmed by a heavily armed force of Maoists, the 80 CRPF men who were caught in a brutal ambush on Tuesday did not go down meekly. The encounter raged for a couple of hours and the men fell one by one till a clutch of injured survivors ran out of ammunition.

The Maoists then moved in from the heights they occupied on the road near the village of Chintalnar in Dantewada and shot the injured and looted weapons. The seven CRPF men who were finally rescued were helped by arrival of reinforcements who encountered heavy fire but did not suffer casualties.

A part reconstruction after visits by police and CRPF officers indicates the actual armed People's Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) cadres numbered closer to 350 and were assisted by a supporting cast of 200-odd local militia (armed informers) and ‘sangams’ or village associations. This is considerably less than the 1,000-odd attackers earlier suspected.

While officers are guarded as an inquiry into the shooting that claimed 76 lives -- including that of a local police head constable -- is on, they said the detachment did fight back but had no chance. "It was a total siege-like situation. They were attacked not just from three sides, but even from the open area," said a source.

Some of those who lived managed to make it by pretending to be dead but even so their prospects might have been bleak as the Maoists searched bodies and stripped weapons and ammunition. The reinforcements forced the ultras to break off. Only three rifles could be retrieved from the site of the encounter. The shooting was intended to be a deadly and swift affair.

While the wisdom of sending the CRPF team into a heavily Maoist-infested area is being questioned, sources in Dantewada and Bastar insisted this was routine. The Maoist death squad certainly got a tip-off but may have set up the ambush in just a few hours once it became clear which road was being used. The CRPF men were on foot and the vehicle with them was not anti-mine, but only bullet-proof.

Though officers remain circumspect about what went wrong, they point out there might have been "fieldcraft and tactical" lapses. They insist the assignment was not based on any intelligence alert either planted or otherwise. "Once you move out of the camp, your location cannot be secret. But the idea is to be in sufficient strength to take on challengers," said a source. Hills on the road to Chintalnar were perfect to stage an ambush.

The accounts that have been gathered from the survivors, locals and other intelligence all point, said sources, to a routine deployment running into a well-trained enemy. The CRPF and police need to adjust tactics with mobile groups, moving away from the road, having an advantage. Large numbers were not a problem as Maoists were also in big groups as they too feared running into a para-military detachment.

Finally some REAL details.. So it wasn't an Anti-Mine resistant vehicle, which explains why they 15-20 kg of IED was able to rip through the bullet proof vehicle. Also note that the reinforcements helped save the remaining 7, fought back, and ensured that the Maoists retreat, so they did SOMETHING right, which the first squad couldn't.

[Carl_T]

It is quite interesting that PV Naik is ruling out the use of air power against Maoists, because a few months before:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 082472.cms

NEW DELHI: The centre has rejected a proposal for allowing Indian Air Force personnel to fire at Left-wing extremists. Sources said that the
government was clear on its policy to restrict the role of IAF in anti-Naxal operations to evacuation, rescue and airlifting of the civilian security forces.

[sum]

Security forces one-up on rebels in intelligence operations

Tuesday's massacre of 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada is yet another instance of the military supremacy of Maoist rebels over the security forces engaged in field operations.

However, the rebels, who built this aura of invincibility, do have their Achilles' heel.

While the fighting units of Maoists apparently have mastered the art of attacks and improved capabilities to strike with higher levels of tactical precision, ...........


However, these losses have been inflicted mainly due to intelligence operations (int-ops) and not as a result of field operations in struggle areas of different States. In the last 12 months, four members of the central committee (CC) of Maoists have been arrested, while another, Patel Sudhakar Reddy, heading the intelligence unit of the party, was ‘neutralised' in an alleged exchange of fire in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh (May 24, 2009).

The arrested are Amit Bagchi (Jharkhand; August 24, 2009), Kobad Ghandy (Delhi; September 20, 2009), Balraj and Chintan Da (Uttar Pradesh; February 7, 2010).

These are in addition to the arrests or killings of at least a dozen State committee members in Karnataka, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In fact, the intelligence-based operations were so meticulous that the police in one-go took into custody the entire State unit of Maoists in Uttar Pradesh in the first week of February.

It is indeed a contradiction in India's counter-revolutionary warfare that the security forces are unable to strike a balance between field operations and int-ops. Interestingly, whatever the successes against the Maoists came only as a result of intelligence operations.
Party chief's caution

Maoist leaders including party chief Ganapathi are worried over the success of ‘int-ops'. In a letter sent senior colleagues on December 22, 2009, he expressed serious concern at the unfailing regularity with which the party was losing its senior cadres. Worried over the reach of the intelligence agencies, he cautioned the senior leaders not to come into contact with anyone and suggested that they meet their ‘couriers' just once in a month.

The devastating effect of the series of arrests was evident when the Maoist Central Committee postponed its polit bureau meeting, as mentioned by Ganapathi. “I strongly feel that remaining CCMs did not learn any small lesson from our losses suffered at top (sic),” he says.

[sum]

Some non-maoist stuff:
Two Army Majors honoured with Kirti Chakra

Major Amit Oscar Fernandes won the second highest gallantry medal for his raw courage, extreme determination and timely action in saving the lives of his comrades, while eliminating three hardcore terrorists in Baramulla on November 16, 2008.

He had, during a search and destroy operation, spotted the movement of terrorists only when they were close to him due to poor visibility and rough terrain.

But the Army officer from 7 Maratha Light Infantry brought down effective fire on the terrorists killing two of them. The third terrorist charged at him, but Fernandes caught the weapon, snatched it and shot the former dead.

Major Suresh Suri had displayed conspicuous act of bravery, comradeship and exemplary leadership and ultimately sacrificed his life after evacuating his injured comrade, despite injuries suffered during a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on September 22 last year. suri's wife Pallavi received the Kirti Chakra conferred on her husband posthumously. He was part of an inner cordon and along with three other ranks entered a house to search for the hideout of terrorists. On the second floor of the house, he found the hideout and in an effort to nab the terrorists scaled the roof, but came under heavy fire.

Despite getting injured, Suri retaliated with fire and lobbed a grenade, killing a terrorist and injuring another. When other members of his team got injured, the Kumaon Regiment officer, who was serving with 13 Rastriya Rifles, ensured their safe evacuation before succumbing to injuries.

Among the 23 awardees of Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peace time gallantry medal, were Border Roads Organisation's Excavating Machinery Operator Satish Kumar, who had cleared a landslide without caring for his own life on a road considered the lifeline of Bhutan in August 2008.

[Manish_P]

Danish man arrested over arms delivery to India

A Danish man who has admitted parachuting arms into the Indian state of West Bengal in 1995 has been arrested after officials in Denmark agreed to back his extradition, authorities have said.

A prosecutor said police had long known that Niels Holcks, 47, was in Denmark, but negotiations over his possible extradition had dragged on for years.

"It is correct that we have had knowledge of Niels Holcks's whereabouts in Denmark since 2001," Birgitte Bundsgaard said yesterday.

"The reason why the ministry of justice decided to arrest him today is partly that it has taken several years to negotiate the terms for a potential extradition with Indian authorities."

Full Article - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 780809.cms

[Raja Bose]

^^^ Sweet! But I remember the name of the man who escaped as "Kim Davy" or something? Is it the same man? He escaped after the plane was force landed by IAF.

Added later: It is the same man - claimed to be a "humanitarian" But according to wiki article, he will be returned to Denmark after the trial - sounds weird. India should exert maximum pressure to get hold of this scum - he is a terrorist, not an "alleged" terrorist since he publicly confessed to organizing the arms drop.

[Manish_P]

It's taken us 15 years to get this guy from a small country like Denmark, and that too after re-assuring them of treating him with kid-gloves..

IIRC it was a similar deal with Portugal over gangster Abu Salem

[rohitvats]

It is quite interesting that PV Naik is ruling out the use of air power against Maoists, because a few months before:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 082472.cms

NEW DELHI: The centre has rejected a proposal for allowing Indian Air Force personnel to fire at Left-wing extremists. Sources said that the
government was clear on its policy to restrict the role of IAF in anti-Naxal operations to evacuation, rescue and airlifting of the civilian security forces.

That request from IAF was to allow the helicopter crews, of helicopters seconded for anit-maoists operations, to fire back in case of assault by the red-pigs...it was subsequently okayed - IAF crews could fire back in self defence...

[ASPuar]

Correct. An IAF NCO was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra yesterday for his role in anti-naxal ops. He was killed, as his chopper was trying to rescue evac a squad of BSF Jawans.

IAF chief correctly asked, that if his men come under fire during support ops, they should be allowed to fire back.

[Prabu]

So what are we going to do ? GOI will watch our jawan's getting butchred ?

Let us review the whole operation. Get a JOINT TASK FORCE (STATE(S) AND CENTER) , with clear plan and man date and a BIG Budget. Apoint a man similar to KPS Gill, who wil over see the whole operations. GET CO-ORDINATION from all state/ central agencies. SEAL ALL BORDERS, SO TAHT ESCAPE FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER IS MADE DIFFICULT.(Now they are clashing with each otehr !) Let them decide the arms, ammunitions, Mine protected vehicles, field Inteligence required,choppers, AIR support (IF REQUIRED IN WHICH EVER WAY!), UAV or what ever ! Make every thing available. Divide the tasks in to Zones and have Zonal commanders, if required. Immediately plan and strengthen the CRPF with some COBRA / STF teams and parallely ENHANCE RAPID training for the jawasn before they are deployed. They can even call for volunteers from the STATE / PARA MILITARY as appropriate.
(Remember Waltar Devaram of TN Police, INVLOVLED in VEERAPPAN's hunt ? He was most successfull in down sizing Veerappan to mere 5 member team because he chose VOLUNTEERS from TN police, and he was supported with BIG budget by AMMA JJ !)

My 2 cents ! Take it for what it is worth !

Maoists warn of more Dantewada-type attacks

[atreya]

Maoists warn of more Dantewada-type attacks

Look at their bloody audacity! Warning us of more attacks! I have a gut feeling we'll make them "eat" their words. And choke on em too. SoB!

[Viv S]

Look at their bloody audacity! Warning us of more attacks! I have a gut feeling we'll make them "eat" their words. And choke on em too. SoB!

The Maoists are slowly realizing they just made a monumental strategic error in the scale of their ambush. That their plan backfired is evident in the fact, that a hardliner HM has received solid support from practically all political sections. As it is, they're in trouble with half their senior leadership out of action. Now that they've manage to thoroughly rile the state, they can expect tough days ahead.

[Gerard]

CRPF men hold up anti-Naxal ops

The CRPF personnel remained confined to their base camps and refused to move out amid low morale and criticism relating to alleged faulty decision on area domination, failure of the ill-fated 62nd battalion to abide by standard operational procedures and ignoring the intelligence inputs.

[cbelwal]

I think there is widespread under-estimation of the capabilities of Maoists. As per this ToI Article there is cross country integration of Maoists forces going on and Indian Maoists are undergoing training in urban warfare for targeted assaults. This has serious repercussions because now the Maoists can eliminate politicians and heads of police and intelligence and other non-friendlies if required. There was another article that mentions that Maoists have a budget of 1400 cr., increasing at the rate of 14% every year. Besides purchase of weapons and communication equipment this gives them the capability to bribe upto the highest level in the political, bureaucratic and judicial hierarchy. And then we have JNU student groups celebrating the massacre of CRPF jawans right under the noses of central government.

This gives an idea of the kind of force the India state is dealing with here.

The Maoists are slowly realizing they just made a monumental strategic error in the scale of their ambush. That their plan backfired is evident in the fact, that a hardliner HM has received solid support from practically all political sections. As it is, they're in trouble with half their senior leadership out of action. Now that they've manage to thoroughly rile the state, they can expect tough days ahead.

[shyams]

I think there is widespread under-estimation of the capabilities of Maoists. As per this ToI Article there is cross country integration of Maoists forces going on and Indian Maoists are undergoing training in urban warfare for targeted assaults. This has serious repercussions because now the Maoists can eliminate politicians and heads of police and intelligence and other non-friendlies if required. There was another article that mentions that Maoists have a budget of 1400 cr., increasing at the rate of 14% every year. Besides purchase of weapons and communication equipment this gives them the capability to bribe upto the highest level in the political, bureaucratic and judicial hierarchy. And then we have JNU student groups celebrating the massacre of CRPF jawans right under the noses of central government.

This gives an idea of the kind of force the India state is dealing with here.

The Maoists are slowly realizing they just made a monumental strategic error in the scale of their ambush. That their plan backfired is evident in the fact, that a hardliner HM has received solid support from practically all political sections. As it is, they're in trouble with half their senior leadership out of action. Now that they've manage to thoroughly rile the state, they can expect tough days ahead.

I agree. I dont think the Maoists would back down in any fashion. They have tasted blood. And they would IMO go for the kill. Hopefully the govt wakes up to this and takes some action. Otherwise, they can get off their ministerial chairs and bend over, and kiss their a** a very good bye, cause the Maos are certainly going to target them soon. Especially when they bolder and stronger due to tactical victories like the recent ones against CRPF and due to moral and political support from China. The biggest problem is not the military strength of the naxalites, but the failure of the Indian govt to develop, secure and exert their writ in the tribal heartlands to begin with, and the govt's last mistake so far being that they not able to provide the necessary incentives, supplies and infrastructure to the paramilitary forces who are fighting the naxlites.

On a side note, unless the state govts support the central govt in this war against "communist terrorism" (coining this term myself. Feel free to critique this term and its usage), the only other option the center has is to make constitutional amendments to make law and order a state and federal subject, and marshal all state resources to go full force against the Maos. (I guess, one could rule out the latter due to the kind of leadership we have in the center.)

The article below is an interesting one that mentions how China is sympathizing with the CPI-(Mao).
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpap ... r3757.html

[Viv S]

I think there is widespread under-estimation of the capabilities of Maoists. As per this ToI Article there is cross country integration of Maoists forces going on and Indian Maoists are undergoing training in urban warfare for targeted assaults. This has serious repercussions because now the Maoists can eliminate politicians and heads of police and intelligence and other non-friendlies if required. There was another article that mentions that Maoists have a budget of 1400 cr., increasing at the rate of 14% every year. Besides purchase of weapons and communication equipment this gives them the capability to bribe upto the highest level in the political, bureaucratic and judicial hierarchy. And then we have JNU student groups celebrating the massacre of CRPF jawans right under the noses of central government.

This gives an idea of the kind of force the India state is dealing with here.

A problem is only likely to arise if the government underestimates them, and does so continually. And in spite of whatever intelligence failures it may have had, that's very improbable. The Maoists simply cannot match the government's resources. Where they could have countered the government, is in spurring public opinion against the offensive, and they've just managed to shoot themselves in the foot in that regard. Unless the government backs down, its only a question of how long its going to take.

[pmund]

cbelwal, the Maoist annual turnover is Rs 1500 cr, and it is hiked by 15% every year. The highet amount of money comes from Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka (although they don't have a very strong base in the last two states). They are also into drugs money. Half of it they spend in buying weapons. They are fighting for high stakes here in money terms. The more terror they create, they more they will be able to extort.

[pmund]

Yes, the Maoists have been grossly under-estimated. They are no longer a ragtag force that you can stamp out by deploying heavy boots on the ground, as in Bengal in the 70s-80s. This new bunch is a very sophisticated lot. The e-mail they sent to the Orissa CM, after hacking the government website, was electronically masked so well that police thought it was sent from a European country, possibly the Czech Rep or Beligium. Now, they don't have a clue. These guys have the tech to even bounce cellphone waves so that their location cannot be tracked easily. They are better armed, better trained and strongly motivated. It's time to stop thinking of them as a bunch of armed ideologues, of the Che Guevara kind (there are many who still defend these killers). They are better equated with the Abu Sayyaf or FARC.

[Jagan]

B Raman's take on Air Power and COIN Ops

http://www.indiandefencereview.com/2010 ... force.html

The use of air strikes by our Air Force against the Maoist positions on the ground would be inadvisable. It could brutalise our counter-insurgency operations. Over the years, India has made for itself a name as a role-model in its restrained counter-insurgency approach. We have dealt with serious situations without resorting to air strikes and the use of heavy artillery. We should not deviate from our exemplary record of the past in dealing with alienated sections of our population who have taken to arms against the State.

Use of air power without air strikes is permissible in counter-insurgency situations

[Vivek Raghuvanshi]

All insurgents in India collect crores and crores through Extortion, besides Funding from, we all know who.

For India, not to be kicked on its backside again and again by terrorists / insurgents, we require a strong counter - terrorism doctrine.

1. Snatch Operations on foreign soil have to be legalized by GOI.

Why does the Indian government have to go whining to media and the whole world.

Will the cabinet endorse Snatch Operations on foreign soil to grab terrorists / insurgents.

Then only India will be feared by terrorists / insurgents, otherwise we will keep getting kicked on our backside again and again and our leaders will keep whining in front of the whole world.

SELF RESPECT, oops, does Mother India understand what a self respecting nation is.

The terrorists / insurgents should fear India, and NOT kick India on its backside again and again.

Cheers

[neilmurali]

to the person above

What do you mean by snatch operation,do you mean invading a foreign land, like the U.S does.
If yes I think we will be increasing our enemies.