Gurgaon, Nov.1 (ANI): Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Thursday said tackling the Maoists is the biggest challenge for the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Addressing the gathering at the 73rd Raising Day celebrations of the CRPF in Gurgaon, Shinde said the CRPF has the challenge of assuring the safety of the villagers and tribals living in far-flung Maoist-infested areas.
"Today, the biggest challenge before the Central Reserve Police Force is to tackle the spreading Maoist movements in the country and CRPF is already engaged in the operations. The Maoists have not just adopted the strategy of targeting security personnel but they are also attacking government buildings, schools, roads, power stations and telephone wires. This is the biggest challenge for the personnel that how successfully they can give a credible and trustworthy assurance to the people residing in far-flung areas of the country," said Shinde.
He further said that they would have to formulate different policies top combat Maoist activities, insurgency and militancy in the country.
"The country is struggling with three big challenges of militancy, insurgency in northeastern states and extremists in Maoist infested regions, which have become a huge problem for the country. Though there might be some similarity in these problems but we have to frame different policies to fight with these problems," said Shinde.
The latest series of attacks by ultras, including repeated strikes and ambushes targeting security personnel deployed in the insurgency-affected areas, has led to fears that security forces are ill prepared to deal with the threat.
But, recent crackdowns on rebel-dominated areas across India had raised hopes that the government was winning the battle against the Maoists whom Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had described as India's biggest internal security threat.
Since few years, the rebels have stepped up their efforts against the government, targeting and damaging democratic and civil institutions of the nation, such as schools, medical centres and government property.
Stating that the Naxals are the worst violators of human rights, the then federal Home (interior) Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram had said that the people at large need to understand that the rebels are involved in widespread cases of human rights violation.
Shinde said CRPF has contributed in tackling with Maoists, insurgency and militancy in the country.
"In the last 73 years, the CRPF have faced serious challenges, which includes militancy from neighbouring countries, separatism being spread by the enemies in and outside the country, insurgency, Maoists and the law and order situation aroused due to communal violence. CRPF has faced the situations confidently," said Shinde.
The government has offered peace talks to the Maoists on condition the rebels abjure violence. The Maoists say they want the government offensive to stop first.
Over the past couple of decades, the Maoists ha significantly made their presence felt among the tribals in states of central Chhattisgarh state and eastern states such as Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha.
Meanwhile, the restive region of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed numerous militant attacks, insurgency, and infiltration attempts from across the border in the last two decades, though militancy has declined over the past few years.
The region broke out in armed rebellion against New Delhi's rule two decades ago.
Separatist movements have riddled India's remote northeast for decades and the region is a mix of languages, races, religions and civilizations, including 400 tribes and sub-tribes, many of whom fear loss of identity. Manipur is one of India's most troubled regions.
Shinde commended the work done by the women battalion of the CRPF.
"In the last few years, the CRPF has been deployed in various war-torn countries like Sri Lanka, Haiti and Liberia under the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission. Keeping in mind the equality of men and women, the CRPF raised the first women battalion in 1986, which have done commendable work in the last 25 years," said Shinde.
CRPF came into existence as Crown Representative's Police in 1939. It was renamed as Central Reserve Police Force in 1949. The force has 207 battalions. There role is to assist in state police operations to maintain law and order and contain insurgency. (ANI)
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