Gripped by panic, several policemen posted in the Maoist-affected areas of Orissa have committed suicide. Two years back, one sub-inspector of Motu police station in Malkangiri district killed himself after receiving a threat from Naxals. Last year, a CRPF jawan posted in the same district shot himself for much the same reason. Last month, an SPO (special police officer) of Mathili police station of Malkangiri committed suicide after Maoist extremists threatened him with dire consequences if he did not quit the job.
To recover lost ground and restore confidence among tribals, the Orissa government took an initiative last year to deploy tribal youths as SPOs to tackle the Maoists. But after the killing of three such SPOs, more than 20 SPOs have quit their job. Unwilling to be identified, one SPO told TSI, “Life is more precious than a government job.” According to a rough assessment, over 150 police personnel posted in Maoist-affected areas of the state have managed to get transfers to safer places in the past two years.
This isn’t only about security personnel. Government servants, contractors, businessmen, shopkeepers, and even elected representatives are fleeing from Maoist intimidation. Last month 15 elected representatives of Chitrakonda panchayat samiti under Malkangiri district resigned after a Maoist diktat. In the last decade, more than 10,000 civilians of undivided Koraput district are estimated to have migrated to safer parts of the state.
The Orissa government does recognise the magnitude of the problem but is at its wit's end. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who also holds the home portfolio, has been accusing the Congress-led UPA government of not cooperating with the state in the latter’s anti-Naxal drive.
The leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress legislator Bhubinder Singh dismissed Patnaik's allegation and blamed the Orissa government for the failure to combat the Maoists. Singh said, “Patnaik is hoping to achieve victory without jumping into the battlefield. He has held the home department for an entire decade. And it is this decade of inaction that has witnessed the spread of the red corridor in Orissa."
No matter who eventually wins this inevitable political blame game, it is becoming disturbingly obvious that Orissa is in ‘unsafe’ hands. The law is literally on the run in the state’s Maoist-infested districts. The common man is a sitting duck.
To recover lost ground and restore confidence among tribals, the Orissa government took an initiative last year to deploy tribal youths as SPOs to tackle the Maoists. But after the killing of three such SPOs, more than 20 SPOs have quit their job. Unwilling to be identified, one SPO told TSI, “Life is more precious than a government job.” According to a rough assessment, over 150 police personnel posted in Maoist-affected areas of the state have managed to get transfers to safer places in the past two years.
This isn’t only about security personnel. Government servants, contractors, businessmen, shopkeepers, and even elected representatives are fleeing from Maoist intimidation. Last month 15 elected representatives of Chitrakonda panchayat samiti under Malkangiri district resigned after a Maoist diktat. In the last decade, more than 10,000 civilians of undivided Koraput district are estimated to have migrated to safer parts of the state.
The Orissa government does recognise the magnitude of the problem but is at its wit's end. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who also holds the home portfolio, has been accusing the Congress-led UPA government of not cooperating with the state in the latter’s anti-Naxal drive.
The leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress legislator Bhubinder Singh dismissed Patnaik's allegation and blamed the Orissa government for the failure to combat the Maoists. Singh said, “Patnaik is hoping to achieve victory without jumping into the battlefield. He has held the home department for an entire decade. And it is this decade of inaction that has witnessed the spread of the red corridor in Orissa."
No matter who eventually wins this inevitable political blame game, it is becoming disturbingly obvious that Orissa is in ‘unsafe’ hands. The law is literally on the run in the state’s Maoist-infested districts. The common man is a sitting duck.
Read these article :-
Outlook Magazine money editor quits
Don't trust the Indian Media!
