Ranchi:
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is visiting Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on Friday to take stock of their operational preparedness, police modernisation and developmental schemes as they prepare for an all out assault on the Naxals.
The stage is set for a massive coordinated assault against the Naxals by the Centre and all affected states. The Home Minister will make an on-the-spot assessment of their preparedness and the operations that have already been launched.
NDTV has learnt that now the predominant view in the Centre and the Naxal affected states seems to be that it should start concerted operations only after the Maharashtra and Haryana elections are over.
This is because additional forces would be required for the elections and starting the coordinated operations may not be advisable.
But states like Chhattisgarh will continue their own operations and will step it up in a big way in the coming days.
Home Minister Chidambaram will review how states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand plan to use and raise additional forces.
He will also review the status of police modernisation measures and the operational preparedness of the states.
Naxalism is now accepted one of the greatest threats to India's internal security.
Naxalites today are spread across 20 states, and the red corridor, as it's called, runs through an expanse of 40,000 sq kms. And over the years, violence by Naxals has claimed thousands of lives, 3800 alone since 2004.
• 2008: 721 killed in Naxal violence
• 2009: 580 killed in Naxal violence till August
• 2008: 231 security personnel killed in 53 landmine attacks
• 2009: 250 security personnel killed in 61 landmine attacks till August
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police recently arrested a top Maoist leader Kobad Gandhi from an undisclosed location in Delhi.
But there are many more like him who run the show across the country. Intelligence inputs suggest that their central leadership moves from city to city across India and slip into jungle areas whenever needed. So far, most have managed to evade the police net.
But there is subtle change in policy. Unlike previously, the plan now is to go after them. The challenge is to nab them fast enough to cut off the many fountain heads of the movement.