Army training hub in Maoist stronghold

New Delhi: The Abujmarh jungles of Chhattisgarh are a virtual liberated zone untouched by any government presence for the last 60 years.

It's a Naxal country and they rule this inaccessible area abutting the borders of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

But come March, the Maoists will have new company - the Indian Army.

In the next two months, over 3,000 Infantry soldiers will start doing their basic training in Abujmarh just south of Narayanpur.

A 1600-sq km area in the middle of Abujmarh jungles will gradually have a capacity to train upto 5,000 soldiers.

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Government sources, however, insist that the Army's will not launch any operations against Maoists; its role will be strictly limited to training.

But there's one tricky issue is yet to be sorted out: What would the Army do in case it comes under attack from the Maoists?

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Negotiations between the Army and the Chhattisgarh government to lay down rules of engagement are currently on but sources say the Army will retaliate if fired upon.

In the initial period, the Army is likely to focus on securing the area and building infrastructure. But its sheer physical presence in the area is expected to serve as a major deterrence for the Maoists and change the dynamics of the government's anti-Naxal strategy in the years to come.

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