Kolkata: After a slow, deliberate advance, security forces have reentered Lalgarh -- the area declared a liberated zone by Maoists in West Bengal. Police forces now believe that they will reclaim Lalgarh in 48 hours.
When asked if the forces will go beyond Lalgarh on Saturday, Praveen Kumar, DIG, Midnapore Range said: "Already our teams are there. Advance parties are there." And when asked if there were any attacks and ambushes, he responded,"No, nothing major as such."
But the forces left nothing to chance, as they marched through the thick Jhitka forest.
After four hours of march, they reached the Lalgarh police station, barricaded for the past 6 months, to a warm welcome.
Says Praveen Kumar: "We don't want to finish it off in such a way that the common people get affected. That's the basic approach."
Lalgarh is not the final destination. It will be tough to reach the villages to flush out Maoists and establish the rule of law.
The people's committee against police atrocity that has spearheaded the movement promises stiff resistance.
The security forces have established control at Lalgarh. But this is what lies ahead: Men and women armed with traditional weapons. Their leader has promised that there will be resistance all the way.
In addition to that the forces will have to take extreme care to prevent collateral damage. But making the distinction between a Maoist and an ordinary villager will be tough.