Counter-naxal strategy pays off

By K. Srinivas Reddy

HYDERABAD, DEC. 22. A well-coordinated counter-extremist strategy, whose principal components were a relentless offensive even while leaving a flank open to induce surrender of naxalites, seems to have begun yielding results what with extremist violence registering a downward trend in Andhra Pradesh this year.

The significant fall in the violence resorted to by activists of the People's War Group (PWG) is being interpreted as a direct fallout of two factors. The uniformity in the offensive vigorously followed by police forces in different naxal-dominated districts and erosion in public base of the PWG due to a variety of factors.

Unlike in the past when district police chiefs used to follow their own strategies which were diametrically opposite to the stand taken by their counterparts in the neighbouring districts, the State-level police leadership have of late succeeded in bringing about the uniformity in the approach.

More significantly, never had the police top brass such an unstinted support from the political leadership in the past. The wavering stands taken by the political bosses on the crucial issue of counter-extremist strategies had only created confusion in the field-level police forces. The hard stand against naxalites also came at a time when PWG cadres were losing their public sympathy due to a variety of reasons.

An analysis of crime statistics of the last five years indicates that the number of murders by the PWG cadres and other offences has reduced by around 50 per cent. There were 80 murders by PWG cadres this year as against 118 in 1999, 167 in 1998, 193 in 1997 and 165 in 1996. Similarly, the number of other offences which stood at 1,022 in 1996 fell to 467 this year. Another significant aspect is the increasing number of surrenders of naxalite cadres. This year the figure stood at 464 as against 317 (1999), 490 (1998), 89 (1997) and 169 (1996). The number of extremists arrested too registered an increase at 1,713 this year as against 1,428 (1999), 2,913 (1998), 2,099 (1997) and 2,005 in 1996.

Perhaps, indicating the superior training and increased preparedness on the part of the police forces, the number of weapons taken away by PWG cadres from the police decreased while the number of weapons seized from naxals almost remained static when compared to the past. Statistics indicates that naxals snatched 35 weapons this year as against 44 each in 1999 and 1998, 86 in 1997 and 93 in 1996. The police in different raids seized 175 weapons this year as against 177 in 1999, 239 in 1998, 219 in 1997 and 114 in 1996.

There were four landmine explosions this year as against five in 1999, 10 in 1998, six in 1997 and eight in 1996. There have been 98 exchanges of fire between the police and naxalites this year in which 131 extremists died. Last year, the figure stood at 146 exchanges of fire in which 149 naxals were killed as against 179 encounters with 188 extremists killed in 1998. In 1997, there were 176 exchanges of fire in which 149 naxals were killed and in the preceding year there were 135 exchanges of fire in which 130 naxals were killed.

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