THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Nov 2: Palamu’s 10-year history of naxal violence, whether in the pre-election, election, or post-election phase, is making it hard to secure a peaceful assembly election this November 13 when five assembly constituencies of this district will go to the polls.
Palamu police had a Naxal incident-free conduct in the Lok Sabha election. It is pulling out all stops to make a repeat of peaceful polls this assembly election too.
A lesson is drawn from the past. In military science, a lesson in the past helps build a safe present which further secures peace in future. Palamu police are doing the same. It’s no bookish approach but a realistic one.
De-mining of vulnerable areas
There has been a various nature of Naxal violence in the past, the worst of it was the land mining and booby traps.
All efforts are on to de-mine the vulnerable areas. Police are doing it with great precision.
SP Reeshma Ramesan told The Jharkhand Story correspondent, “Any site in Palamu which has any record of IED (improvised explosive device) is on our radar. There is no such inch of a vulnerable site that we can afford to oversight.”
“It’s true Naxalism is on the wane. But it leaves no room for us to be complacent. There is no question about squeezing or minimising our efforts regarding the de-mining. It is to be done without any assumption of such a site free of the booby trap.”
Reeshma Ramesan said, “We are taking notes of the roads that have come up recently or are underway now. Both are important for us. We need to clear them of any booby trap.”
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Public transportation
Reminded that on the day of polling, November 13 is the day of polling here in Palamu, streets wear a deserted look and a curfew-like situation emerges, to which Reeshma Ramesan said, “I believe the day of polling is a day of celebration. I have asked my officials and cops to ensure public transportation is not dislocated. Let there be a total every day like living on the day of polling too.”
Again, asked if there may be an acute shortage of buses etc for the conduct of the polls here to which the SP said, “We are procuring buses and trucks from Bihar and other places. We are confident of having our rural public transportation remaining unaffected to the maximum on the day of polling.”
36 companies of security forces
Assembly election is always a cut throat electoral battle where local sentiments go high and tempers never scale down and as such fracas at booths are a much-feared thing in the assembly election than what it used to be in the Lok Sabha election to which Reeshma Ramesan said, “Any aberration will be very firmly dealt with. For any murky affair, the doer will be at his own risk. Police will go very tough with such offenders.”
Sources said around 36 companies of various types of security forces have arrived in Palamu.
As these forces are outside of Jharkhand, the local police are trying to make these forces aware of the topography, climate and social setups here in tribal areas houses will be scattered, unlike non-tribal areas where congestion of houses is a rule, not an exception. Policing is to be different in such a human habitat.
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Status of helipads
The Jharkhand Story correspondent asked the SP about the helipads which were 50 plus in the Lok Sabha election to which Reeshma Ramesan said, “We had 50 plus Hs (read helipads) but some were declared unfit then by the building division of the public works department. Again, there had been huge rains in the last few months. These rains might have caused damage to the lands where Hs were readied by the building division. I have written to the executive engineer building division to report to us the status of the Hs.”
56 quick response teams
About the medical plan, Reeshma Ramesan said, “We are yet to get this plan. I have been asking for it for long. I believe the health officials must have worked out for it but I tell you it’s not made available to us.”
There will be 56 quick response teams in Palamu to tide over any expediency, the SP added.
