THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, May 7: Naxalism in the Palamu police zone comprising three districts, namely Palamu, Garhwa and Latehar, is in its last leg. It is down but not out. However, Naxalism rears its face of destruction quite periodically in one of the district of this Palamu police zone, Latehar.
The Jharkhand Story correspondent on Wednesday spoke to the IG of police Palamu zone, Sunil Bhaskar, on issues ranging from extremism to why some of the police officers never learn not to be boisterous.
Here are the excerpts of the interview
Q: Among the three districts of this police zone, Latehar district continues to be a pain in the neck of the police. Why?
IG: Latehar district is still a Naxal-infested district. Their presence is scattered and in small numbers. They pop up, commit crime and slip into. Our police are determined to smoke them out. They run short of time and space.
Q: There is hardly a month or so when Naxals do not torch vehicles engaged in major construction like roads and bridges in Latehar. Why?
IG: Vehicles are the soft targets. It’s very easy to set afire any parked vehicle. One doesn’t need any expertise or experience in putting afire any vehicle. But our police are after the arsonists. Only on Tuesday, Latehar district police caught five extremists and recovered levy money worth little over 50,000 rupees and Naxal literature. The five arrested confessed to their crime, saying they had with them the levy money that they had extracted from the contractors and builders. No Naxal can get away from the police.
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Q: More Naxal movement or activities in Latehar’s Mahuadanr police station limits. Why?
IG: Mahuadanr is having a slew of developmental activities. And so the Naxals eye it with their own motive. Naxals indulge in arson just to prove themselves that they have not become redundant but they are still relevant. ‘Fire and flames’ are the badge of their presence. Police have not only contained it but it will push them further down to the wall.
Q: Why police officers talk like politicians that Naxalism would be over by the end of this year or that year. Calendars can’t decide the fate of the Naxals. Don’t you agree?
IG: We never talk the language of the politician. Our diction is action and offensive against the Naxals. It’s our uncompromising stand. We talk straight and bold. And our conviction is that Naxalism is on the wane. Latehar district is an SRE (Security-Related Expenditure) district where Naxalism is a menace but our police know how to take the wind out of the sails of the Naxals. We are up on the job.
Q: It’s Naxals who make or mar peace. One Naxal incident and the police machinery starts swirling. Why?
IG: There is a sharp decline in the number of Naxal incidents in the Latehar district. There has been a consistent surrender of the Naxals. Many Naxals are weighing or waiting to surrender and join the mainstream of life. The more the surrender, the more upscale the police are.
Q: If there is a Naxal incident in Palamu, police curse the neighbouring state of Bihar. Right. So when a Naxal episode occurs in Latehar district, you curse the neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh with which Latehar has a long porous border.
IG: We never curse the states that are our neighbours. We work with coordination. See what our team of police did in Chakar bandha region where with Bihar police our boys unearthed nearly half a dozen IEDs. So it’s not a question about cursing any neighbouring state.
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Q: Naxals thrive in the Latehar district because they know your weaknesses more than your strengths?
IG: Latehar district has an old history of left wing extremism. Again, its topography is such it helps those outlaws living in the caves more than us. A larger part of the terrain of the Latehar district is difficult in all senses.
Q: Why do you not agree to concede that the Latehar police are a disconnect with the local people especially the tribal? Police just ignore the poor there.
IG: Latehar district police hear one and all. I have no idea if one or two police officers don’t live upto the expectations of the commoners. I will be finding out where the hiatus is or has widened. I fully support your contention that cops should speak well.
Q: The lower rung police officials in Latehar district maintain a kind of aloofness from their superiors. Why?
IG: I do feel there ought to be a frank and free communication among all. Aloofness is not acceptable.
