AFTER the peaceful Assembly poll in Bastar, a former Maoist den, where a heavy turnout was recorded, complacency has been shattered again on the eve of the parliamentary elections. The Maoist attack in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh led to the deaths of 15 security personnel engaged in protecting construction work. This is the severest attack on security personnel in the state since 2012. The attacks fall into a pattern. The latest attack was barely 10 Km away from where the Congress convoy was last attacked. And the previous attack was just before the Assembly poll. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were violated again this time. The CRPF and the state police had got the tip-off through intelligence outputs. It is obvious that lessons have not been learnt at administrative and political levels. There is no need to emphasize that the Centre and the state must deploy adequate forces to ensure that the environment before and during the coming parliamentary polls is secured. Joint security operations had started in the state by the Central paramilitary and state police forces in 2009. Development work has begun. The Maoists admit that they have suffered an attenuation in their numbers and their munitions. Yet the threat has not receded.
In such circumstances, security personnel must be educated anew about SOPs. Election times politicking must not be allowed to undermine security. It has to be assumed that Maoist violence will continue until the state’s authority is firmly entrenched. Maoists have to be put out of action once and for all. There can be no let-up in the war on terrorism.
