The massive attack launched by Maoists at Sukma which claimed the lives of 25 CRPF personnel is a grim reminder that this guerilla force retains the ability to strike and cause staggering damage. The weight on Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s shoulders has increased ten-fold and he will have to show that the Centre has new ideas to tackle this menace. Reports suggest that the attack was launched by around 300 Maoists, yet no intelligence of the gathering of such a large number was received by security forces and this alone points to a serious failure. Although this attack has focused attention on the strategies adopted by the Centre and State, there is enough evidence to believe that Maoists are on the retreat. A decade ago Chhattisgarh reported 350 killings including 182 security personnel. In 2016 the figure had dropped to 207 deaths of which only 36 were security forces. Also, the number of districts under Maoist influence has more than halved since 2010, but the problem is far from resolved. There isn’t a doubt that without the active involvement of state police the Maoist problem is not likely to be brought under control. That the Sukma attack was launched on a CRPF force which was overseeing road construction is proof that development is the greatest threat to this terrorist force. Only a combination of socio-economic measures and hard military reprisals will help win this war.
