Exclusive: Fair fight? 800 bulletproof helmets for 85,000 CRPF jawans battling Maoists The Maoist insurgency boiling out of Indias tribal heartland has been called the greatest threat to the nation by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But thats about it, as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel leading the drive to counter the Maoist rebels remain handicapped by a severe shortage of basic life-saving gear like bulletproof helmets. The CRPF, the main force responsible for tackling the Maoist insurgency, has only 800 such helmets against the sanctioned 50,000, highly placed sources told Mail Today. The March 3 attack at Sukma in Chhattisgarh, in which 15 security personnel, including 11 from the CRPF, were gunned down, is a chilling reminder of this criminal neglect: sources said most of the deaths were caused by bullet injuries to the head. Officials who have served on the ground said head injuries are one of the most common causes of death. Its the head which is exposed when a soldier takes his position and tries to fire at the enemy in combat, said one officer. The Sukma bloodbath has finally roused the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from its slumber. The ministry has decided to fast-track the acquisition of bulletproof helmets for the CRPF. In the wake of the recent attack and keeping in mind the threat perception ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the matter has been expedited and soon the required number of bulletproof helmets will be provided to the CRPF, said an MHA official. Sources said that after the recent attack in Chhattisgarh, the CRPF reiterated its concerns to Home Secretary Anil Goswami. The force was assured that the bulletproof helmets would be provided soon. While the standard operating procedures of the Army clearly state that every soldier in insurgency- hit areas will be provided with a bulletproof helmet, the rules are different for jawans fighting the biggest insurgency in the country. In fact, sources said CRPF personnel fighting Maoists deep inside jungles are more vulnerable as compared to their counterparts taking on militants in Jammu and Kashmir or insurgents in the North-east. A plan to push the rebels to the backfoot ahead of the elections seems to have failed with Maoists killing over 20 security personnel in the past three weeks in Chhattisgarh. Six personnel were killed in an attack in Dantewada district on February 28. MHA officials concede that red tape and bureaucratic lethargy are responsible but cant help pinning part of the blame on paramilitary forces. They often send a list of big demands and it is realised later that the equipment sought is not being put to use. As a flip side to this, some genuine and most basic requirements are ignored, said an official. The CRPF, with a strength of nearly 2.9 lakh, has the greatest presence in states affected by Maoist violence, with 85,000 to 90,000 personnel serving in the red zone alone. Statistics also show that personnel are more vulnerable in Maoist zones than anywhere else in the country. The number of security personnel killed between 2011 and 2013 was 371 in states hit by Maoist violence. The total number of incidents of violence in the red zone was 4,311. High intensity conflict hit zones like Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Manipur seem safer than Maoist bastions in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh or Orissa, where the majority of killings of security personnel killings have occurred. The total death toll in all insurgency-hit areas during 2011- 13 has been 239 and the number of incidents of violence stood at 3,123. The sources said besides bulletproof helmets, other basic requirements like jungle boots have not been provided for the past three years. There are also other problems like a financial crunch faced by paramilitary forces like the CRPF. As part of the police modernisation plan, the CRPF was allocated ` 918 crore for 2012- 13 and 2013- 14 but got only Rs.20 crore. To make matters worse, states affected by Naxalite violence owe a whopping Rs.7,163 crore to CRPF, which accounts for 60 per cent of the total amount of Rs.11,930 crore that states have to pay to the force for internal security duties. This is more than the total amount of Rs.10,932 crore sanctioned for seven paramilitary forces under the police modernisation plan for a period of five years from 2012 to 2017, but the government has been reluctant to release the money. Red tape affecting anti-Naxal operations A 2010 proposal for installing mobile towers in states hit by Maoist activities is incomplete. Shortage of bulletproof helmets and jungle boots for jawans fighting Maoists; 800 available against sanctioned number of 50,000. Naxal- hit states owe a whopping Rs.7,163 crore to CRPF Police modernisation funds have not been provided to paramilitary forces. Read more at: indiatoday.intoday.in/story/maoistsmha-crpf--paramilitary-forces-under-equipped/1/350273.html Exclusive: Fair fight? 800 bulletproof helmets for 85,000 CRPF jawans battling Maoists : Mail... indiatoday.intoday.in The Maoist insurgency boiling out of Indias tribal heartland has been called the greatest threat to the nation by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But thats about it, as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)...
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 09:04:34 +0000