FRONT PAGE | Thursday, October 8, 2009 | Email | Print | 
IAF set to get nod to wage war on Naxals
PNS | Mumbai/ New Delhi
Decision likely at CCS meet today
The Government on Wednesday hinted at its support to the use of air power in self-defence against Maoists, while the Indian Air Force (IAF) said the rules of engagement in such situations should be clear-cut and stringent. A final call is likely to be taken in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting on Thursday.
With the CCS set to consider the IAF’s request for permission to fire when its aircraft are under Naxal attack, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday told the media in Mumbai that the IAF would take “adequate counter-measures” to protect its choppers and pilots from such attacks.
Firmly telling the Maoists to shun the path of violence, Chidambaram said the Government would not tolerate the concept of ‘armed liberation struggle’ and take action against the Naxals.
Adopting a tough stance a day after the beheading of a Jharkhand police officer, he said the security forces would engage the Maoists till they abjure violence and the IAF will take adequate steps to protect itself from any Naxal attacks. He refrained from giving details.
Air Chief Marshal PV Naik had stated last week that the IAF had sought permission from the Government to return fire in self-defence if attacked by the Naxals. An IAF helicopter was fired upon in Chattisgarh some months back and two airmen had died in the attack.
The IAF is not flying helicopters fitted with machine guns and rockets while carrying out rescue, evacuation and transporting personnel in the Naxal-affected areas. The IAF too wants that rules of engagement should be clearly defined.
It would be a tricky decision for the Government to allow the IAF to fire back as it would be construed as using ‘excessive force’ against its own citizens. In fact, the IAF chief also said they were not in favour of adopting an offensive posture since it was difficult to differentiate between “a good and bad guy” and an action could lead to collateral damage.
Pending a decision to fire back, the IAF had taken certain tactical measures — like landing and taking off from sanitised helipads, giving bulletproof vests to aircrew and flying at a certain height to avoid small arms fire. The aircrew may now be allowed to carry automatic weapons like AK-47s and pistols for self-defence, sources said.
Meanwhile, Chidambaram said that as long as CPI (Maoists) believed in an armed liberation struggle, “we have no option but to ask our security forces to engage them; we will arrest them, we will apprehend them”. He, however, said the Government did not consider the Naxalite confrontation as war. “We do not wage a war against our own people. What we said is that Naxalites or CPI (Maoists) must abjure violence and take the path of democracy and dialogue,” he said.
The Home Minister said the Centre would help the State Governments discuss with the CPI (Maoists) all issues, including development issues. “Development issues, issue of neglect, deprivation, corruption and Government structure, all these can be discussed. We can bring the very development that they claimed to be fighting for,” he said.
Chidambaram said that when violence stalked, no development was possible and that violence was completely unacceptable in a democracy. “No Republic and no Government, which has taken an oath under the Constitution, can accept the theory of an armed liberation struggle,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Union Defence Minister AK Antony on Wednesday said in New Delhi that he did not favour an offensive action by the armed forces against the Naxalites. Condemning the killing of Jharkhand police officer Francis Induwar, he said the Naxalite problem was a law and order situation. “It is mainly the duty of the State Governments to handle it. We can give only logistical support and training.”
He said, “The Centre can give all-out support to State Governments. Already the armed forces are engaged in internal security duties in Jammu & Kashmir and the North-East. We want to minimise the operations of armed forces in internal security. Using the armed forces for internal security is the last resort…. We cannot adopt it every now and then. We do not support the use of armed forces for offensive action against Naxalites.”
Kundan Pahan behind Inspector’s killing?
PTI | Ranchi: Jharkhand Maoist leader Kundan Pahan is suspected to be behind the Taliban-style beheading of Jharkhand intelligence officer Francis Induwar near here. “Who else could be behind the brutal killing than Kundan Pahan?” an IPS officer told PTI here on Wednesday.
Pahan, who heads the Jharkhand Regional Committee of Maoists, carried out all his operations on the Ranchi-Jamshedpur national highway and his area of influence extended to East Singhbhum, Gumla, Khunti and Ranchi districts.
He was also suspected to be behind the killing of former JD(U) MLA Ramesh Singh Munda and a DSP and wanted in several cases, including looting a bank van carrying over Rs 1 crore last year.
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