Lalgarh is set for 1st big Naxal ops

Aug. 20: Not wasting any time, the Centre has decided to use the Lalgarh battleground as its first major operation against Maoists, ruling out the withdrawal of the CRPF from West Bengal till such time as Lalgarh and its surrounding areas are completely cleared of the Maoist presence, leaving no chance of comebacks. The CRPF personnel, who are currently living in school and government buildings, will move into "alternate accommodations" within a fortnight, CRPF DG A.S. Gill said on Thursday. The Centre’s announcement comes amid reports of Maoists staging a comeback in Lalgarh.

While counter-offensive operations are already on in neighbouring Jharkhand and Purulia and Bankura in West Bengal, the CRPF is gearing to move into new areas soon where Naxals are still roaming freely. "The state police has come back. We can’t put a date but the CRPF will stay there as long as necessary," Mr Gill said.

Home secretary G.K. Pillai said, "Neither from the CPI(M) or the Trinamul Congress is there any pressure on the CRPF to withdraw." Asked whether Trinamul Congress chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee was putting pressure to end the operations, Mr Pillai said: "There is no pressure whatsoever."

"Now that we are by and large consolidated, we will try to spread to more areas to ensure that killings by CPI (Maoist) completely cease. And we hope to achieve that," Mr Gill said. He said that the Centre is all set to replicate the Lalgarh operation in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa. "Lalgarh is the laboratory for us and this will be reflected in what we are going to do in other Naxal-infested areas like Chhattisgarh. The operation in Lalgarh was by and large successful, but not complete as we want to arrest all top Maoists leaders," he said.

The home secretary said the Centre will welcome democratic activities of political parties in Lalgarh and the neighbouring districts. "There was a vacuum and the Maoists took advantage of it," he said. Mr Pillai said action is also being taken against Naxal sympathisers and overground frontal organisations of the CPI (Maoist).