BIJAPUR: All-terrain armoured vehicles from which a dozen security personnel can fire medium machine guns at Naxalites while protected inside; sniper guns for all security camps; nets mounted on all built-up structures in camps set up in ‘core’ Maoist areas to ‘catch’ grenades before they blow up on impact; and drones constantly surveying villages around the camps to track Maoist movements and manoeuvre live operations – these are some of the innovations and improvements that have brought a sharp 73% decline in fatalities among the counter-Naxal forces over the past 10 years.
Home minister Amit Shah on Monday, during his visit to a CRPF security camp or forward operating base in Gundam village here, inspected these innovative solutions developed after studying 11 Naxal ambushes from the past and identifying the gaps that could have made the forces vulnerable. He also interacted with the jawans over lunch, besides visiting a nearby village to see how the development and welfare initiatives were being delivered to locals residing around the camps.
Advising jawans to adopt a differential approach towards armed Maoists and villagers, Shah said: “Be tough on Naxals but your actions should not alienate locals. You should help them in their basic needs like healthcare. Build rapport with locals & earn their trust”.
