Bihar eyes 'twin strategy'

Patna: The state government in the eastern Indian state of Bihar is working on a new strategy to counter Maoist terror in the region.

The government has offered an olive branch to the rebels and at the same time, it has planned to launch a campaign against left-wing extremists under its objective to "distance" them from the masses. Maoists claim to be fighting for the rights of the poor and landless labourers.

"We are working on a twin strategy. We have decided to revise the existing surrender and rehabilitation policy for the Naxalites to make more rebels shun violence and join the mainstream. At the same time, we have planned to launch a massive campaign against them to expose their real face," the Bihar police chief, Anand Shankar said.

Suffering

"They [Maoists] claim to be fighting for the common men but do they know who suffers the most when they target railways and telecom towers?" he asked.

Police officials say they will place advertisements in local newspapers with photographs of those slaughtered in rural areas, telling the public how the rebels brutally kill innocent people. The purpose, the officials explained, is to counter the Naxals' propaganda war and expose their claims about being the champions of underdogs. Police said this campaign will hopefully demolish the rebels' support base.

Likewise, the state government is busy revising the existing surrender and rehabilitation policy for Naxalites. They want to ensure more Maoists lay down arms.

"Our new policy will incorporate facilities for those who shun violence and join the mainstream," the Bihar police chief said.

The existing policy provides for a financial grant of Rs200,000 (Dh15,565.6) and additional monetary aid of Rs100,000 if the rebel surrendered with arms. It also provides for a monthly stipend of Rs3,000 and free education to the children of surrendered Maoists but it has failed to attract the rebels. Around 200 Maoists have surrendered in the last four years since this policy came into being.

Army help

Officials said the government has also planned to seek assistance from the Indian Army to help train state police in counterinsurgency and guerrilla warfare.

According to officials, the state government is opening four counterinsurgency and jungle warfare schools in Bihar where the police will receive specialised training. In the current year, Maoists have killed 24 policemen and stolen 28 weapons from them in six Naxal attacks reported till August.

Subsequently, they carried out other big operations in almost every corner of Bihar. Some of these include the Bara massacre (Gaya district) where 37 upper-caste people were butchered and Senari carnage (in Jehanabad district) where 35 persons were brutally killed.