Combing operation continues at recent ANF – Naxal encounter site

Combing operation continues at recent ANF – Naxal encounter site

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, Mar 12, 2012: Following the firing exchange between an Anti Naxal Force (ANF) team and a group of suspected Naxals on March 10 Saturday, the ANF has continued its combing operation in the vicinity of the site of encounter, at Kukkadi Urdyaru Waterfalls in Malavanthige, near the Ghats. 

Reportedly, the Belthangady police are now examining several arms and other items seized from the Naxal group. They refused to make any comments regarding the seized items and did not display the seized items for over 24 hours, which surprises the media because the police never hesitated to display items seized from Naxal groups after combing operations conducted in Chikmagalur, Shringeri, and Karkala. 

The public also cannot help wondering how the Naxals manage to escape after every encounter. It has been observed that whenever there is an ANF – Naxal encounter, the Naxals flee, some policemen get injured, and the police seize some items belonging to the Naxals. The ANF comprises over 100 trained officers; moreover the police force at Punjalkatte, Venoor, and Belthangady are specially trained to deal with Naxals. In spite of all this training, only a few Naxals have been actually caught. 

It may be recalled that Mahadev Mane, an ANF officer, died in an encounter with Naxals in Manjala Kaadu on Aug 8 last year. The ANF had launched a combing operation based on a tip off. This year too, it was a tip off that sent the ANF into the forests. The public in general and the media in particular are wondering how it is so difficult for the ANF to capture key Naxal leaders in spite of getting information about them in advance. 

According to Alok Mohan, the previous IGP (western range), the Naxals were very few in number in the Western Ghats. Home Minister R. Ashok had also stated that there are an estimated 12 Naxals operating in Karnataka. In spite of the relatively few number of Naxals operating in Karnataka, at leas 400 ANF personnel are being trained to carry out anti Naxal operations in Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Udupi, and DK and there have been reports of ANF teams encountering Naxal groups. 

In the recent encounter, at least 25 Naxals were found and 25kgs of rice was seized. Owing to the low quantity of food found, it is difficult to believe that this could have been a Naxal training ground as they would have stored larger quantities of food. Even the size of the cooking utensils found at the encounter site was small. 

Reportedly, the state is spending crores on eliminating Naxal presence, but the only reports that get into the media are those of ANF personnel or police officers getting injured or killed. The police also catch suspected Naxals only to leave them after interrogation.