The government is all set to establish new Army bases in four major Naxal-afflicted states in a bid to prevent the CPI(Maoist) from having a free run in their so-called “liberated zones”.
The Union home ministry has asked Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to allocate land to set up Army bases to impart jungle warfare training to Army units. The rules of engagement are clear: the Army units will fire only in self-defence if attacked by a Maoist contingent, a top official said.
The success of Army’s first Maoist zone base — Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh — boosted the government’s strategy to step up Army presence in Naxal-affected areas. It hopes to “unnerve” the Maoists and instil a sense of security among villagers through the Army’s outreach programmes.