Maoists are wooing special police officers (SPOs) — tribal cops recruited on ad hoc basis — to join their cadre, promising them to provide land, jobs and security, police said on Monday.
Maoist leaflets listing out the promises have been recovered from some villages in insurgency-hit districts of Bijapur, Dantewada and Bastar in southern Chhattisgarh, a senior police officer told this newspaper here.
According to him, such leaflets have been found in villages under Mandir, Sankarapalli, Kotturu, Elimadi, Baregudu, Annapalli panchayats, in Bijapur district, Gondapalli, Pakeli, Jagargunda, Thirgota, Chintalnar, Emagonda, Gogonda, in Dantewada district and Suklapara, Kodurgaon, Tirthagarh, Methapal, Chepal, Kongur and Dongar in Bastar district. “The Maoists appear to have adopted carrot and stick policy to lure the SPOs to join their cadre. While, they assured to give them land, jobs and security to SPOs, if they join them, the leaflets also warned of serious consequences, if they spurn their offer,” the police officer said. Police sources said the rebel strength in Chhattisgarh would increase significantly if they would be able to rope in a chunk of SPOs, who number 5962. Police estimates that there are around 10,000 rebel cadres in the state.
Uncertainty stared at the SPOs after the Supreme Court ordered their withdrawal them from anti-Naxal operations recently, although the Chhattisgarh government has announced to absorb them in the proposed Chhattisgarh State Auxiliary Force.