Fresh intelligence reports received by the Union home ministry point towards a “revival” of the banned CPI (Maoist) in West Bengal citing successful attempts by the rebels to make a comeback to certain areas from where they had fled before the Mamata Banerjee government came to power.
The absence of a clear-cut anti-Naxal policy by the chief minister has begun to raise heckles in the security establishment with senior government officials blaming the state government for ignoring the aspect of concerted police action as spelt out in the anti-Naxal policy drawn up by the Central government.
“The state government is blowing hot and cold. There is no concerted effort to keep the Naxals at bay,” a government official said explaining that the lack of uniformed police action in the form of joint anti-Naxal operations may soon give the Maoist cadres a free run in the areas which had been wrested out of their control in the last one year.
Intelligence agencies have also informed the home ministry that top Maoist leader Kishenji, alias Koteshwar Rao, is hiding in Jharkhand and is eyeing a return to Jangalmahal along with his cadres.
The officials fear there could be unabated killings and attacks on infrastructural projects in the following months in Naxal-affected districts such as Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore. Last month, Ms Banerjee had sought to free 52 Maoists prisoners as part of her peace efforts with the banned outfit.
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Menon makes unscheduled visit to Dhaka
Anisur Rahman
Dhaka, Sept. 4
National security adviser Shivshankar Menon paid an unscheduled visit to the Bangladesh capital, his second within a week to review the last-minute preparations for Prime Minister Manmohan Sin-gh’s September 6-7 visit here. Official sources said Mr Menon was in Dhaka for a few hours on Saturday to review the latest developments linked to Dr Singh’s visit.
“Mr Menon held meetings with water resources minister Ramesh Sen and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s foreign affairs adviser Gawher Rizvi and economic affairs adviser Mashiur Rahman,” a source told PTI without elaborating.
The source said Mr Menon represented Indian water resource minister P.K. Bansal in the meeting with Mr Sen, whose counterpart is expected in Dhaka ahead of Singh’s visit, as the two countries are set to ink a deal on sharing of waters of Teesta river coinciding with the meeting of their Prime Ministers. — PTI