Anti naxalite operations in the forested areas of Vidharba region often take a beating as elitec are unable to lay their hands on naxalites either injured or dead in armed encounters.

 

Whenever naxalites suffer causalities in armed encounters with anti naxalite squads, they immediately withdraw and cart away their injured or dead accomplices to ensure that police teams do not track down their hideouts in the forest and safe houses set up in villages in and around the forested areas.

 

One of the major hurdle faced by anti naxalite teams is, often the injured are provided medical treatment in medical centres set up by NGOs operating in the interior of villages and around forest areas of Gadchiroli and naxalite-dominated areas in Vidarbha region.

 

Recently, the state anti-naxalite forces shot four suspected naxalites in an encounter in Gadchiroli, but were successful in retrieving only two bodies while two other naxaliates who were believed to be critically injured in the exchange of firing, were lifted away by their fleeing associates while retreating from the encounter spot.

 

“Naxalites taking to their feet on sensing defeat and carting along with their associates, both injured and killed in the encounter, makes the task difficult for police to track them down. It is also believed that some of the Non Government Organisations involved in socio-economic development of the tribal community in places located around forested areas of Nagpur region, provide medical facilities to ailing and injured naxalites. There has been corroborated information from intelligence agencies that these naxal groups have selected cadres trained in para medical and medical care,” disclosed a senior police official who was recented repatriated to Mumbai police force.

 

He further added that battling with trained naxalites in inhospitable terrain is a huge challenge posed to anti-naxalite forces and it further makes the war against naxalism difficult when the local tribals adopt a non-cooperative stand against security forces. Further more, when NGOs offer medical succor to naxalites, it is not only de-motivating for the security forces but also spells disaster for society against armed struggle. 

 

“It is a criminal act to intentionally provide medical assistance to anti-national or insurgent elements which clearly amounts to abetment of crime. Enforcement agencies are reluctant to act against such NGOs out of strong apprehension that human rights organisations will be shouting their voices hoarse on the roof top, accusing enforcement agencies of human rights violations, if they act against these erring NGOs,” claimed the senior police official.

 

The senior police official claimed that naxalite groups are funded by syndicates involved in illegal mining and quarrying in the forest reserves of Maharashtra, Chhattisgardh and Madhya Pradesh. Even the tendu leaves mafia are known to fund naxalite groups as protection against government agencies clamping down on the mafia’s illegal activities and also as ‘tax’ to the naxalite group for operating in the area.