Just before the wick extinguishes itself, there is a burst of flame. The same can be said about the Maoist attack in Dantewada district in Chattisgarh where 10 jawans of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the driver of the vehicle were killed when they were ambushed. They had an intelligence tip-off that the Maoists were active in the area and it was an operation to round them up. Obviously, they had better intelligence. The DRG jawans were being transported in a private vehicle to ward off any attack on them. Alas, the Maoists knew that they were being bluffed. They set off the IED device, planted a few feet under the road, exactly when the vehicle reached the spot. In all probability, they were watching the movement of the vehicles on the road from a safe distance to trigger the blast.
It is the worst such incident in Chattisgarh in two years. The last major attack was in 2021 when 22 jawans were killed in similar fashion between Sukma and Bijapur districts. Those who are aware of the Maoist strategy claim that they organise what in their parlance is called a tactical counter-offensive campaign, usually between February and June every year. Even the worst-ever killing of 76 CRPF personnel happened during such a period. Such operations are impossible once rain starts in the area. Incidentally, five of the slain jawans were Maoists who had surrendered to the police with weapons. They were given jobs after necessary detoxification and training.
While the loss of so many lives is a matter of grave concern, what is heartening is that the extremists have been losing their steam. They no longer get much support from the local people, without which they cannot operate for long. Sustained operations by the government have ensured that there are roads where none existed, making movement of security forces easier. Development, as exemplified by new schools and hospitals, has also opened the eyes of the local people to the reality that the Maoists are a hindrance for their progress. They themselves know that their days are numbered. And that is why they resort to such dastardly killings. Yes, like the wick about to burn out!
Success of Operation Kaveri
India has considerable experience in rescuing its citizens from dangerous zones like Kuwait during the first Iraq war and Ukraine when Russia launched its offensive against the East European nation. This experience has helped the country to organise a swift operation, named after the longest river in the South, the Kaveri, to evacuate Indians in war-torn Sudan. Already, 700 Indians have been evacuated. This was possible because of the 72-hour truce declared by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces which have been fighting for supremacy. Behind-the-scene efforts made by India played a major role in facilitating the truce, but for which a majority of the Indians would have remained trapped in the places where they lived. The evacuation became necessary when Khartoum city and its suburbs, where most Indians lived, came under fire. There were about 1,000 people of Indian origin, who had been living in Sudan for at least a hundred years.
The operation would not have been such a success but for the support given by the government of Saudi Arabia. The challenge the Indian authorities faced was manifold. The people had to be brought by road to the Port of Sudan from where they were brought to the Port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia by naval ships like INS Turkash, INS Sumedha and INS Teg. Many of the Indians did not have travel papers or documents and that made the task of evacuation all the more difficult. In the end, determination and perseverance paid dividends and hundreds of them are already in India. Although most of them have lost everything they owned in Sudan, their faces reveal happiness that they could at least save their lives. It is difficult to predict how long the war in Sudan will continue, but it is only natural that those who were born and brought up there would like to return.
