BHOPAL: The Balaghat police have seized a Naxalite dump — comprising weapons, ammunition and medicines — in Kanha National Park in the past 24 hours. In the past two months, they had been able to expose two Naxalite dumps in the region.
The SP, Balaghat, Abhishek Tiwari, said that, acting on a tip, they searched the jungle areas of Supkhar and Chakarwahi in Kanha National Park. In the dump, they found explosives, medicines, Naxalite literature, electrical and electronic devices and many other items of daily use.
Naxalite activities are on the rise in the state. Recently, two Naxalites, including a woman, were gunned down in Mandla district. Coming close on the heels of that incident, the news of the Balaghat police seizing huge amounts of explosives has caused serious concern to the district administration.
The police have started domination of the area but are facing various odds. The dump is an indication that the Naxalites are preparing to carry out some big ‘event’, or operation, in the area.
Seized weapons, ammunition and medicines | FP photo
‘Red Corridor’ till Amarkantak
Since 1990, the Naxalites have been active in the state. They are now planning to set up a base camp in Kanha National Park. In neighbouring states, such as Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha, the governments have started eliminating Naxalites from their soil. As a result, these Naxalites have started entering the state of Madhya Pradesh, which is known as an ‘Island of Peace’. According to intelligence inputs, the Naxalites are preparing a ‘Red Corridor’ in the state, which will stretch right up to Amarkantak and also a base camp in Kanha National Park.
Currently, only two districts of Madhya Pradesh — Balaghat and Mandla — are affected by Maoist activities and violence. Two platoons — the Vistar Platoon-2 and Vistar Platoon-3 of the CPI (Maoist) Kavardha-Balaghat (KB) division — are working on plans to establish a Left-wing extremist (LWE) corridor from Kavardha to Dindori via Balaghat and Mandla districts.
To fight the Naxalite menace, the state currently has the Hawk force — a force of highly trained security personnel who are aware of the tactics of jungle combat. The state government has proposed one more battalion dedicated to handle the Naxalite insurgency, but this proposal is pending with the Government of India.
