Countering Naxals: Antony meets service chiefs

Ahead of a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting on Naxals on Wednesday, Defence Minister A K Antony on Tusday met the chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force to evolve a detailed response of the armed forces on anti-Maoist operations.

The 90-minute meeting at the South Block on Tuesday evening, Defence Ministry officials said in New Delhi, discussed "all dimensions of national security," including the Naxal problem.

Officials said during the meet, Antony discussed "threadbare" the armed forces' response on demands for involving them beyond the role of training to central paramilitary and police forces which are currently fighting Naxals.

On Monday, Antony had told reporters at Pune that the government was considering the "pros and cons" of deploying the armed forces in anti-Maoists campaign in affected states.

"Whenever the decision is made and whatever is the decision, it will be acceptable to the armed forces too," he had said.

Meanwhile, Home Minister P Chidambaram, when asked whether the government was planning to revisit the ongoing anti-Naxal operational strategy, had said the CCS would review the strategy dealing with Naxals.

As many as 172 civilians and 29 security personnel were killed by Naxals during the month of May which included the recent derailing of a passenger train in West Midnapore by suspected Maoists that claimed 148 lives.

The Army has, on its part, trained about 47,000 personnel from the central and state police forces, including 26 battalions of the CRPF in anti-Naxal operations since 2006 at its Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Wairangte in Mizoram, Corps-level counter-insurgency schools, regimental centres, apart from police training schools.

Among the training given included pre-induction, counter improvised explosives, first-aid, quick reaction teams, cordon and search, and weapons handling, apart from playing the role of advisory interface on Naxals to the paramilitary and the state governments.