BHUBANESWAR: The Naveen Patnaik Government has been snared in its own trap. By bending before the diktats of the CPI (Maoist), the Odisha Government on Thursday sent home the message that the Red rebels could use extortion tactics to gain their objective.“Going by the current trend, Odisha will soon turn into a Bihar of sorts. Now anyone can abduct a prominent person and seek its demands to be fulfilled,” was the first reaction to the Government’s announcement of 27 names which included eight Maoists.Ridiculous as it may sound, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s UPA bashing has always been based on non-sanction of adequate Central paramilitary forces to fight the Left Wing Extremists (LWEs).As things stand today, there are five battalions of Border Security Force, eight battalions of Central Reserve Police Force, four Odisha Special Security Battalions, one unit of Odisha Special Strike Force besides six battalions of India Reserve Battalion, at least 5,000 Special Police Officers and 59 teams of Special Operation Group (SOG) and the anti-Naxal force of the Government, stationed in the State.“What is the point in having such a huge contingent to fight the Left ultras when the Government will release them at the drop of the hat,” wondered an officer.The disturbing trend started last year when the then Malkangiri Collector R Vineel Krishna was abducted and the Government agreed to negotiation.Instead of following a no-negotiation stand adopted by the Centre after the Kandahar episode, the State Government set a precedent which has come back to haunt it.By signing an agreement with the CPI (Maoist), the Naveen Patnaik Government started a pattern which insiders say could have been stopped. During the last one year, the Government had every opportunity to announce a no-negotiation policy with the Red radicals but it showed no interest whatsoever.“It announced a surrender policy for the LWEs, why not a no-negotiation policy which could have sent the right message,” sources added.Instead, the moment Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) claimed responsibility of Hikaka’s abduction, the first reaction of the Chief Minister was to seek a negotiation. Needless to say, the morale of Odisha Police has hit the nadir. Between 2000 and 2012, Maoist violence claimed 373 lives, 190 of them were security personnel. “What about the sacrifices of those who went into the hostile terrains to fight the ultras,” an officer said.That’s not all. In 2006, when the Maoists attacked R Udaygiri jail and police outpost, two police officers were taken hostage. A year later, a junior engineer was abducted and in 2010, an ASI was abducted in Keonjhar. Never did the Government once talk of negotiation then.
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