Maoist threat overtaking other forms of insurgency?

Raipur, Feb 7 (UNI) Chhattisgarh has emerged as one of the principal centres of a coordinated movement of ''left-wing extremism'' and the Maoist threat appeared to be overtaking all other forms of insurgency in the country, says the Institute of Conflict Management (ICM).

According to a paper prepared by the institute for a two-day conference on 'Maoist Insurgency: Assessment of Threat and Doctrines and Strategies of Response' scheduled to begin here tomorrow, 14 states are facing the problem of Maoists and the movement demonstrated the intent and potential to spread across the country.

Pointing out that the threat appeared to be overtaking all other forms of insurgency in the country on available objective parameters -- geographical spread and number of fatalities -- the paper said that at least 165 of 602 districts in 14 states were affected by various levels of Maoist mobilisation and violence by the end of 2005.

Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir affected 12 districts while the combined influence of multiple insurgency in the Northeast afflicted 51 districts.

While fatalities in various other forms of insurgency tended to decline consistently, with the exception of Manipur, fatalities as a result of the naxal conflict have continuously augmented and appear to be fast approaching the level of high-intensity conflict in Jammu and Kashmir.

The naxal menace is a complex process of political activity, mass mobilisation, weapons training and military consolidation, the paper said adding that the threat was not limited to areas of immediate violence. It also does not vanish if violence is not manifested at a particular location for a specific period of time.

Though a naxal coordination centre has been established under the union home ministry since June 1998, the paper said that there was little evidence of coordination between various states afflicted by Maoist terror.

The conference, being organised by the ICM and the state government, aimed at bringing together diverse perspectives, academic research and experience of those who have actually handled counterinsurgency campaigns against the Maoists in different parts of the country in order to generate an accurate threat assessment and explore coherent responses.

UNI