Naxal violence to be focus of Army Commanders' Conference

New Delhi, May 14 (ANI): The Naxal violence, which is spreading at an alarming rate and is regarded as the biggest internal challenge to the country's security, will come up for discussion during the three-day Army Commanders' Conference, starting here on Monday.

In the wake of prevailing and developing security environment, army commanders' will also discuss key policy, and doctrinal issues.

The report, prepared by one of the Army commands, deals with resources required to tackle the Naxal menace, if the Army is called out to fight the Maoists.

"The Naxal situation is likely to be discussed and the resources required to tackle it, will be taken up by army commanders during the conference," said a source.

This move is being initiated despite Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram saying the government does not envisage using the armed forces to tackle the Maoists.

"There cannot be army of air force action against the Maoists. It is simply not our policy," Chidambaram said on Wednesday while addressing a conference of the Confederation of Indian Industry.

However, there have been instances in the past when the armed forces were called to assist the police to put down threats to internal security like in Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Army Chief General V K Singh will chair the conference. All Army Commanders and senior officers of the Army will attend the deliberations of the conference, which will continue till May 19.

The conference will also discuss all aspects of force modernization, including battlefield transparency.

Senior army commanders are expected to discuss several important issues during the three-day deliberations like new operational concepts and evolution of administrative levels in the recent ast. By Praful Kumar Singh (ANI)