Government to defeat Maoists: Pillai

New Delhi, May 21: Union Home Secretary G K Pillai, firmly said that government is bracing itself for a long and intensifying battle against the deep rooted Maoist insurgents. He also pointed out that with the 150,000 policemen being recruited the pressure will be on the Maoists for talk.

“It is a long haul. It will take time. Casualties will come. You have allowed Maoists to take deep roots. But we have no doubt that we will defeat them," Mr. Pillai told reporters.

This statement from Mr Pillai came after the deadly attack by the Maoists when they bombed a bus , killing over 30 civilians and special police officers in Chhattisgarh"s Dantewada district, the heart of the left wing insurgency.The attack came some 40 days after their deadliest strike left 76 security personnel dead on April 6 in the same region.

“I think the April 6 was the one-off incident of violation of norms, carelessness (on part of security personnel). We are daily catching and arresting (them), not in big numbers though. That is why they are reacting. They have started feeling the pressure and will continue that," the home secretary said in his North Block office.

He reaffirms that the government is ready to halt its operations against Maoists if they agree to talk and solve any problem they feel tribal groups were facing.

On being asked about the weakness on part of the government in countering the threat posed by the Maoists, the home secretary said, “We are short of manpower. Manpower is being built up. We are recruiting 150,000 policemen, 60,000 of them in Naxal (Maoist)-affected areas. When 60,000 more people will come, each police station will have 30-40 policemen. Today there are 3-4 policemen in a police station. It is a slow but steady process."

But he hopes that the government will turn the tables against in the next two years.

OneIndia News