IDN TAKE: SUKMA MASSACRE - CRPF WILL HAVE TO INTROSPECT

[Zarvan]

by Brigadier Arun Bajpai (Retd)


Last week 25 brave constables of CRPF on road protection duty in Sukma in Bastar division of Chhattisgarh were martyred by the Naxal terrorists in an ambush where reportedly some bodies were even mutilated by the Naxals who looted 12 of their weapons. This incident happened just 20 km from the place where Naxals had ambushed another road protection party of CRPF killing 12 of their jawans on 11 March this year. These two incidents happening within 45 days of each other that also almost at the same spot is definitely a matter of concern. What is the IPS hierarchy and policy planning of CRPF doing? Why all this happens to only CRPF and not to BSF, ITBP and SSB serving in the same area?

An enquiry has been ordered but will the details ever come in public domain is a big question? Most probably not. Things will get white washed, police style, till another ambush takes place. No lessons will be learnt as was happening earlier. Currently all sorts of stories, some emanating from CRPF itself, are taking rounds in the media. One version says that it was a lunch break and jawans were having lunch after posting necessary look outs when they were ambushed. If look outs were there then why they did not open fire from long distance and alert their comrades? Another version says that Naxals were on the surrounding hill tops and they opened fire from there. Then the question comes that from hill tops in thick jungle it is impossible to get clear fields of fire so how can Naxals open fire from hill tops? Another version says that naxals had climbed trees and were firing from there. A Naxal sitting on a tree is a dead target surely Naxals cannot be that fools. Another version says that while CRPF people were 99 while Naxals who attacked them were 300. Now who counted the Naxals? Besides 99 well trained CRPF personnel can easily take on 300 Naxals in a jungle terrain. In other words all these stories are cock and bull stories and are not true or maybe partially true.

The truth is that CRPF being a police organisation all the senior officers happen to be IPS who get parachuted into this on their availability. These roving ambassadors spend some time with the organisation and then leave for better pastures. This results in lack of deep knowledge of their men by their senior officers. Another very major factor is lack of knowledge of jungle warfare by these IPS officers. It needs to be understood that Jungle Warfare is full scale warfare where only those commanders will succeed who know these jungles inside out. It is not maintenance of law and order or FIR writing in which these IPS officers have plethora of knowledge. So there is a mismatch between the lower level leadership and higher level leadership. This could have been overcome to a large extent if Home Ministry of India and hierarchy of CRPF would have inducted serving and retired Army officers as advisors from company level upwards in those CRPF units working in Jungle environment. Accustomed to working in compartments the IPS lobby is loath to accept this, if in the bargain their constable’s get massacred so be it. Currently even the advisors in the CRPF serving in Bastar are ex IPS officers. It is real empire building.

Time has come for some serious introspection by the Modi Government and its Home Ministry. We cannot afford to lose precious lives like this. Under CM of Chhattisgarh there is a need to establish a joint command headed by a senior Army officer with the necessary staff. All CPO and paramilitary forces operating under this joint command must do three month induction training in the Indian Army’s famous Jungle Warfare School where even US Army unit had got trained. The Troops operating in Bastar must have with them short range drones for intelligence gathering. In addition they must have their own intelligence units. Accountability must be fixed at the higher ranks in order to ensure that senior officers do not get away with their blunders.

Brig Arun Bajpai (Retd) is a distinguished Defense and Strategic Analyst. Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of IDN. IDN does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same

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