KOZHIKODE: Well,this is one statistic that has proved really worrisome to the Kerala Police and the intelligence agencies. The latest data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)reveals that Left-wing Extremism (LWE)has gone up drastically in Kerala in 2016, an all-time high compared to 2013, 2014 and 2015.
It also explains Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s pitch to further bolster the administrative-police machinery in Kerala to tackle the Maoist ultras. While there has been a decline in the LWE-related incidents in traditional Maoist citadels like Chattisgarh, Jharkand and Andhra Pradesh in 2016, it increased from zero to 12 in Kerala.Senior police officials said the state government has been apprised of the gravity of the situation and necessary steps were initiated to track the activities of suspected CPI Maoists in the state.
According to MHA data (till November 15), 12 LWE incidents were reported in the state with two attacks on economic targets, two civilian deaths and the arrest of two Naxals. Police said the two civilian deaths were the murder of two suspected police informers by alleged Maoist ultras. While no LWE incidents were reported in Kerala in 2015, eight were reported in 2014 and three in 2013.
“Now on, we can’t remain complacent. With anti-insurgency forces in Bihar, Odisha, Jharkand and Andhra Pradesh upping the offensive, insurgents are strengthening their activities in Kerala,” said a senior intelligence officer. In 2016,LWE incidents in Andhra Pradesh fell to 16 compared to the 35 reported in 2015. Similarly in Chattisgarh, LWE incidents witnessed a decline from 466 in 2015 to 355 in 2016. In Jharkand too, it fell from 310 in 2015 to 296 in 2016.
Recently, a meeting of senior police officials chaired by IG, Thrissur Range, M R Ajith Kumar reviewed the security scenario in Nilambur Forest Division, in the aftermath of the deaths of two Maoist leaders in a firefight. The meeting decided to conduct more combing operations inside the forest and monitor the activities of suspected LWE operatives in the urban areas.