With the abduction of the Malkangiri collector, R Vineel Krishna, the Maoists in Orissa have once again struck at the soft underbelly of the state and notched up another tactical victory against the government. The government, which till recently was basking in the series of successes of the Orissa Police in its anti-naxal operations, now finds itself caught on the wrong foot. The latter is now faced with the Hobson’s choice of either risking the hostages being executed or barter away its gains by submitting to the demands of the naxals. Either way the state will be the loser. The Maoists are taking advantage of the situation and are pressing hard for concessions to their ever increasing demands, eight of which have already been acted upon. They are negotiating now from a position of strength and the state by agreeing to most of their demands, including release of three top cadres, has weakened its stand.
The state has none but itself to blame for its untenable position. Its policy of hunting with the hounds and running with the hare via-à-vis the Maoists has cost it dear. There were ample signals that the Maoists were stepping up their activities and widening their sphere of influence. Yet, little effort was made to address either the developmental issues in naxal-dominated regions or the security threat from the latter. In spite of rampant extortion, kidnapping and murder of innocents by the Maoists, the government preferred to turn a blind eye.
Lack of a clear-cut policy has aggravated the problem and brought things to the current pass. What is ironic is that Krishna was trying to put in place a caring and citizen friendly administration which the Maoists are demanding. The manner and timing of his abduction has exposed the vulnerability of the government. Unless prompt and stern action is taken against the perpetrators, an already terrorised populace would completely lose faith in the administration and officers serving in other Maoist affected areas would be further demoralised. It is time a clear-cut policy to address this menace is worked out and implemented jointly by the state and the Centre. Instead of kowtowing to the Maoists, they should go after those who are killing innocents and ensure that they are punished. Decisiveness and boldness are the need of the day. Not only the lives of two officials but the very security of the state hangs in balance.
