Patna: Naxals in Bihar and Jharkhand have decided to get maximum publicity by continuing attacks on top politicians and bureaucrats, say intelligence agencies.
The murder of former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi’s son at Chilkaridih village in Giridih district on October 26 and before that the assassination of Lok Sabha MP Sunil Kumar Mahato in Bakuria in East Singhbhum district on March 3 show that the rebels are selecting their targets meticulously, say officials.
Intelligence reports suggest that Naxals in Bihar and Jharkhand may have got training from the Maoists from Nepal and they may target Army installations, like Shashastra Seema Bal camps on the Indo-Nepal border.
Intelligence agencies of both states have information on who and what all could be on the rebels’ hit list. “Their prime target would be symbols of the state power. That may be the reason why they are targeted,” says Bihar’s Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah.
The state government aims to counter this menace by addressing the root cause. “We are very clear—our first priority is development. We are working on land reform, social welfare and empowerment,” says Amanullah.
The Naxal threat is very real for people like Vijay Kumar Singh, an MLA in Naxal-infested Aurangabad district. He claims the government's security cover is inadequate, so he has hired private security guards.
Most of the political leaders who are on the list have opted for private securiity cover. "I depend on hired licenced gunmen for my security," says Singh. If intelligence agencies suspicion is correct, then Singh and other politicians must be never let their guard down.
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