Kolkata:
After the massive Dantewada ambush, an alert has been sounded in other Naxal-affected states as well.
While the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) AN Roy admitted that 2009 had been a "big failure" in his state's efforts in tackling Naxalism, he said: "We have been able to contain the Naxal movement in Maharashtra to a great extent...We have launched a very focussed operation in Naxal-affected Gadchiroli and Gondia district for the last five days."
Roy told NDTV thate the state had been able to limit Naxal movement to some pockets only, and "we will not change our strategy in tackling Naxals in Maharashtra."
West Bengal DGP Bhupinder Singh has, however, warned that the worst is not over yet.
Till Dantewada happened, West Bengal held the dubious honour of having had the worst Naxal attack of recent times, at Shilda on February 15 this year. And the Bengal police and joint forces have been engaged in fierce battle with the Naxals.
Here's how Singh answered some NDTV questions:
NDTV: Sir after Dantewada have you sounded an alert for West Bengal police? Do you apprehend an attack on this scale?
Bhupinder Singh: Yes we have alerted all our camps and police stations. And there is always a possiblity of the Maoists attacking any of our units.
NDTV: Are you prepared? What is your assesment of your strength? How much central force do you have? Do you think you are prepared to handle something like this?
Bhupinder Singh: See we have to fight these issues with resources that are always limited. So my wishlist cannot be converted into practical numbers. Therefore, whatever numbers I have, I have to fight with that. But my message and directions to my boys is that look, you should be in a position to defend yourself if you are attacked and you should be in a position to retaliate, again when you are attacked. And when you are going on operations, whatever Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) we have given you, and I think they are very exhaustive they should be followed to the last bit.
NDTV: What about intelligence? Intelligence plays a huge part. There were huge lapses in Shilda. Also there is talk about the same in Dantewada. Are we prepared in the intelligence sector? Or are we not getting enough inputs from the villagers who support the Maoists?
Bhupinder Singh: See intelligence is somethign which takes time to develop under these kinds of circumstances. but over time, our ability to gather information, especially from human sources has gone up substantially. And as you know we have made a number of, what I would call quality arrests. Most of these have been a result of very specific, pinpointed information given to us by our sources. So, this is a continuous process. At no point of time, anybody can say that he has got all the information in the world, and if that were so, then nothing would ever happen. No. 2 is that even if the information does come to you, or is available, sometimes it is not possible to immediately react to it for various reasons, which since you move in the field you would know.
NDTV: Kishenji remains elusive, do you know where he is? Do you suscribe to the theory that he escaped unhurt in the recent encounters that he had with the West Benagl police and the security forces? Where is he?
Bhupinder Singh: To put it on the record once again, we have got no conformation on whether he was there when this very intense encounter took place on the 25th of last month or what the state of his health is. Whether he is injured or how badly he is injured, or for that matter, whether he is alive or not, we have got no confirmation.
NDTV: Have you heard about an Orissa leader Sabhyasachi Panda, apparently coming here to West Bengal to control operations? We are hearing that he maybe coming in because Kishenji is injured.
Bhupinder Singh: I can't tell you about that.
NDTV: So, going a little away from the situation in West Bengal, what is your position on bringing in air power in the battle against Maoists? Bringing in the military?
Bhupinder Singh: I can't make any comment on that.
NDTV: Finally then Sir, what lessons from Dantewad, 75 jawans dead?
Bhupinder Singh: The lesson we have to tell our boys over and over again is don't let your guard down, don't think the worst is over. And always follow the SOPs that have been laid out for you, don't take any chances on that because if you do so then you are playing with your own lives.