Even while memories of the brutal April attack, in which the Maoists eviscerated almost an entire Alpha Company of CRPF in Dantewada, were fresh in the public psyche, they have mounted another big attack in the same district. This time around the target was a private commercial bus ferrying passengers from Dantewada to Sukma. It was blown up around 30 miles south of Dantewada, a heavily forested and isolated Maoist stronghold in Chhattisgarh. But of the 50 casualties this time, more than half were civilians. The security personnel who died were Special Police Officers who are recruited from among the local population and often called the ?home and hearth? cadre. Many of Chhattisgarh?s Special Police Officers are drawn from exactly the same tribes from which the Maoists seek their recruits. For those who have been insisting that Maoists have popular support because they stand up for local people?s interest, this should be a major wake-up call. This proves, for those who continue to demand further proof, that the home minister is right when he says that when Maoists chose to attack and assassinate, they do not give much thought to distinguishing between civilians and police forces?whether these are of the central or state variety, or more home-grown.
Unfortunately, what with Digvijay Singh and some others trying to take a high moral ground by alleging that the home minister is ignoring the hopes and aspirations of local people in treating the Maoist insurgency as purely a law and order problem, it has become a matter of debate whether there is a party and government consensus backing P Chidambaram in the fight against the Maoists. The home minister himself has admitted that, while a two-pronged policy is what the government has been consistently pursuing, one of the prongs?obviously the one concerning law and order?has taken a hit from civil rights spokespersons. The battle against the Maoists has also been weakened by the very public debate on operational tactics. The bottom line is that no nation can formulate security tactics via public debate. No tactical option, including the use of air power, should be completely ruled out. Ruling out tactical options only aids the enemy. As Chidambaram has aptly put it, countering the Maoist menace needs a strong head, stronger heart and enormous staying power. Whichever way public opinion flows, the home ministry and the government need to steadfastly stay the course on asphyxiating Maoist violence. Yes, affected areas do suffer historical deprivations but these cannot be addressed until peace prevails. And the Indian state can only achieve durable peace from a position of strength.