Amid a sudden spurt in Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh, Union home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the state was going through a ?difficult time?, and reiterated that the Centre was willing to render all possible assistance so that the state could overcome the challenge to the security of its people.
?Chhattisgarh is going through a difficult time. In the last eight weeks, there have been 28 incidents of violence in the state. Many lives have been lost, many more have been injured. I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the bereaved and pray for the recovery of the injured?, he said while inaugurating the 40th All India Police Science Congress.
Referring to the challenges posed by Left-wing extremism, he said ?distribution of police force among the police stations is badly skewed, there are not enough police stations. Even where there is a police station, the strength of the police force in a station is often no more than 20 persons. In some of the districts most affected by Left -wing extremism, the police station exists only in name.
?I do not wish to name the states or the police stations but, believe me, there are police stations where the station house has been blown up; there are police stations where there are no more then eight men; and even these eight men or less do not hold any weapons for fear of the weapons being looted,?? Chidambaram said, adding ?You will recall the case of the Lalgarh police station in district West Midnapore in West Bengal. The police station was closed and locked from the inside for several months until the CRPF ?liberated? it.
Addressing the gathering?comprising of 80 senior police officials from across the country?chief minister Raman Singh said Chhattisgarh has to fight the Naxal menace with full force. ?If it helps save the country?s democracy, we are ready to fight this war on our soil?, he said.
The 40th All India Police Science Congress, being jointly organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development Organisation (BPRDO), will discuss several issues, specially focusing on terrorism and left wing extremism, modernisation and use of data management systems.
