13 CRPF men including 2 officers killed in Chhattisgarh Maoist ambush

[harpoon]

Drone pulled out mid-air while Sukma ops were on, CRPF complains to MHA


On Monday afternoon, learning about the death of their men was not the only horror facing the top brass of the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF). Despite their best efforts at convincing, the spy agency National Technological Research Organisation (NTRO) insisted and succeeded in pulling out its surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV) deployed over Sukma at the time the operation was on.
This ditching, being viewed very seriously as hampering the force when it needed all possible efforts has propelled the CRPF top brass to complain formally to its parent body, the Ministry of Home Affair (MHA). A senior IPS officer posted in the CRPF, confirming the development, said, "We are not going to take this lying down anymore. The MHA has been, in a very strongly worded manner, informed about this. It is now up to them."

According to information accessed, the operations directorate of the CRPF placed an advanced 'indent' (read requisition) for UAV deployment over Sukma from 8am to 5pm for Monday, December 1. It was learnt that this was done keeping in mind the Maoist build up and the operations which were on for a fortnight. From Sukma, the Israeli-made Heron UAV was to fly to Jharkhand to provide an assessment of the Maoist presence since the state was to go for polls on Tuesday. Only then was it to return to its base at the Begumpet airport.

"The UAV arrived over Sukma only by noon. By around 1:30pm, it was gone. The NTRO's point was that the fuel supply was nearly exhausted and it needed to fly more than 90 minutes to reach Hyderabad," said a source. What bewildered the CRPF top brass was the sudden change of plan. "Given what was happening, we told NTRO to cancel flying to Jharkhand and maintain presence over Sukma. What we got in return baffled us. If you have been informed of a job as critical as this, how can you just walk away," a source stated.

The UAV, despite its limited visual penetration of the thick foliage over jungles of Bastar is of immense help to the security forces since it beams live images of the location over which it flies. In a limited way, the UAV also helps forces to track, detect and react to any possible build up of the insurgents.

The NTRO's UAV is operated by personnel from the Indian Air Force (IAF) who are on deputation to the spy agency. The spy agency is facing a crisis of pilots and observers and one set of pilots and observers can't work for over four hours and NTRO has barely two set of people at the best of times. As a result of this, the Heron UAV which can actually operate for over 18 hours, effectively is not utilized beyond eight hours at the most. What makes the matters worse is that the NTRO only flies one UAV at a time and that too for a limited duration owing to the manpower crunch. Its pay, mandated by the government rules, also is too meagre for it to be able to attract fresh recruitment. When reached for a comment, Air Vice Marshal Arvind Verma, chief of UAV operations of NTRO heard the entire issue and said, "You should speak to the right authority. I can not comment." When asked who should be reached, he did not reply.

It is not for the first time that the CRPF and NTRO have had a run in. In the past, former Home Secretary and now BJP MP RK Singh had put it in writing the need to stop relying on NTRO and developing own fleet of UAVs. Apart from that, for years now, the ground forces have pleaded the NTRO to shift out of Hyderabad and operate from Jagdalpur or Bhillai or any other air strip in the vicinity but NTRO has refrained. "Imagine the constraints that the NTRO already faces. In that by insisting on operating out of Hyderabad, you end up wasting considerable flying time in merely reaching over places in Bastar or Jharkhand. You have barely reached and it is time to head back, exactly what happened in the Sukma operation," explained a source.

While the CRPF reports to the MHA and the police to their respective state goverments, the NTRO comes under the cabinet secretariat and by extension, under Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

One more example of snobbish high tech warriors not understanding ground realities faced by jawans on the ground.

 

[bipi@342]

Its time that Govt seriously considers putting all rotary aircrafts under Army or Ground forces control.

otherwise do it like army ADC where a fighting men is trained as pilot.

 

[harpoon]

otherwise do it like army ADC where a fighting men is trained as pilot.

US marine pilots lives with the fighting men....may be our IAF hotshots also need this arrangement.

 

[Judge]

Blame Pakistan. Or Bangladesh.

You won't see some random Vivek or Rahul or Kapoor writing a column on the CPRF murders by Maoists, but they'll be happy to prove how Pakistan is a basket case.

Then you have no idea about India at all.

Much more has been written on Maoist problem in India than Pakistan and Afghanistan put together. There is tons(literally) of research conducted on it, massive public debates, bodies dedicated to this problem 24x7.

And lastly - multiple policy initiatives by GoI - from social/military/economic standpoint, different State governments have their own studies and policy attempts! Heck one of the largest developmental programs in India is geared towards reducing this problem.

The difference is that Maoists are a result of flawed policies of GoI, they are our own people.

 

[Judge]

Strange....... India is facing a lot of separists organisation. BTW rip.

This is not a separatist organization. They seek to change all of India's governance model ie replace Govt of India, not to separate from India and form their own country.

On topic: RIP.

 

[Burhan Wani]

This is not a separatist organization. They seek to change all of India's governance model ie replace Govt of India, not to separate from India and form their own country.

On topic: RIP.

Sorry it was new information for me. I will say "strange....... India is facing a lot of agressors BTW rip.

 

[Judge]

Sorry it was new information for me. I will say "strange....... India is facing a lot of agressors BTW rip.

Used to. They peaked in the 90's. The number of aggressors are coming down quite steadily. Almost all the major insurgencies have been killed in the last decade (from 2000- 2013) - the last major one remaining is Maoist insurgency. Economic growth and expansion of State power is what kills insurgencies - both are happening in India.

 

[Burhan Wani]

Used to. They peaked in the 90's. The number of aggressors are coming down quite steadily. Almost all the major insurgencies have been killed in the last decade (from 2000- 2013) - the last major one remaining is Maoist insurgency. Economic growth and expansion of State power is what kills insurgencies - both are happening in India.

Just wait for US with drawl.

 

[Judge]

Just wait for US with drawl.

Wont make a difference. At best the Kashmir militancy would rise, that too marginally.
Would not affect anything else - most other insurgencies in India are on their last days. With Bangladesh supporting India, we have been able to steamroll them pretty quick.

 

[Kompromat]

Rest In Peace.

 

[jarves]

RIP.

 

[bipi@342]

Shot by Naxals, He Walked 9 km With a Bullet in His Thigh

Raipur: When Naxals struck in a deadly attack in Chhattisgarh on Monday, Chandan Kumar, 24, was among the 12 security personnel who was injured. 14 men died in the ambush in the deep forests of the Sukma region.

They were all with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), a paramilitary unit. The attackers had used villagers as human shields.

"Sir, you should see the conditions we work in," says Chandan Kumar, lying on a hospital bed. "I can't," I respond, "men like you fight in places where angels fear to tread."
These were small words of support for a man who saw his entire life flash in front of his eyes as he lay on the ground, pinned by Naxal gunfire, clutching his thigh which had been shattered by a high-velocity burst of gunfire from an AK-47.
"I didn't know I was hit. I kept firing. I was told by another jawan that there was blood. I walked nine km with the support of a friend to our post at Chintagufa."
The CRPF forces were returning to their camp after carrying out an operation deep in a forest when the gunmen attacked.
"They were hiding in the homes of the villagers. These homes were locked. We had left the village when they opened fire. At the same time, villagers came screaming towards us. We didn't fire. In the process, they surrounded us. We killed 20-25 Naxal fighters. I saw this with my own eyes," Chandan Kumar said.
Today, Chandan Kumar, who still hasn't told his family in Bihar's Jehanabad what happened, is recuperating at the Ramkrishna Care hospital in Raipur. Some of the other jawans are in far worse condition and are undergoing surgeries to remove shrapnel and bullets lodged in them.

Sources in the CRPF say there are no quick military solutions to ending the guerrilla war in parts of Chhattisgarh. In the densely forested hills of South Bastar life and death remains a daily reality for our forces.

 

[utraash]

May our fallen soldiers RIP....

Drone pulled out mid-air while Sukma ops were on, CRPF complains to MHA

Babus has one more time proven their worth to gutter .....


On Monday afternoon, learning about the death of their men was not the only horror facing the top brass of the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF). Despite their best efforts at convincing, the spy agency National Technological Research Organisation (NTRO) insisted and succeeded in pulling out its surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV) deployed over Sukma at the time the operation was on.
This ditching, being viewed very seriously as hampering the force when it needed all possible efforts has propelled the CRPF top brass to complain formally to its parent body, the Ministry of Home Affair (MHA). A senior IPS officer posted in the CRPF, confirming the development, said, "We are not going to take this lying down anymore. The MHA has been, in a very strongly worded manner, informed about this. It is now up to them."

According to information accessed, the operations directorate of the CRPF placed an advanced 'indent' (read requisition) for UAV deployment over Sukma from 8am to 5pm for Monday, December 1. It was learnt that this was done keeping in mind the Maoist build up and the operations which were on for a fortnight. From Sukma, the Israeli-made Heron UAV was to fly to Jharkhand to provide an assessment of the Maoist presence since the state was to go for polls on Tuesday. Only then was it to return to its base at the Begumpet airport.

"The UAV arrived over Sukma only by noon. By around 1:30pm, it was gone. The NTRO's point was that the fuel supply was nearly exhausted and it needed to fly more than 90 minutes to reach Hyderabad," said a source. What bewildered the CRPF top brass was the sudden change of plan. "Given what was happening, we told NTRO to cancel flying to Jharkhand and maintain presence over Sukma. What we got in return baffled us. If you have been informed of a job as critical as this, how can you just walk away," a source stated.

The UAV, despite its limited visual penetration of the thick foliage over jungles of Bastar is of immense help to the security forces since it beams live images of the location over which it flies. In a limited way, the UAV also helps forces to track, detect and react to any possible build up of the insurgents.

The NTRO's UAV is operated by personnel from the Indian Air Force (IAF) who are on deputation to the spy agency. The spy agency is facing a crisis of pilots and observers and one set of pilots and observers can't work for over four hours and NTRO has barely two set of people at the best of times. As a result of this, the Heron UAV which can actually operate for over 18 hours, effectively is not utilized beyond eight hours at the most. What makes the matters worse is that the NTRO only flies one UAV at a time and that too for a limited duration owing to the manpower crunch. Its pay, mandated by the government rules, also is too meagre for it to be able to attract fresh recruitment. When reached for a comment, Air Vice Marshal Arvind Verma, chief of UAV operations of NTRO heard the entire issue and said, "You should speak to the right authority. I can not comment." When asked who should be reached, he did not reply.

It is not for the first time that the CRPF and NTRO have had a run in. In the past, former Home Secretary and now BJP MP RK Singh had put it in writing the need to stop relying on NTRO and developing own fleet of UAVs. Apart from that, for years now, the ground forces have pleaded the NTRO to shift out of Hyderabad and operate from Jagdalpur or Bhillai or any other air strip in the vicinity but NTRO has refrained. "Imagine the constraints that the NTRO already faces. In that by insisting on operating out of Hyderabad, you end up wasting considerable flying time in merely reaching over places in Bastar or Jharkhand. You have barely reached and it is time to head back, exactly what happened in the Sukma operation," explained a source.

While the CRPF reports to the MHA and the police to their respective state goverments, the NTRO comes under the cabinet secretariat and by extension, under Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

 

[waz]

RIP to the forces involved.