Soren left out in CMs meet on Op Green Hunt

Vijay Deo Jha RANCHI Friday, January 22, 2010


The Union Home Ministry has clarified that Jharkhand has not been ignored in the Operation Green Hunt (OGH) in Naxal-hit States.

The clarification came in the wake of the proposed meeting of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram with the Chief Ministers of three Naxal-hit States --- Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Orissa --- which is scheduled to be held in Raipur on Friday. Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren has not invited for the meeting.

It led to the speculation that the Union Home Ministry was quite unwilling to invite Soren for such a crucial meeting on the anti-Maoist operation. This probably happed after Soren precisely hinted at his unwillingness to fall in Centre's ambitious plan to launch mass offensive against Naxals under the Operation Green Hunt.

The office of the Chief Minister woke up late Wednesday night soon after the news of the proposed meeting landed in public domain. Sources in the Government told The Pioneer that Soren rang up to his Principal Secretary to know about the fact.

"Jharkhand has not been ignored if the CM was not called for the meeting," MA Siddique, the senior official of the Ministry told The Pioneer on telephone from New Delhi. He contended that even Bihar, West Bengal Chief Ministers were not invited in this round of meeting.

"The proposed meeting with the Chief Ministers of three States," he said, "was part of the plan of the Centre to review security, and, strategy to control naxalism in these States."

As Jharkhand is affected by Naxal movement, it cannot be ignored in the larger scheme of things. Chidambaram has already visited Jharkhand twice in the past. In the coming days, the minister could hold another meeting with the Chief Ministers of other Naxal-affected States, including Jharkhand," he said. Source in the ministry said another such crucial meeting is likely to be held the next month.

Ministry's spokesperson Kedia declined to reveal any information about the Friday meeting and the non-inclusion of Jharkhand CM. But at least one senior official of the ministry cited two reasons on the condition of anonymity. "Operation Green Hunt has already been started in these three States. We are still waiting for a clear signals from the Jharkhand Government …it is quite confusing right now. It is one of the most important meetings where the decision about the timing of the precision attack on Naxals based on intelligence input could be taken," he said.

This meeting, he said, is region and area specific. "And in case of a big operation like OGH it will be necessary for effective manning of the porous boarders to stop the flight of the Naxals from one State to another. The IB in its report to the Central has warned that the Naxal having rat like mobility can sneak in Jharkhand in case of a massive hunt. Jharkhand shares a vast stretch of boundary with Chhattisgarh and Orissa and it is quite likely that Chidambaram's new concert against Naxalism would run in peril.

"There is no point to involve Jharkhand in review meeting of ongoing operation. The State Government has already expressed its view against OGH. But Jharkhand will certainly be consulted and all logistic supports will be provided once the state government is prepared to start operation against naxalism," officer said.

He gave the example of Orissa, a key Naxalite-affected State. Orissa has recently joined Chidambaram's war against Naxal after it had politely begged off the joint security operations, stating its police force is currently not up to the challenge.

Is Jharkhand ready to be the hunting ground of Operation Green Hunt? While Chidambaram during a media briefing two days back asked Soren to give clear instructions to the State police to start operations against Naxals, Soren continued to emit confusing signals. But State DGP Neyaz Ahmed told The Pioneer: "We are preparing for major operation against Naxals. Major operation means Operation Green Hunt."