Centre didn't take State into confidence before launch of Op'

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi | Monday 15 March
Front Page National

Chief Minister Shibu Soren has bluntly said that the Jharkhand Government was not taken into confidence before the launch of `Operation Green Hunt' in the State.
"Centre wale apne tarike se kar rahe hai. Sarkar se koi khaas baat to nahi hui (Centre has been doing in its own fashion. No specific talk was held with the State Government)," Soren affirmed.

It is before the security forces to assess the success of the first phase of the operation and shift the ground for the second, Soren put the motion in the reverse gear.

The Chief Minister contradicted two of his statements given on two different occasions earlier: one, during the meeting with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on February 24; second on March 8 during the Assembly session which discussed the anti-Maoist operation.

Even the Union Home Minister had said: "Jharkhand Chief Minister has been on the same page with the Centre," over tackling the Naxal menace. In an interview given to the BBC World Service, Soren had said: "We wanted them (strategists) to be in our touch. We could have helped them a lot.But they are doing according to their wisdom."


At a time when the security forces claimed to have dominated key Maoist areas; Soren indicated that he was least interested in the operation and less informed about its progress. "Why to offer suggestion when not asked for? Though, we are offering all supports to the forces in the operation...but the State was not taken in confidence," Soren said.

The Union Home Ministry expressed surprise over the volte-face of Soren. A senior Home Ministry official in-charge of the anti-Naxal operation on the condition of anonymity said that the operation was launched only after due deliberation with the CM and senior officials of Jharkhand.

"Where is the confusion? They held meetings with the Home Minister many times, one in New Delhi and another in Kolkata? It is an operation planned to be carried in different States. And any such operation cannot be carried, paramilitary forces cannot be deployed and flush out operation cannot be conducted without the support of the State Government. Everything was informed and discussed in advance," the official said.

Soren seems to be against of pure military type operation and thought: "They will involve local people for the solution and the solution cannot be achieved through bullet. They are not doing."

To him: "Locals have more knowledge of the socio-geographic contours of the area" that the security forces have been asked to dominate.

Soren apprehends collateral damages to Tribals if the operation is stretched for a longer duration. Insiders close to Soren said that he was wary of the prospects of mass migration of the tribals from the area under operation if it carried for a longer duration. It might trigger unrest in the State.

Knowing that it is now tough to ask the functioning boots to return to the barracks, the JMM insiders suggested taking this `mild caveat' in the larger context yet to be unfolded.

"It could probably restrain the security forces to unleash terror on the Tribals during the operation which has come on a wrong time. Soren has to contest the by-election. His pro-tribal image during the election depends upon the degree of restrain of the security forces in the operation," a senior party leader put the thing.

A week back Operation Green Hunt was launched in some of the parts of Jharkhand --Ghatsila, Chaibasa, Khunti, Arki and a few others, but now Soren is not on the same page with PC over Operation Green.