CRPF withdraws 1,000-strong battalion from Chhattisgarh, sends it to Manipur
The battalion was stationed in Sukma and had been involved in anti-Naxal operations and IED clearance. Chhattisgarh Police has warned of a possible security vacuum
New Delhi/Raipur, Nov 15 (PTI) The CRPF has withdrawn a battalion comprising more than 1,000 personnel from the anti-Naxal operations theatre in Chhattisgarh and sent it to Manipur for deployment.
The development marks the first such de-induction of any Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) unit following the Union government's declaration that Naxalism in India ended in March.
Temporary withdrawal of companies (part of a battalion) has occurred for various internal security duties, such as the West Bengal elections, the Amarnath Yatra and the protests in Delhi.
Officials told PTI that the battalion was based in the former Maoist hotbed of Sukma in the south Bastar region of the central Indian state.
For the past few years, it had been undertaking Left Wing Extremism (LWE) operations, followed by de-mining and defusing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) post-March.
“The CRPF headquarters has ordered the de-induction of a general duty battalion from Chhattisgarh and directed it to move to Manipur, where ethnic violence has been simmering for more than three years now.
“This is the first full withdrawal of any paramilitary unit from the anti-Naxal operations theatre following the declaration that armed Maoism in the country ended in March,” a senior security officer based in Delhi said.
He said the CRPF is withdrawing the unit as it wants to “bolster” its presence in Manipur to curb the ongoing violence in the state.
A few months ago, two battalions of its special jungle warfare unit, the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), were deployed in Manipur.
Before this, other regular units besides the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were also deployed there.
Security forces in Manipur face logistical and accommodation issues, and the latest CRPF battalion will face the same.
Officials said directions have been issued to ensure proper arrangements for the unit in Manipur, which has seen a heavy influx of security forces since the ethnic violence erupted there in May 2023.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been the country's leading anti-Naxal operations force, with more than 1 lakh personnel deployed for this task, including over 25 regular and CoBRA battalions based in Chhattisgarh, once the most violence-hit theatre for this domain.
The force headquarters in Delhi has directed that the posts and duties undertaken by the withdrawing battalion will be taken over by neighbouring CRPF and Chhattisgarh Police units.
A senior Chhattisgarh Police officer said the withdrawal will lead to a “vacuum” in the anti-Naxal operations grid.
The battalion took part in a large-scale de-mining and IED defusing exercise in Sukma district to secure routes for the public, the officer said.
The Delhi-based security officer quoted above told PTI that “there is also a proposal to withdraw at least three more paramilitary battalions from the anti-Naxal operations theatre in Chhattisgarh and Odisha” for deployment in Manipur and to strengthen border security along Pakistan and Bangladesh borders.
Such withdrawals from the LWE theatre also signal that conditions are improving there and that their job can be entrusted to the local police, which is the primary stakeholder of law and order and security duties, the officer said. PTI