Community activities to curb Maoist menace mooted in W. Bengal

With an aim to boost the morale of youth and also thwart the menace of Maoists, the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has taken the initiative of organizing community policing and allied activities in West Bengal's Lalgarh region.

To mark the success of one such camp, the CRPF and West Bengal Police jointly hosted a programme over the weekend.

It might be recalled that until a year ago, the Lalgarh region was regarded as the hotbed for the activities of the Maoist ultras.

As part of this community-based programme, several youth were enrolled in the Home Guards, National Voluntary Force and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Besides, these camps also pave the way for aspirants to take up careers in the Indian Air Force and the Army.

Sharing his views with the media persons, Suryapada Bej, a beneficiary expressed his gratitude towards the security personnel for organising such a programme.

"We are feeling very elated and it is believed that the way in which the officers are working and helping the youth, it would definitely help the local youngsters and other misguided persons in charting out a progressive life in their own way," said Suryapada Bej.

The credit for this exercise is attributed to Commandant of a CRPF outfit, Sankar Lal Sengupta and his team.

Speaking on the occasion, Superintendent of Police, West Medinipur District, Sunil Chowdhury said that such events would mark a significant development in the entire region and more youth from different parts of the district would come forward to avail the benefits.

"This selection of 33 candidates from this area is an example that how the police and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) are actively doing community initiative programmes. Almost 33 persons have been selected in uniformed jobs like Home Guards, NVF (National Voluntary Force), CRPF and CISF (Central Industrial Security Force). So, with time, definitely more and more candidates will come to us and we will organise more of such camps and for them to get selected from this area," said Sunil Chowdhury.

According to certain reports, Maoists are facing an acute shortage of personnel in several areas of central and eastern India, due to the steps taken by the state and federal security forces to curtail the insurgency.

Also known as Naxals, the rebels have fought for decades in a wide swathe of central and eastern India, including many resource-rich regions, where tensions run high between poor tribals-farmers and industrial developers.

The government calls the Maoists as India's main internal security threat and an obstacle to higher growth and more jobs in Asia's third-largest economy.

However, the Maoists contend that they are fighting for the rights of millions of landless people and marginal farmers. (ANI)