South Asia Terrorism Portal
Jharkhand: Waning Maoist Influence Ajit Kumar Singh Research Fellow; Institute for Conflict Management
Four cadres of the ‘Madhya Zone’ (Central Zone) of the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC) of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), including ‘sub zonal commander’ Rakesh Bhuiyan, were killed in an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) at Malanga Pahad (hill) under Chhatarpur Police Station in Palamu District, on February 26, 2018. The SFs, who had launched an operation on a tip off that Rakesh Bhuiyan was hiding in the area along with 20 others, were attacked by the Maoists. The encounter started at 8.50am and lasted for just 20 minutes, leaving four Maoists dead. The slain Maoists were identified as Bhuiyan, Lalloo Yadav, Ruby Kumari and Rinki Kumari. SFs also recovered two SLRs (Self Loading Rifles), five magazines, 219 bullets, eight cell phones, back packs, uniforms, Naxal [Left Wing Extremism (LWE)]- literature and eatables.
On February 8, 2018, SFs killed an ‘area commander’ of the ‘Madhya Zone’ of Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee of CPI-Maoist, identified as Mahesh Bhokta alias Guardian, in an encounter in the area under the Naudiha Police Station limits in Palamu District. SFs later recovered the body of the Maoist along with eight weapons. One injured female Maoist cadre was arrested from the encounter site, while another cadre, identified as Rajinder Bhuiyan, who had managed to escape from the encounter site reached the Police in Daltonganj city, the Headquarters of Palamu District, and surrendered.
On February 1, 2018, a CPI-Maoist cadre, identified as Birbal Oraon, was killed in an encounter with SFs at Bhitar Pandra village in Latehar District.
On January 17, 2018, an ‘area commander’ of the Jharkhand Jan-Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a splinter group of CPI-Maoist, was killed in an encounter at Jerpahari under Sadar Police Station limits in Latehar District. An AK-47 rifle, four American-made rifles, one INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) assault rifle, and other materials were recovered from the encounter site.
In the intervening night of January 11-12, 2018, two ‘commanders’ of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), a CPI-Maoist splinter group, were killed in an encounter with SFs at Konai Khurd village under Padma Police Station in Hazaribagh District. One AK 47 rifle, an unspecified number of INSAS assault rifles, and around 200 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.
According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least nine Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists (LWEs)] have died in 2018 (data till March 4, 2018), all killed in encounters with SFs. These include six CPI-Maoist cadres, two JJMP cadres, and one TPC cadre. At least four Naxalites had died during the corresponding period of 2017: SFs eliminated a cadre each of CPI-Maoist and TPC, while another two died (New-Sastra Peoples' Morcha, New-SPM, breakaway faction of the little-known SPM) in internecine clashes. Through 2017, SFs had eliminated 14 Naxalites: nine cadres of the Peoples' Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a CPI-Maoist splinter group; four CPI-Maoist cadres; and one TPC cadre. Another 11 Naxalites were killed in internecine clashes: 10 TPC cadres and one CPI-Maoist cadre. In 2016, a total of 40 Naxalites were killed, 23 in encounters with SFs: 15 CP-Maoist cadres, seven PLFI cadres, and one Jharkhand Sangharsh Jan Mukti Morcha (JSJMM) cadre. Another 15 Naxalites were killed in internecine clashes: nine PLFI cadres, three TPC cadres, and three Jharkhand Jan-Mukti Parishad cadres. Two PLFI cadres were lynched by the public.
On the other hand, losses among SFs declined considerably: from 10 fatalities in 2016 to two in 2017, yielding a high positive kill ratio of 1:11.5 in 2017, as against the modest 1:1.4 achieved during 2016. There has been no fatality in the SF category so far in 2018.
Moreover, SFs arrested several Maoists, including top cadres, through 2017. State Director General of Police (DGP) D.K. Pandey disclosed, on January 10, 2018, “In the intensive operations security forces eliminated 12 top Naxals in 34 police encounters and arrested 558 Naxals including 50 top ‘commanders’ during the year 2017 and recovered 36 weapons looted from the police in the past.”
The success of SFs on the ground has resulted in improvements in the overall security situation the State. According to the SATP database, total Naxal-linked fatalities came down from 81 (31 civilians, 10 SF personnel, and 40 Naxalites) in 2016 to 56 (29 civilians, two SF personnel, and 25 Naxalites) in 2017. This was the lowest number of overall fatalities recorded in the State since 2005. The previous low of 58 fatalities was recorded in 2015. At the peak of Naxal violence in 2009, the State had recorded 217 fatalities. The trend of overall fatalities has, however, been cyclical in nature , and the potential for escalation remains. In 2018, Jharkhand has already recorded 10 fatalities (nine Naxals and one civilian, data till March 4, 2018).
In 2017, Jharkhand recorded the lowest fatalities in the SF category since 2005 (a previous low of five was recorded in 2015), and the number of civilian fatalities also declined, from 31 in 2016 to 29 in 2017. Civilian fatalities after remaining static for three consecutive years – 48 fatalities each in years 2012, 2013, and 2014 – had dropped to 16 in 2015, but rose again to 31 in 2016. The highest number of 79 civilian deaths was recorded in 2011.
Other parameters of violence were also indicative of significant security consolidation. In 2017 fatalities were reported from 12 Districts as against 13 in 2016 (out of a total of 24 Districts in the State). Civilian fatalities were reported from nine Districts in 2017 as against 12 in 2016. Incidents of bomb blasts decreased from 12 (resulting in nine injuries) to nine (17 injuries) between 2016 and 2017. The number of major incidents (each involving three or more fatalities) declined from eight (seven initiated by Naxalites, one by SF personnel) to four (all by Maoists) in 2017. Overall Naxal-related incidents, according to Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) data, came down from 323 in 2016 to 251 in 2017. In 2018, as of January 31, 22 incidents have been recorded, as against 30 during the corresponding period of the previous year.
Buoyed by the success, DGP Pandey noted, on February 28, 2018,
Explaining the success mantra (philosophy) of the SFs, DGP Pandey stated on January 10, 2018, that, three years earlier, 13 'focus areas' were identified across the State and 18 security camps were established in these. The 13 'focus areas' included: Chatra, Parasnath, Saranda, Saryu, Banalat, Giridih-Koderma border, Dumka-Godda border, Khunti-Chaibasa border, Khunti-Simdega border, Garhwa-Latehar border, Jhumra, Jamshedpur (Gudabandha, Dumaria and Musabani) and Palamau-Chatra border area. He noted,
Though most of the security issues have been resolved, continuing turf wars among surviving Naxalite groups operating within the State remain a major worry. Internecine clashes among these groups resulted in the death of 11 Naxalites in 2017, in addition to 15 in 2016. The largest among these groups, PLFI, has emerged, as the biggest challenge. According to the SATP database, PLFI had a share of 33.92 per cent of LWE-linked fatalities in 2017, as against 32.09 per cent in 2016. As SAIR noted earlier, “the State Government has also been instrumental in sustaining PLFI during its initial days, using it to counter the CPI-Maoist. However, the strategy backfired and PLFI became one of the major LWE groups in the State.”
There are some 19 LWE groups operating in the State, prominently including CPI-Maoist, PLFI, TPC, Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), Jharkhand Sangharsh Jan Mukti Morcha (JSJMM), Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC), and Tritiya Prastuti Committee-1 (TPC-1), a TPC breakaway.
21 Districts of Jharkhand found a place in a list of 106 Maoist-affected Districts from 10 States across India, released by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) on July 18, 2017. Of these 106 Districts, 35 from seven States were categorized as ‘worst LWE affected Districts’: 16 of these ‘worst’ Districts were in Jharkhand alone.
Clearly, there is need for continuing vigilance. Measures taken in the past need further strengthening and elaboration, and some further initiatives have already been announced. On February 22, 2018, DGP Pandey disclosed that a Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) was being constituted in Jharkhand, and would be equipped with state-of-the-art resources. Its mandate is to enter into the surviving Naxalite strongholds and provide specific intelligence to State Police formations for targeted operations on the ground.
M.A. Athul Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management
On February 24, 2018, the ‘commander in chief’ of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) Sohan D. Shira was killed in an encounter with commandos of the Meghalaya Special Force-10 at Dobu A’chakpek in East Garo Hills District. Police recovered one Heckler & Koch assault rifle with magazines, gelatin sticks and detonators, among other items, from the encounter site. Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) S.B Singh stated that “last night (February 23) we had received information about the probable location of Sohan Shira and Independent faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) ‘commander’ Dristi Rajkhowa and their group in Dobu Anchengbok in Bilwatgre village. Accordingly, we launched an operation at 4am and finally caught up with him in an encounter at around 11:30 am.” According to personnel of SF-10 commandos, who took part in the operation, Sohan was several yards away from his group when an approaching team of commandos came into visual contact with him. He (Sohan) tried to escape by firing a volley of shots from his rifle and the Police commandos returned fire, killing him on the spot.
Later, a militant, identified as Panseng R Sangma, who surrendered on February 28, 2018, claimed that Sohan D. Shira, Dristi Rajkhowa, and he (the surrendered militant) were in the area along with a group of GNLA cadres (number not specified) on the day of encounter. While the rest of cadres, including Dristi Rajkhowa, had gone for a bath, he stayed with Sohan D. Shira at the hilltop. Subsequently, he (surrendered militant) also went into the jungle to relieve himself leaving Sohan D. Shira ‘alone and unguarded’. According to his claims, the encounter took place when Sohan D. Shira was ‘alone’.
The Security Forces (SFs) had intensified operations to locate Sohan D. Shira subsequent to the killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Jonathone Sangma and three others in a suspected GNLA-triggered Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in the Samanda area of East Garo Hills District on February 18, 2018. Among the dead was surrendered GNLA leader Nikam Ch Momin aka Baichung, who was accompanying the NCP candidate. Before his surrender in December 9, 2016, Baichung was the GNLA ‘second-in-command’. On February 20, 2018, Superintendent of Police (SP), East Garo Hills District, Ringrang T.G. Momin disclosed that Police had launched an operation in the night of February 19, 2018, after getting information that Sohan D. Shira and a few other GNLA cadres were in the Samanda area (location of the IED blast). But the rebels received information about approaching police unit and fled the area. SP Momin added, “we strongly suspect the involvement of the GNLA chief behind this IED blast."
Elections for the Meghalaya State Assembly were held on February 27, 2018. Other than the IED attack targeting the NCP candidate, no other election-related violence was recorded in the State. The polls registered a 75 per cent voter turnout. Of the 59 constituencies (election in William Nagar constituency was deferred, following the killing of NCP candidate) in which election was held, Indian National Congress (INC) won 21 seats; followed by National People’s Party (NPP), 19 seats; United Democratic Party (UDP), six seats; People's Democratic Front (PDF), four seats; Independent, three seats; Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two seats each; Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement, one seat each. Meanwhile, as per latest reports, National People’s Party President Conrad Sangma on March 3, 2018, met Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad and staked claim to form the Government with the support of 34 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), including 19 from National People's Party (NPP), six from United Democratic Party (UDP), four from People's Democratic Front (PDF), two each from Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), besides one Independent MLA Samuel Sangma.
Earlier on January 11, 2018, ‘deputy-commander-in-chief’ of GNLA Matchallang M. Sangma aka Vietnam was killed in an encounter at Bawe Duragre in East Garo Hills District. An AK-56 rifle with ammunition and three kilograms of gelatin sticks were recovered from the encounter site. According to Police authorities, Matchallang was directly taking orders from and was very close to Sohan D. Shira.
According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) database, two militants have already been killed in Meghalaya (both GNLA cadres) in 2018. Since the formation of GNLA in November 2009, Meghalaya has recorded at least 172 militant fatalities (data till March 4, 2018), among which the group identities of 160 has been established. Of these 160, at least 83 were drawn from GNLA. In addition to Sohan D. Shira and Matchallang Sangma, other prominent GNLA leaders killed during this period include:
August 9, 2011: Then ‘deputy-commander-in-chief’ Roster Marak was killed in an encounter at Bolkengre in East Garo Hills District.
June 27, 2017: Sohan D Shira’s bodyguard, identified as Ading Ch Marak aka Lukseng Ch Marak, was killed by SFs in the forests of the Chitmang Hills in South Garo Hills District.
SFs have also arrested at least 288 GNLA cadres since November 2009. In a recent incident of arrest of a prominent leader, Bande Ch Marak aka Border, a close ‘aide’ of Sohan D Shira, was arrested on September 30, 2017.
Moreover, at least 203 GNLA cadres have surrendered through this period. At least 24 GNLA cadres surrendered on May 13, 2016, including four of Sohan D Shira’s personal bodyguards. Again on August 7, 2017, GNLA's ‘senior commander’ and third in the hierarchy of the outfit, Baltush N. Marak, surrendered at Chokpot in South Garo Hills District.
GNLA has clearly suffered huge losses. According to reports, the outfit had cadre strength of about 300 in 2012, but as been reduced to just 17 now. On August 2, 2017, Chief Security Advisor to the Meghalaya Government, Rajiv Mehta, stated that GNLA was 'well past its prime' and it was just a matter of time before it is 'totally obliterated'.
GNLA has been demanding a ‘sovereign Garoland’ in western Meghalaya, and was formed in November 2009 by Sohan D. Shira, who was previously a member of the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), and by a former Meghalaya Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Pakchara R. Sangma aka Champion R. Sangma. Champion Sangma was arrested on July 30, 2012, from the East Khasi Hills District and has been in jail since, despite the fact that the Court of the District and Sessions Judge in Shillong had granted Pakchara Sangma conditional bail on February 22, 2017, and the Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) moved by the Meghalaya Government for the cancellation of bail on September 1, 2017. Other prominent leaders in the group included ‘deputy commander in chief’ Robert Ch. Marak aka Rupanto Marak (surrendered on October 7, 2016); Baichung aka Nikam Ch Momin (founding member, surrendered on December 9, 2016. He was killed in the IED attack on February 18, 2018, when he was traveling along with the NCP candidate Jonathone Sangma, whom Baichung was supporting in elections. It is not clear when did he became part of mainstream politics); ‘western area commander’ Hedio C. Marak (surrendered on May 13, 2016); Pilport D. Shira ‘area commander’, GNLA’s 'northern command', which according to Police was the outfits most potent fighting unit (surrendered on May 4, 2016).
Since GNLA’s formation in 2009, Meghalaya has recorded 126 civilian fatalities, among which at least 94 have been attributed to one terror outfit or another, while 32 remained unattributed. GNLA was found to be involved in 77 of these 94 (i.e. 82 per cent) ‘attributable’ civilian killings. GNLA is responsible for all three civilian fatalities (in one incident) in 2018.
Similarly, since November 2009, Meghalaya has recorded 36 SF fatalities of which 35 have been attributed, while one remained unattributed. GNLA was involved in 30 of the 35 ‘attributed’ SF killings, i.e. 85.7 per cent. GNLA is responsible for the lone SF fatality reported in 2018 (till March 4, 2018).
Financial Year
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Total*
Since its formation in November 2009, GNLA has been responsible for 190 fatalities (77 civilians, 30 SF personnel, and 83 militants) in Meghalaya out of total of 291 (95 civilians, 35 SF personnel, and 161 militants) recorded in the State, in which group identities of outfits have been established. The State recorded a total of 334 fatalities (126 civilians, 36 SF personnel, and 172 militants) between November 2009 and March 4, 2018. More noticeably, between 2015 and 2018, GNLA was responsible for 55 fatalities (17 civilians, eight SF personnel, and 30 militants) in Meghalaya out of total of 58 fatalities (20 civilians, eight SF personnel, and 30 militants) in which group identities were established. The other groups which were responsible for killings between 2015 and 2018 include: Achik Matgrik Elite Force (AMEF), two fatalities (both civilians); and Achick Songa An'pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK), one fatality (civilian). There were a total of 101 fatalities (34 civilians, nine SF personnel, and 58 militants) between 2015 and 2018.
After the spike in fatalities in 2014, State SFs launched Operation Hill Storm (OHS). OHS-1 was launched on July 7, 2014, and continued till December 31, 2014, resulting in the death of at least seven GNLA militants. OHS-2 was launched on April 2, 2015, and continued till June 6, 2015, in which seven GNLA militants were killed. OHS-3 continued for six months from February 25, 2016, during which five GNLA militants were killed. The fourth and latest phase, OHS-4, was launched on September 22, 2016. There is no further information about the operation.
Operation Hill Storm was primarily responsible for improving the security situation in Meghalaya, with fatalities declining from 76 in 2014 to eight in 2017, the lowest overall fatalities recorded in the State since 2009, when total fatalities were just five (one civilian and four militants). The decline in militant violence has been the result of a collapse of GNLA’s capacities for violence.
The need for vigilance, nevertheless, remains. After Sohan D. Shira’s killing, DGP S.B Singh cautioned that, despite the success, the regrouping of GNLA could not be ruled out, since ULFA-I ‘deputy commander-in chief’ Drishti Rajkhowa, a close associate of the slain GNLA ‘chief’, had been assisting the outfit and is likely to offer similar help to surviving cadres. Rajkhowa reportedly helped GNLA by providing ‘safe havens’ and training for its cadres in Bangladesh. He also helped the outfit with supply of arms and explosives. Revealing the level of coordination between ULFA-I and GNLA, a surrendered GNLA militant Bhim Bahadur Chetry aka Kancha, who surrendered on February 16, 2018, stated that GNLA was operating in two groups: one group, comprising 11 militants, was moving with Sohan D. Shira in South Garo Hills District, while another group with seven militants, led by Dristhi Rajkhowa, was operating in West Khasi Hills District. Moreover, Dristi Rajkhowa was reportedly trying to ‘import’ ULFA-I cadres from neighboring Assam and even Bangladesh to strengthen GNLA.
With Meghalaya taking several important measures over the past years, including augmenting State Police capabilities to counter the insurgent threat by adding a new elite commando force SF-10, the State is now in a position to effectively nullify the remaining militant threat from GNLA, in particular, as well as the lesser active outfits. However, 90 kilometers of the porous and unfenced of Meghalaya-Bangladesh border continues to be concern for the authorities. The gaps in border management need to be addressed, in order to isolate and deny the remaining militants their escape routes across the border into Bangladesh.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia February 26-March 4, 2018
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
Terrorists/Insurgents
Total
INDIA
Jammu and Kashmir
Manipur
Left-Wing Extremism
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
INDIA (Total)
PAKISTAN
Balochistan
PAKISTAN (Total)
113 civilians including 16 women and 17 children killed and 89 others injured in February 2018, says CPAG: Civilian Protection Advocacy Group (CPAG) said on March 3 that at least 113 civilians, including 16 women and 17 children, were killed and 89 others, including 20 children, injured in Afghanistan in February 2018. Six hundred people were killed and injured in January. Pajhwok, March 4, 2018.
10 Maoists and one Police constable killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh: 10 Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, including six women, and one Greyhound constable, identified as Sushil Kumar, were killed in an encounter near Pujarikanker in Bijapur District along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border on March 1. The Police identified two of the ten CPI-Maoist cadres as Pedda Budri (25) and Sanjeev (35) on March 2. All the CPI-Maoist cadres killed are suspected to be from the Telangana State Committee and combing operations started after a tip-off about a big meeting of CPI-Maoist somewhere along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. Indian Express , March 2, 2018.
Pakistan to be on FATF's 'Grey List' in June, confirms MFA Pakistan: Pakistan would be on Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) 'Grey List' in June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Pakistan confirmed on February 28. FATF had at its last plenary session held on February 21-23, 2018, in Paris decided to place Pakistan in the category of jurisdictions monitored by the FATF's International Cooperation Review Group, commonly known as the 'Grey List'. The MFA spokesman said Pakistan and the FATF would now mutually negotiate the 'action plan'. He rejected a perception that Pakistan would be transferred from the 'Grey' to 'Black' list in June this year. "The FATF website clearly demarcates the countries in 'black' list as those who are non-cooperative," he said. Dawn, March 1, 2018.
SC admits that it was still groping in the dark as it had failed to make much headway in missing persons' cases, says report: A Supreme Court bench hearing the missing persons' cases on February 26 admitted that it was still groping in the dark as it had failed to make much headway. The three-judge bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Faisal Arab also asked the registrar of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, Khalid Naseem, to submit a report about the "perceptible progress" made in locating the missing people. The bench made the observation when Amina Masood Janjua - the chairperson of the Defence of Human Rights (DHR), an NGO struggling to trace the missing persons - said the commission had shut its doors to her NGO because documents relating to cases of missing people dispatched by it were being returned by post. She also requested the court to order constitution of a fresh commission consisting of sitting judges of the superior courts so that the emotive issue of missing persons could be resolved within a stipulated period. "There is no let-up in the cases of missing people; in fact these are increasing by the day," she remarked. The secretary of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances told the court that it had disposed of 3,000 cases while 1,577 were still pending with it. Dawn, February 27, 2018.
The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.
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