03-22-2006, 04:21 AM
<b>Naxal guerrillas train on Indian Army model</b> -NDTV
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Tuesday, March 21, 2006 (New Delhi):
Naxals in India now model themselves on the Indian army, from training manuals to undercover training.
<b>The People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) of the CPI (Maoist) is no longer a poorly trained militia but a highly equipped force trained on the lines of a regular army.</b>
NDTV has access to two military manuals of the PLGA seized for the first time. These were seized by security forces from Andhra Pradesh during a recent raid.
<b>Professional army</b>
<b>The manuals translated into Hindi from Telugu by the security forces give a chilling insight into the PLGA's planning, military skills and motives.</b>
Security experts say such detailed military manuals have rarely been found in Kashmir or even in the militant infested North-East.
<b>"This is very similar to the training of either a jawan or even a JCO. This is a kind of syllabus and these are the subjects covered,"</b> said General (retd) VK Sood, former Army chief.
<b>The PLGA's Basic Military Course Manual begins with handling automatic weapons, compass and map reading.</b>
It then moves on to detail defensive and attack formations. The manual analyses Naxal operations since 1997 and suggests means to increase enemy casualty.
It discusses how to collect intelligence, stalk the enemy, lay an ambush and attack. It also instructs how to retreat when attacked, regroup later using coded communication and how to raid protected installations.
Like the special forces, the stress is on the element of surprise and stealth.
"The planning and preparations suggest that they want to engage in a protracted struggle with the state," said AK Doval, former director, Intelligence Bureau.
"They are building up this movement purely on military lines. Training of armed cadres is taking place on the techniques used by the Indian Army," he added.
<b>Command structure</b>
The Naxals follow an elaborate command structure. <b>Right on top is the central military commission followed by five regional bureaus,</b> not unlike the Army's Corps Commands.
Beneath each such bureau is a divisional military commission, which in turn commands the fighting personnel.
<b>Security experts believe that till this point, the Naxal structure involves a little over 9,000 personnel, the crux of the Naxal army.</b>
And at the bottom of this structure is the people's militia.
The fighting forces of the Naxals are divided into three categories â the Primary Force, usually a small group of extremely well-trained personnel who spearhead any attack with superior weapons.
The secondary form the bulk of a large group, but with less sophisticated weapons. And finally, the people's militia comprising farmers, labourers and others.
"Their lethality is increasing, and frequency of attacks is on the rise. Unlike the old days, weapons power has improved, from simple farm weapons they are now using SLRs and even crude rocket launchers," said Dr PV Ramanna, Research Fellow, Observer Research Foundation.
Contrary to government claims, the Naxals have a regular paid army.
The PLGA's Platoon-level Handbook, also in possession of NDTV, says one of the key duties of the Platoon Commander is to promote diligent cadres and increase their salary.
<b>"The Platoon Commander also ensures that their kit, uniforms, their weapons, their rations, everything is provided for,"</b> said Doval.
<b>Terror links</b>
The Home Ministry rules out that Naxals have links with other terrorist organisations. This is clearly not true.
<b>Senior intelligence officials have told NDTV that Naxals have over 80 training camps, each training between 200-300 people at any point of time. </b>
And, in all likelihood the training is being provided by the ULFA and retired Indian Army officials. The ULFA is also believed to be the source of their automatic weapons.
"There are 84 training camps which are operating in several states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkhand," said Doval.
"They have linkages with the ULFA and the LTTE as well," said Dr Ramanna.
At least 10 chief ministers of Naxal-affected states will meet in a week's time in the Capital, yet again to chalk out a strategy to deal with Left extremism.
But doubts remain on whether the government can even take the first step - accepting that CPI (Maoists) is not just a bunch of misguided youth and that they pose the biggest threat to India's internal security.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Tuesday, March 21, 2006 (New Delhi):
Naxals in India now model themselves on the Indian army, from training manuals to undercover training.
<b>The People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) of the CPI (Maoist) is no longer a poorly trained militia but a highly equipped force trained on the lines of a regular army.</b>
NDTV has access to two military manuals of the PLGA seized for the first time. These were seized by security forces from Andhra Pradesh during a recent raid.
<b>Professional army</b>
<b>The manuals translated into Hindi from Telugu by the security forces give a chilling insight into the PLGA's planning, military skills and motives.</b>
Security experts say such detailed military manuals have rarely been found in Kashmir or even in the militant infested North-East.
<b>"This is very similar to the training of either a jawan or even a JCO. This is a kind of syllabus and these are the subjects covered,"</b> said General (retd) VK Sood, former Army chief.
<b>The PLGA's Basic Military Course Manual begins with handling automatic weapons, compass and map reading.</b>
It then moves on to detail defensive and attack formations. The manual analyses Naxal operations since 1997 and suggests means to increase enemy casualty.
It discusses how to collect intelligence, stalk the enemy, lay an ambush and attack. It also instructs how to retreat when attacked, regroup later using coded communication and how to raid protected installations.
Like the special forces, the stress is on the element of surprise and stealth.
"The planning and preparations suggest that they want to engage in a protracted struggle with the state," said AK Doval, former director, Intelligence Bureau.
"They are building up this movement purely on military lines. Training of armed cadres is taking place on the techniques used by the Indian Army," he added.
<b>Command structure</b>
The Naxals follow an elaborate command structure. <b>Right on top is the central military commission followed by five regional bureaus,</b> not unlike the Army's Corps Commands.
Beneath each such bureau is a divisional military commission, which in turn commands the fighting personnel.
<b>Security experts believe that till this point, the Naxal structure involves a little over 9,000 personnel, the crux of the Naxal army.</b>
And at the bottom of this structure is the people's militia.
The fighting forces of the Naxals are divided into three categories â the Primary Force, usually a small group of extremely well-trained personnel who spearhead any attack with superior weapons.
The secondary form the bulk of a large group, but with less sophisticated weapons. And finally, the people's militia comprising farmers, labourers and others.
"Their lethality is increasing, and frequency of attacks is on the rise. Unlike the old days, weapons power has improved, from simple farm weapons they are now using SLRs and even crude rocket launchers," said Dr PV Ramanna, Research Fellow, Observer Research Foundation.
Contrary to government claims, the Naxals have a regular paid army.
The PLGA's Platoon-level Handbook, also in possession of NDTV, says one of the key duties of the Platoon Commander is to promote diligent cadres and increase their salary.
<b>"The Platoon Commander also ensures that their kit, uniforms, their weapons, their rations, everything is provided for,"</b> said Doval.
<b>Terror links</b>
The Home Ministry rules out that Naxals have links with other terrorist organisations. This is clearly not true.
<b>Senior intelligence officials have told NDTV that Naxals have over 80 training camps, each training between 200-300 people at any point of time. </b>
And, in all likelihood the training is being provided by the ULFA and retired Indian Army officials. The ULFA is also believed to be the source of their automatic weapons.
"There are 84 training camps which are operating in several states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkhand," said Doval.
"They have linkages with the ULFA and the LTTE as well," said Dr Ramanna.
At least 10 chief ministers of Naxal-affected states will meet in a week's time in the Capital, yet again to chalk out a strategy to deal with Left extremism.
But doubts remain on whether the government can even take the first step - accepting that CPI (Maoists) is not just a bunch of misguided youth and that they pose the biggest threat to India's internal security.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->