Rashtriya Rifles to move from J&K into Red zone

Rashtriya Rifles to move from J&K into Red zone


Rashtriya Rifles to move from J&K into Red zone - Hindustan Times

The home ministry has moved the Union Cabinet for deploying Rashtriya Rifles units and inducting additional helicopters for logistics in Naxal-affected areas of the country particularly Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. Till date, Rashtriya Rifles (RR), which has Indian Army troops on deputation and functions under the defence ministry, is only restricted to counter-insurgency duties in Jammu and Kashmir.
Government sources said that with the Left-wing extremism now affecting more than 155 districts and showing signs of spreading to north-east and southern states of Karnataka, home minister P Chidambaram has proposed that RR units should be deployed for "static" duties in order to dominate the area, enthuse confidence among the local population and keep Maoists at bay.

"RR personnel will not take part in the operations but their mere presence and activity will be a confidence-building measure. Their work ethos and training will act as a force multiplier for central paramilitary forces (CPMFs) involved in anti-Naxalite duties in areas like Abujhmad forests in southern Chhattisgarh," said a senior official.

The home ministry proposal also seeks additional helicopters for deploying and supplying CPMFs in remote areas of Central India.

While North Block wants to augment its anti-Naxal capacities through hiring of air platforms in the interregnum, it is looking to the defence ministry and Indian Army to move some RR units from J&K to Naxal-hit areas and offer CPMFs as replacement in the Valley.

The army, however, is at slight variance with the home ministry proposal as it does not want to disturb the RR counter-insurgency grid in Jammu and Kashmir.

Instead, it is suggesting to the government that as the total sanction for RR battalions is 100 and only 63 have been raised and deployed in J&K, additional battalions up to 37 in number could be raised for Naxal areas as and when required.

The new RR units would supplement nearly 80 CPMF battalions already deployed.

While the army is preparing for any contingency in Naxal-dominated areas, it has already deployed a training brigade between Kondagoan west and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh bordering Abujhmad forests.

While 71 Brigade of the Bareilly division trained CPMF troopers in jungle warfare till August this year, now 167 Brigade has been inducted to train new inductees in counter-insurgency missions.

Seems like PC is moving in for the final kill.

What is the point in deploying RR units if they not carryout operations? Why waste them in static duties? Chiddu seems to be quite daft, in treating the maoists as a law and order issue.

Kishanji is dead, Maoist movement is in stupor and there are cracks in their leadership. Strike the iron when it is hot. Good idea and as a humble difference to the above post, smart move my Chidambaram.

Moral: "A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow." - Gen. George Patton.

I doubt that the maoists are in a stupor. Kishanji's differences with the Maoist hierarchy had distanced him from the Central Committee and the policy making bodies, though he was a member of all top cliques. Untill the central committee members are not wiped out, the maoists remain a potent force.

The maoists have over 50,000 persons under arms, these are ordinary pesants, who are under arms. When the crack down begins, the human rights idiots will make life miserable for the SF.

why the need to move RR even if they are given orders to carryout assaults?because RR with present strength could only be able to man the duties in kashmir and moving them out cause unstability in kashmir.Plus introducing RR wont make an immediate change coz they are regulars trained for CT ops and they would need time to get adjusted with the new environment and for their effective use AFSPA should be implemented in naxal belts which would be difficult as naxal areas lies in different states and most states will oppose AFSPA.

Moving the RR to other parts is a case of Robbing Peter to Pay Paul.

I thought Chibambaram was a go getter.

He could not do the job with all the the police and paramilitary forces under his command?

He wants to engage himself in empire building by taking the RR under his wings and convert it into another inefficient monstrosity that is under command of his Ministry?

CRPF to induct 38 new battalions in the coming years


They should have induced more CPMF battalion on fast track rather than shifting RR.

Our Hon. HM is a past master to creating a positive buzz around him rather than getting things actually done.

This is the most useless piece of idea that could have come out of the Home Ministry. However as a sound bite it will go down very well with the common man as the belief in the IA is very strong.