DNA Exclusive: When will govt launch surgical strike against Naxals to wipe out Red Terror?

New Delhi: 22 security personnel lost their lives while several sustained injuries after a party of jawans were ambushed by Maoists near Jonnaguda village along the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhatisgarh's Bijapur.

Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary dedicated Monday's (April 5) edition of DNA to the jawans who lost their lives in the attack.

"Hafiz se pehle Hidma" (Hidma before Hafiz) was the call he gave as he initiated a very important discussion on the Naxal terror that has troubled India for decades.

We are all indebted to the soldiers who laid down their lives trying to keep us, the citizens, safe. We salute and thank them.

It has become like a common ritual, to pay respects and shed tears for the soldiers when such an incident occurs, and then we hope that it will not happen next time. But there is always a next time and this needs to be stopped.

These soldiers did not lose their lives fighting terrorists on borders or soldiers of an enemy nation, but they were killed in an attack by our own people.

We, therefore, demand that Madvi Hidma, who is the mastermind of this attack, should be caught and punished even before we nab Hafiz Saeed, who operates from a different country.

The priority should be to nab the Naxalites and end the movement once and for all.

Hidma is 40 years old. He has been active in the naxal-affected area of Chhatisgarh for the last 25 years. He is a notorious criminal known for several violent acts. Incidentally, he is also a part of a 20-member central committee of CPI(M).

Hidma leads a battalion of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, which is celebrating PLGA year this time. This indicates that the group may carry out more attacks like these in near future.
Hence, the Indian government must act before something untoward happens again.

To avenge the Pulwama attack in which 40 of our soldiers were killed, we conducted airstrikes in Pakistan. We also conducted a surgical strike to avenge our soldier's deaths. We need something similar to be done here.

It is easy to fight against enemies across the border, but the battle becomes tough when it is against own people. People who are helping Naxalites like Hidma, give them money, arms and other support belong to this very country.

Last year, the US assassinated Iran commander Soleimani by carrying out a bomb blast while sitting thousands of miles away. Technology has made it possible to conduct such attacks remotely and efficiently. That is what India needs to do against people like Hidma.

If not brought under control, one day these Naxalites will enter our cities and homes and then it would be too late. The government should, therefore, act quickly and put an end to the 'Red Terror'.