The bad news is that Maoists are not short of arms, any more. Of men they were never short, but with adequate weaponry now, they are in a position to go full blast on the offensive and create havoc. Last week's attack on the hapless men of the CRPF was just an indication of what they can do. The assessment is not mine, it is that of senior police officers involved in the war against the Left ultras.In the good old days, Maoists used to move in dalams -- groups of 7 or 8. They would hit and scoot. Those were the days of guerrilla warfare. But they have now upgraded their set-up. Dalams have been replaced by platoons -- a group of 20-22 men. There are higher formations too: a company, which has 100-odd ultras and a battalion, which consists of 1,000 men. Clear indications that they have a lot of manpower.
The Left ultras have adequate weaponry too, largely courtesy the Orissa police. The untrained, poorly motivated cops of that state have allowed their armouries to be raided and weapons taken away. Also a rash of attacks on police forces largely gone unnoticed has resulted in a big booty for Maoists. In the attack on the CRPF on Dantewada, the Left ultras made away with 21 AK 47s, 38 Insas rifles, 7 SLRs, 6 LMGs ( light machine guns), 1 sten gun and two-inch mortar each. "These ultras have been whiling away time, because without weapons they can't launch attacks. Now with weapons they are in a position to step up their activities," senior police officers told me.
The nightmare of the police officials is the prospect of a battalion (1,000-strong) of Maoists suddenly descending on police outposts in the infested areas. No police stations, however brave the men who defend them, can match up to so many ultras at one time. Neither is it possible to post 100-200 policemen at each police station in the ultra-infested areas. The police don't have so many people. The problem of the cops is compounded by the fact that the local tribal population aids and assists the ultras. Whether this is out of fear or due to other incentives is a different matter, but their tacit support to the Left ultras is not in doubt.