Click to play videoNew Delhi: For the first time, the Indian Air Force has been asked to help in operations against Naxals.
In his Independence Day speech Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: "I want those who have mistakenly taken to Naxalism to understand that in democratic lndia, power will never flow from the barrel of a gun. Real power flows from the ballot box. At the same time, our state governments must pay special attention to the welfare of our tribals and small and marginal farmers. It is their distress that Naxalites exploit. The path of violence can never solve the problems of the poor. Our security forces will respond appropriately to the violence unleashed by Naxalites."
Prime Minister's comments have set the tone for the response to the Naxal challenge. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been asked to fly reconnaissance missions over Naxal strongholds in Central India also known as the red corridor, where the writ of the Government has been seriously challenged.
The IAF will fly Heron unmanned aerial vehicles to assist police and para-military forces in tracking movements of rebels.
Air Marshal AK Singh says, “It is a national asset and if required, if it is available at that particular time and if the operational deployment fits in with the scheme then certainly the this can be used.”
Air Force helicopters will also be increasingly used to ferry men and materials in anti-Naxal operations.
The move to rope in the military to combat Naxals reflects the assessment that Left extremism potentially poses the most serious internal security challenge to the country.
While the initial involvement of the IAF is of a non-lethal nature, this is the first time that the military will actively participate in operations against Left violence.
It is now apparent that security forces are beginning to invoke India's air power increasingly in combating extremism.
The security arrangement at the Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar included a Searcher Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. It hovered over the Bakshi Stadium to detect any untoward movement.
The security forces now have a new ally – an eye in the sky.
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