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‘‘They liase with like-minded groups in other countries, including Nepal, but their operations are largely based on their network across India,’’ says a senior police officer. The 9th Congress held last year also resolved to drum up popular support in new areas, including states in north India. Urban sub-committees have since been set up to target industrial workers, develop mass organisations and form town committees in areas hitherto untouched by Naxal ideology.

In fact, the manner in which the Congress was planned gives an insight into their organisational capabilities, says an officer. For the Congress, they had separate teams handling computers, medical emergencies, photography, documentation and communication. This and the attack in Orissa are worrying signs of a growing Naxal presence that needs an urgent response from the government.

Attack and ReactThe latest response from the government is creation of a specialised force to operate in Naxal-infested areas on the lines of a suggestion made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a conference on internal security last month. To begin with, two battalions (about 2,000 personnel) are likely to be handpicked from the Central Reserve Police Force that is already deployed in these areas. They will receive training in jungle and guerilla warfare before deploying them to take on the Naxalites.Government sources say nearly 10 such battalions might need to be raised in due course to make the security forces more effective in the fight against Naxalism. ‘‘The answer is not in numbers but in the level of training. There are adequate training facilities across the country for the special force that will be raised,’’ says an official of the Union Home Ministry. But security analysts feel this is just not enough and point out that no more than 15,000 Central paramilitary personnel are combating Naxalites across the country. ‘‘The CRPF is not being used as a counter-terrorism force in areas where they are deployed. In any case, it is more of an emergency response force. Here, we are looking at a protracted battle and it is the state police that have to come into play more effectively,’’ says Ajai Sahni.

Existing mechanisms include a Task Force headed by the Special Secretary Internal Security in the Union Home Ministry that periodically reviews security measures in the Naxal-affected states. States like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are in the process of revamping their intelligence apparatus and the Centre has assured them all help. Naxal-affected states spending money on upgrading their police infrastructure get 100 per cent reimbursement from the Centre under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.

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