After ex-police chief's letter, Karnataka unlikely to disband anti-naxal force fully

Bengaluru: Days before his retirement, former Karnataka police chief Alok Mohan recommended that the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) should be not disbanded completely. 

In a letter to the government, Mohan cited a communication from Pronab Mohanty, the head of the Internal Security Division (ISD),
raising serious concerns about the move. 

DH has seen both letters. 

Although the Home Department has not taken up the matter officially, it is likely to consider Mohan’s recommendation of disbanding the ANF in a phased manner, according to a well-placed source. 

Concerns about the ANF’s disbandment have intensified after an IED blast killed three people in Veerabhadravaram, Telangana, about 500 km from the Karnataka border, on May 8. There are also fears that ongoing anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh could push Maoist activity southward into Karnataka. 

During this year’s budget speech, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the decision to disband the ANF, stating that the Naxal movement had ended in Karnataka. 

In January, the last known group of six Maoists in the state surrendered in the presence of the CM. Another Maoist surrendered days later. 

In his letter, Mohan mentioned seven concerns raised by Mohanty, arguing that while there are currently no active Maoists left in Karnataka, the threat of resurgence remains. 

The concerns include: recrudescence of left-wing extremism, the revival of extremist ideologies, the potential reactivation of the Naxal movement, the loss of institutional knowledge, increased vulnerability at the tri-junction (Karnataka-Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border), disruptions to security operations due to intelligence gaps and the potential influx of Maoists and free invites to Naxals. 

Mohan’s letter stresses that although all active Maoists have surrendered, the ideology exists and could rekindle extreme thoughts, galvanising a new wave of left-wing extremism in the state. 

Mohanty’s letter noted that ANF staff are especially trained to withstand extreme conditions and taught life-saving skills, which would go to waste if the force is disbanded. 

He also flagged increased vulnerability at the tri-junction and warned of an influx of Maoists from neighbouring states. 

Further, since the ANF also gathers intelligence in the forest and interacts with tribal communities, dissolving it could create intelligence gaps, the letter says. 

Finally, the letter points out that Karnataka’s extensive forest cover could give a free pass to Naxals in the
ANF’s absence. 

Former DG&IGP Alok Mohan