The road in Dantewada district where an IED blast took place on April 26. Police said ten jawans and their driver were killed in the attack, which was carried out by the Maoists. , photo credit: AFP
TeaOn April 26, jawans and a civilian driver, returning in a van after an anti-Maoist operation, were killed in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada. The IED was planted under a paved road. The collision was so fast that a big crater was formed on the road.
While the attack, which according to the state police was carried out by the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), is under investigation, the larger issue of use of IEDs and handling of such devices must be addressed seriously at various levels – Govt. industry, the Maoists, and the security forces – despite government claims that the Maoist base has shrunk and violence has decreased.
IED is one of the most powerful devices deployed by the Maoists. Even a small group of Maoists can cause huge damage to security forces using IEDs. Therefore, the recent theft of nearly 7,000 detonators by suspected Maoists from West Singhbhum in Jharkhand is alarming.
The technical equipment used by security forces to detect IEDs has its limitations. If the metal content of the IED is low or the IED is planted too low in the road, mine detectors may fail to detect it. Although hundreds of IEDs are detected and defused every year, search teams can always miss some due to technical reasons. Ground-penetrating radar, which can detect recent disturbances in the soil’s subsurface, has also not proven successful as it is susceptible to generating false alarms. Since not much research and development has been done in this area, the central government and industry should join hands to improve the technology for detection of IEDs. Further, the details printed on the boxes containing the detonators are not sufficient to trace the source of the detonators and punish the guilty. Therefore, the central government should amend the rules and make manufacturers accountable for the unique identification of detonators.
The disrespect of the Maoists even for the slain soldiers is no longer a hoax. In January 2013, during an autopsy of a jawan in Latehar, an IED was found implanted inside the abdomen in the form of a booby trap. India is a signatory to the Geneva and Hague Conventions which regulate the means employed during war, in order to prevent casualties. The Maoists knowingly and widely violate international humanitarian law – the use of landmines is banned internationally because they are non-discriminatory, lack precision and cause unnecessary or excessive suffering.
It is well known that apart from security forces, many civilians including children and animals have also become victims of IED attacks. In the April 26 incident, the body parts of the 10 jawans and the driver were found scattered everywhere, making it difficult to collect them and hand them over to the bereaved families in a dignified manner. India should raise the issue of use of IEDs by Maoists at appropriate international fora so that Maoists are forced to respect international humanitarian laws and stop using these devices. This may be taken in spite of the fact that the armed struggle of the Maoists does not technically fall within the ambit of ‘internal armed struggle’ as the Maoists sometimes claim.
Latest reports indicate that the current focus of the Maoists is to intensify the use of booby traps, snipers (with binoculars) and remote IEDs. Earlier, before elections, Maoists not only used to plant several IEDs but also made thousands of ‘spike holes’ in jungle areas to cause fatal injuries to jawans. It seems that the technical department of Maoists has gradually developed the technique of detonating IEDs from a distance. The use of technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles and drones can be useful to stop suspicious activity, but security forces need to improve their tactics as well.
Knowing that the Maoists have blasted mine protected vehicles in the past, the vehicles should be allowed to be used only after the road is ambushed and secured with IEDs. A visual search should be made carefully for about 100-150 meters on both sides of the road or to a sufficient depth to check for the presence of suspicious elements or wire ends. Every effort needs to be made to detect, diffuse or avoid these cruel devices.
RK Vij is the former Director General of Police of Chhattisgarh. views are personal