Operation Green Hunt

Operation Green Hunt was the name used by the Indian media to describe the Government of India's paramilitary offensive against the Naxalite rebels in the late 2000s. The operation began in November 2009 along five states in the "Red Corridor."^[5]

The term was coined by the Chhattisgarh police officials to describe one successful drive against the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the state. It was erroneously used by the media to describe the wider anti-Naxalite operations; the Government of India doesn't use the term "Operation Green Hunt" to describe its anti-Naxalite offensive.^[6]

Planning and implementation

In October 2009, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) announced that it was in the final stages of planning the offensive and had received approval from the Union-led government. The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) would take the lead in the operations against Maoist insurgents.^[7]

At the beginning of November 2009, the first phase of the operation began in Gadchiroli district. As many as 18 companies of the central paramilitary forces were moved into the area in anticipation of the operation.^[8]

Maoist response

As a response to the offensive, the insurgents launched several high-profile attacks on the Indian security forces:

• On February 15, 2010 at least 25 policemen died after Maoists overran a security camp in West Bengal state. Naxalite-Maoist leader Kishenji claimed responsibility for the attack. He was quoted as saying that, "We have attacked the camp and this is our answer to P. Chidambaram's [the Indian Minister of Internal Affairs] 'Operation Green Hunt' and unless the Centre stops this inhuman military operation we are going to answer this way only."^[9]
• On April 6, 2010, Maoist rebels killed 75 policemen/CRPF men in a jungle ambush in central India in the worst-ever massacre of security forces by the insurgents. On the same day, Gopal, a top Maoist leader, said the attack was a "direct consequence" of the government's Operation Green Hunt offensive. This raised some voices of use of Indian Air Force against Naxalites, which were however declined citing "We can't use oppressive force against our own people".^[10]
• On June 29, 2010, At least 26 policemen have been killed in a Maoist attack in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.^[11]

See also

• Timeline of the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency

References