Ekta Nagar: Anti-Naxal units from across the country showcased their role in operations against Left-wing extremism at the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade in Ekta Nagar on Saturday, while a subsequent National School of Drama production brought tribal artists from several formerly Maoist-affected states to the national stage.
The parade, held to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, featured specialised forces from Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana and West Bengal, along with units of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police.
The contingents marched past the gathering as officials outlined their deployment areas, operations and personnel who had died in the line of duty. Among the units was Bihar Police’s Special Task Force.
The announcer said the force operated in 22 districts, including Gaya, Jamui and Lakhisarai, and had killed 167 Naxalites, arrested 7,191 and secured the surrender of 371.
PM Modi and officials also paid tribute to 191 personnel who had died. The Sashastra Seema Bal contingent, led by Assistant Commandant Vipin Sharma, was credited with killing 16 Naxalites, arresting 1,382 and recovering 536 kg of explosives.
Other contingents included Jharkhand’s Jaguar, Karnataka’s Anti-Naxal Force, Kerala Police’s Special Operations Group, Madhya Pradesh’s Hawk Force and Odisha’s Special Operations Group.
Maharashtra’s C-60 commandos, whose strength was described as having grown from seven personnel to 1,100, were credited with killing 372 Naxalites, securing 861 surrenders and making 559 arrests.
Telangana’s Greyhounds, described as a specialised force of 1,250 commandos, were also part of the parade. The announcer highlighted their operations in the Karegutta hills.
The parade also featured West Bengal Police’s Counter Insurgency Force, the National Cadet Corps and a CRPF-led dog squad. The latter comprised sniffer dogs trained to detect explosives and assist in identifying ambush-related threats.
The event concluded this segment with a National School of Drama production titled ‘Naxal-free India’. Conceived, written and directed by NSD director Chittaranjan Tripathi, the presentation traced the movement’s beginnings in Naxalbari in West Bengal in 1967 and the subsequent efforts to restore peace in areas affected by Left-wing extremism.
Its performers included NSD repertory artists and tribal artists from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
The announcer said several had travelled from their villages carrying their languages, songs and folk traditions to perform on a national platform.
The presentation sought to place the experiences and cultural identities of communities from conflict-affected regions alongside the security forces’ account of the campaign against Naxalism.
–IANS–
