Understanding Indian Insurgencies

[Klugzilla]

You may be way ahead of me on this, but I like the following two sources for this area:

Urban Battle Fields of South Asia, RAND, by C. Christine Fair

Understanding Indian Insurgencies: Implications for Counterinsurgency Operations in the Third World, Letort Papers, Durga Madhab (John) Mitra

[davidbfpo]

The only Indian focus website I can recall: http://www.satp.org/ which is the South Asian Terrorism Portal and is Indian-based.

I know there are Indian think tanks on security / strategic studies and the Indian Army journals are all in English.

davidbfpo

[davidbfpo]

Entitled Battling the Maoists in Jharkhand, a BBC report:

It is a difficult terrain enveloped in dense forest cover and spread over several square kilometres. East Singbhum district in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand has been considered the heartland of the Maoist insurgency for more than two decades now.

Link:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8580004.stm

I'm other news items have appeared since the last update, so "It's the thought that counts".

[Firn]

This bit catched my eye:

It is an unnerving journey along the muddy tracts that lead to Derabasa village. The hills surrounding Derabasa are said to provide a safe shelter to the Maoists who not only take refuge here but also hold their training camps.

The Maoist guerrillas often seek food in the nearby villages and locals say they are caught in the middle.

"The Maoists come asking for food. They ask us to cook for them and feed them. The police ask us not to give them even a grain. Police are here today. But what will happen tomorrow? We will be at the mercy of the Maoist armed squads. Who is going to protect us then?" asks a villager who doesn't want to be named.

I hear the same complaint in several villages.

India offers certainly a lot of fertile physical, political and social terrain for such movements.


Firn

[AdamG]

'Troopers ignored warfare manual in Maoist den'
Calcutta News.Net
Tuesday 6th April, 2010 (IANS)
http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/620552

It would appear that the 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers who were killed mercilessly Tuesday by Maoists were seized with a death wish as they ventured 'blindly' into the Maoist den ignoring all warfare guidelines they were taught.