Security personnel guard the way to Karaili village on Sunday. Picture by Amit Kumar

Patna, July 3: The Naxalite violence has shown an upward trend in the state in the past five years in sharp contrast to the rebel-hit states like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The figures compiled by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Naxalite violence in the past five years paint a sorry picture of the state despite tall claims of the police force on containing Naxalism. The MHA statistics revealed that the Naxalite-related incidents had increased in Bihar during the tenure of the NDA government.

According to the information given by the MHA, the incidents of Naxalite violence decreased in three worst-affected states — Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh — since 2005. The official data showed that Andhra Pradesh witnessed 183 Naxalite-related incidents in 2006 that claimed lives of 37 civilians and 10 security personnel.

In 2007, the state recorded 138 incidents followed by 92 in 2008, 66 in 2009 and 44 in 2010 (till June). In Madhya Pradesh, only six incidents were reported in 2006, nine in 2007, seven in 2008, one in 2009 and five in 2010. In Uttar Pradesh, 11 incidents took place in 2006, nine in 2007, four in 2008, eight in 2009 and three in 2010.

In sharp contrast, Bihar recorded 107 incidents of Naxalite violence in 2006, 135 in 2007, 164 in 2008, 232 in 2009 and 163 in 2010 (till June).

Total 243 civilians and 78 security personnel were killed in these incidents. Forty civilians were killed in 2006. Forty-five lost their lives in 2007. Fifty-two died in 2008, 47 in 2009 and 39 in 2010 (till June).

Initially, only 14 of the 38 districts in Bihar were affected by Naxalism. In 2009, the number increased to 15, including Munger. Now, around 31 districts are in the grip of Naxalism. Fifteen districts have been covered under the Security Related Scheme (SRE) of the central government.

Om Prakash Poddar, a Munger-based advocate, said the situation had deteriorated to such an extent that Mohammad Salim, posted as confidential reader of former Munger superintendent of police M. Sunil Naik, was arrested for passing on secret information to Naxalites earlier this year.

The officers at the state police headquarters, however, attributed the spurt in the Naxalite-related incidents to the arrest of a number of top leaders of the banned outfit.

“The police have arrested 44 important Maoist leaders, including three central committee members and a politburo member, since January this year,” a senior officer associated with anti-Naxalite operations said.

DGP in Delhi

Bihar director-general of police (DGP) Neel Mani left for Delhi today to attend a high-level meeting of the DGPs of all the nine Naxalite-affected states. Union home minister P. Chidambaram would chair the meeting on Monday.