THE E N Rammohan Committee report has punctured the stand of the Union home ministry that a carefully planned guerrilla attack by Maoists was responsible for the death of 76 CRPF personnel at Dantewada.

Much to the embarrassment of the Chhattisgarh police and its DGP, the report has indicted senior state police officers for not fully supporting the central paramilitary troopers. If the report is to be believed the state government, which launched Salwa Judum to attack the tribals, was reluctant to give information about the Maoists and has been quite unsuccessful in motivating its police force which lacked cohesiveness. It also exposes the claims of the state police officials that the police was capable to handle the Maoist challenge. The former chief of BSF, Mr E N Rammohan in his report is supposed to have pointed out about the leadership failure during and after the worst-ever Maoist attack. How could the police of a state which swears by use of military force to combat the Maoist menace fail to stand by the central paramilitary forces in its anti-Maoist operations in the state? It implies that down the line a section of the police officials did not subscribe to the military operation of the state government. The fact that the response of the police was less than desired in fighting the Maoists speaks loud of the intentions of the state police officers. The Union government should summon the state police officials for explanation but it should also treat it as a case in study and think of devising its own strategy of military operation against the Maoists. Already the Bihar government has refused to follow its line.