Dimapur, April 13 (MExN): Citing “our own insurgency” and the coming state general elections, the government of Nagaland has asked the Chhattisgarh government to take necessary ‘preparatory’ steps to redeploy the 9th IRB to Nagaland.
“…Nagaland has to cope with our own insurgency and other law and order problems; our own state general elections is only 10 months away, hence we are already facing acute shortage of policemen in the state” Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in a letter informed his Chhattisgarh counterpart Dr Raman Singh. Rio also reminded that the 9th IRB in its almost two years stint in Chhattisgarh “have been doing very well” in tackling the Naxalites. However, they have suffered casualties with as many 20 jawans losing their lives while 16 died of malaria and other diseases, Rio stated. “You will agree with me that loss of 33 lives by a single battalion within less than two years of its deployment in Chhattisgarh is a heavy toll by any standard” he opined.
In view of these circumstances, the state government of Nagaland has decide that the battalion may now be “taken out” and redeployed in Nagaland and in this connection he and the Home Minister had discussions with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patel on April 12, Rio explained. Patel also expressed his concern and agreed to the proposal for redeployment to Nagaland and on this Rio requested the Chhattisgarh CM to take necessary ‘preparatory’ steps to affect the redeployment at the earliest.
