Chhattisgarh is considered the only state in India, where Naxalites still have a sizeable presence and the potential to carry out large attacks. Until February, there were 37 Maoist attacks in which 17 people were, including seven security personnel in Chhattisgarh alone – this is the highest among all states impacted by Naxals.
According to a government report submitted in parliament, Chhattisgarh accounted for more than a third of all Naxal-related violence in the country in the last five years, between 2018 and 2022. It had a share of 70 to 90 percent deaths, including armed personnel, civilians and Maoists.
The report showed that Maoists carried out 275 attacks in 2018, 182 in 2019, 241 in 2020, 188 in 2021, and 246 in 2022 in the state. In the attack on Wednesday, Maoists used an IED to blow up a vehicle carrying DRG (District Reserve Guard) personnel in Dantewada district. The incident took place when the jawans were out on operations in the Aranpur area. At least 10 DRG soldiers and a driver were killed in the blast.
What is the District Reserve Guard?
The District Reserve Guard, or the DRG, was set up in 2008 to combat Naxals in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. It was raised in seven districts of Bastar, which cover a combined area of almost 40,000 sq km.
It began operations in Kanker (north Bastar) and Narayanpur (comprising Abhujmad) districts in 2008. After five years in 2013, the force (CAF) was also raised in Bijapur and Bastar districts. Soon after, it was expanded to Sukma and Kondagaon districts in 2014 and to Dantewada in 2015.
It is a special unit of the Chhattisgarh Police, in which tribal population or villagers are recruited and trained. They are different from other security forces fighting in Bastar, as they track guerrillas and prepare themselves for security and search operations. As they are natives in plainclothes, it is difficult to determine if they are residents or security personnel.
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