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<keyword id="6361689" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Naxalites">Naxalites</keyword> have criticized National Award winning actor <keyword id="2823" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akshay-Kumar">Akshay Kumar</keyword> and Olympics bronze medallist Badminton Player <keyword id="30618" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saina-Nehwal">Saina Nehwal</keyword> for giving financial assistance to families of slain Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans killed by Naxals in Sukma district of <keyword id="43945" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword> in March this year. The Naxalites expressed their anger via pamphlets spread in south Bastar, Chattisgarh, in which they have appealed to celebrities and well-known personalities to think about by the oppressed tribals and support them by raising voice against their human rights violation at the hands of the armed forces. The pamphlet also suggested that the actor and the shuttler should not have stood by the side of jawans that were deployed to guard corporate houses and political patrons. Adding that the CRPF jawans did not die for the country, it said that they were rather punished by Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army for exploiting the local tribal population. After the Sukma attacks, Kumar had given Rs 9 lakh each to the dependents of the 12 martyrs, while Saina too donated Rs 50,000 each to affected families. Kumar has also launched the Indian government portal ‘Bharatkeveer.com’ for citizens to directly donate to the families of Army or paramilitary force martyrs.

Naxalites criticise Akshay Kumar and Saina Nehwal for sympathising with Army martyrs

RAIPUR: Maoists ambushed a team of security personnel in tribal Bastar region on Friday, killing seven security personnel including a <keyword id="42808" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sub-inspector">sub-inspector</keyword> near Kuakonda in Dantewada district of <keyword id="43945" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword>. 
 Quoting preliminary reports, police said a sub-inspector <keyword id="562831" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Vivek-Shukla">Vivek Shukla</keyword> was among the dead. The security personnel were part of a road opening party (ROP) when the rebels attacked them. 
 The incident took place in Shyamgiri hills, under <keyword id="289665" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kuakonda-police">Kuakonda police</keyword> station limits, in Dantewada district. The <keyword id="6361689" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Naxalites">Naxalites</keyword> set ablaze motorcycles, belonging to the security personnel, and also looted their weapons. 
 
Two security personnel, who were injured in the encounter, have been evacuated and are now being shifted to the hospital at Jagdalpur. 
 
Police said encounter was still on as the forces retaliated fire. 
 
Additional security reinforcements have been rushed to the spot to carryout search and combing operations to flush out the rebels. 
Story developing ...

6 Police Personnel Killed In Maoist Attack In Chhattisgarh

<ul><li>The first phase of the Indian general election saw multiple outbreaks of violence in different parts of the country.</li><li>At least two separate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were detonated, while others were caught before they could be triggered.</li><li>Andhra Pradesh was a hotbed of political clashes, which also resulted in the death of a <keyword id="83019" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telugu-Desam-Party">Telugu Desam Party</keyword> (TDP) members.</li><li>EVMs were also targets of violence where multiple attempts were made to destroy them, some of which were successful.</li></ul>The first phase of the Indian general election isn’t off the best start. Multiple reports of violence have been <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/violence-reports-of-evm-glitches-and-missing-names-mar-round-one-of-election-2019/articleshow/68835236.cms">reported</a> in 20 states that were up for polling today. Although most of the incidents were centered Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. One of the first reports of violence was an improvised explosive device (IED) attack <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/politics/naxals-trigger-ied-blast-in-chhattisgarhs-bastar-constituency-amid-polling-no-casualty-reported-2098061.html">allegedly</a> by the Naxalites in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh but thankfully, there were no casualties. Similarly, another IED blast by Naxalites <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/maharashtra/maharashtra-naxals-trigger-ied-blast-near-polling-booth/articleshow/68829732.cms">went off</a> in the Waghezari area of the Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra. No casualties were reported their either. An IED was also detected inside an old oil pipeline in Assam but it was removed before it could detonate. Firearms were also <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/4-naxals-arrested-3-firearms-seized-amid-polling-in-chhattisgarh-2021331">seized</a> from four guerrilla Naxalites in Bijapur of Chhattisgarh, while polling was still underway. However, in Andhra Pradesh, clashes between leaders actually led to the <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/andhra-pradesh-sees-violence-during-ls-polls-with-two-leaders-killed-after-tdp-ysrc-party-workers-clash-in-anantapur-6430801.html">death</a> of Sidda Bhaskar Reddy — a local leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) — in Tadipatri. The opposition, <keyword id="302547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="YSR-Congress-Party">YSR Congress Party</keyword> (YSRCP), is alleging that one of their party workers also died in the clashes but the police are yet to confirm. While the TDP <a href="https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/tdp-accuses-ysrcp-leaders-of-violence-writes-to-dgp20190411154129/">accused</a> YSRCP of using violence in an attempt to win the elections, the YSRCP accused TDP was rigging votes and manipulating poll booths. Clashes also broke out in other parts of the state like Eluru City where a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) member was allegedly attacked by members of the TDP and Jammalamadugu of Kadapa district, where both parties were reportedly caught in a stoning match. In another corner of Andhra Pradesh — the Narasaraopet constituency of Guntur — TDP workers were seen ransacking the polling booth and damaging the room. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="ANI" handlename="ANI" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1497864299/ani_mic_logo_normal.jpg" favoritecount="130" retweetcount="48" status="#WATCH Andhra Pradesh: A clash broke out between workers of TDP and YSRCP at a polling station in Srinivasapuram Vi… https://t.co/SyZoNoClpr" createdat="1554979570000" id="1116291344744505345"></div>



 People also tried to forcibly enter the polling booth in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh without their voter IDs compelling the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel to fire shots in the air in order to control the situation. Madhusudhan Gupta from the Jana Sena Party was also arrested for being violent in one of the poll booths of Guntakal — another constituency in Andhra Pradesh — where he tried to destroy an electronic voting machine (EVM) that allegedly did not work properly. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="nagarjund" handlename="Nagarjun Dwarakanath" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1055352036647026688/ce6GjpFT_normal.jpg" favoritecount="36" retweetcount="29" status="Jana Sena candidate smashes EVM in Ananthpur district in Andhra Pradesh. #LokSabhaElections2019 https://t.co/mFwwBYh0UF" createdat="1554954417000" id="1116185843914297344"></div>



 And apparently, Gupta wasn’t the only one to attack an EVM. <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1116346109494996992?s=19">According</a> to the election commission there have been six incidents in Andhra Pradesh, five in Arunachal Pradesh, one in Bihar, two in Manipur and one in West Bengal. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-drones-monitoring-poll-booths-are-cheaper/articleshow/68829523.cms">Drones replace bulky choppers making India's elections fuel efficient</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-evm-issues-in-first-phase-of-voting-in-india/articleshow/68825731.cms">The first day of voting in India is dotted with glitches in the electronic voting machines</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-first-phase-of-polling-citizenship-bill-may-hurt-4-million-people-in-north-east/articleshow/68824120.cms">The north-east of India is voting to decide whether 4 million undocumented people should continue living in India</a>

The first phase of India's Parliamentary elections had its share of explosions, firearms, and bombs

<ul><li><keyword id="68723" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bastar">Bastar</keyword> the most “sensitive” constituency goes into polls today, with 80,000 security personnel guarding the polling booths. </li><li>Just days before the elections, a BJP MLA and four security personnel were killed in a Naxalite attack. </li><li>Both Bihar and Odisha too have been put under high alert.</li></ul>As voting commences in India, security has been tightened in polling booths across the country. But there are some polling booths, which are still marred by the blood stains caused by left-wing extremism. With just one seat to offer in the Lok Sabha, Bastar, <keyword id="45326" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chattisgarh">Chattisgarh</keyword> has 80,000 security personnel guarding the voters. Just days before the polling started, an attack by guerilla attackers in <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/several-killed-including-bjp-mla-bhima-mandavi-in-ied-blast-in-dantewada/article26782767.ece">Dantewada</a>, in the same constituency, killed BJP state legislator, Bheema Mandavi, and four security personnel. The state which has been the hotbed of left-wing extremism, also known as Maoism named after the founder of the Communist Party of China, saw an encounter on April 10, between the police and Naxalites in the Rajnandgaon District in Chattisgarh. Days before the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/chhattisgarh/news/maoists-ask-voters-in-bastar-to-boycott-polls-support-kashmir-separatism/articleshow/68787718.cms">election</a>, the maoists had also given out handwritten posters to villagers asking them to boycott the elections. The voter turnout in Bastar was 59% in the last general elections five years ago. India’s red corridor reflects the eastern, central and southern districts that have been most affected by the Naxalist-Maoist insurgency. While Bastar is the “most sensitive” constituency voting today, Bihar too has been under high security. Three <a href="https://www.newdelhitimes.com/2-ied-1-local-made-bomb-recovered-in-bihar/">bombs</a> were discovered in Bihar’s Gaya constituency just hours before the polling booths opened. The bombs which were placed near a government school were defused. On March 28, Maoists had also blown up ex-Bihar Legislative Council member Anuj Kumar Singh’s in Gaya, while <a href="https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/maoists-blow-up-ex-bihar-mlcs-house-call-for-poll-ban">asking voters</a> to boycott the elections. Security has also been beefed up in Telangana. In the state alone, over 5,749 polling stations have been marked as highly sensitive. Over <a href="https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/100419/70000-cops-to-guard-lok-sabha-elections-in-telangana.html">70,000</a> police forces have been deployed for the polling booths in the state. A similar situation hovers around the state of Odisha, where the <keyword id="7518639" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maoist-Constituencies">maoist constituencies</keyword> including Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Gajapati districts have been put under high alert. The Border Security Force in the state has asked voters to vote without fear and to <a href="https://odishatv.in/odisha/cast-votes-without-fear-bsf-tells-people-in-maoist-hit-odisha-363154">send </a>out a message to maoists by voting. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-west-bengal-voting-begins/articleshow/68824684.cms">Elections 2019: Voting begins in West Bengal amid simmering communal tensions that have polarised the state’s population</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/general-election-2019-afspa-top-issue-in-5-states-voting-today/articleshow/68823814.cms">A brutal military law is among the core election issues in at least 5 Indian states voting today</a>

Elections 2019: These are the constituencies affected by Maoist violence that will vote today

Bullets have often been the symbol of power in the eastern states of Bihar, Jharkand and Chattisgarh. Call it a show of power or switching on the safety mode before serving the people, Bihar’s politicians are busy getting special protections for them and their cars. 
 
With assembly elections round the corner, SUVs from poll-bound Bihar are making a beeline for Meerut for bulletproofing, according to a news report by The Economic Times. 
 
The automobile workshop in Meerut that does the work said they have received orders for more than 500 vehicles in the past one month while more than a thousand queries were made regarding the cost. 
Balwinder Singh Sekho, director of Bulletproof Systems Ltd, told TOI, "Among the 500 vehicles that have come for the security cover that costs anything from Rs 16 to Rs 28 lakh, there are not only politicians but also businessmen. We have completed work on 200 vehicles so far." 
 
He added, "Bihar has always been a volatile state with high crime rate. Even during normal circumstances, we get a lot of orders for bulletproofing of vehicles. Polls are a different game altogether. Be it politicians or businessmen everybody becomes extra cautious in matters of security." 
 
HOW IS BULLETPROOFING DONE? 
"First of all, tyres are made bulletproof by using ballistic fibre fixed inside the original tyre. Diesel tank is yet another vulnerable area which is coated with impenetrable steel. We make it explosion-proof as well by using the latest technology. Then comes the windows and windscreen which are a combination of four layers of glass and polycarbonate. Besides, provision of dual battery system is made in addition to complete protection of the radiator. The roof and floor are also covered by high grade steel," Sekho said. 
COST 
But armouring one's vehicle comes with a formidable price tag. While bullet-proofing Scorpio and Safari costs Rs 15 lakh, if one goes for a bombproof cover, the costs rise to Rs 22 lakh. Similarly, Fortuner and Pajero cost Rs 17 lakh (for bulletproofing) and 25 lakh (for bombproofing) respectively. 
 
According to Sekho, Jharkhand, eastern UP and Chhattisgarh have a high demand for bombproof vehicles, since bombs are common in Naxalite-affected areas. 
 
BJP MLA from Muzaffarpur, Suresh Sharma, said, "I am not surprised if bulletproofing of vehicles is happening. A resident of Bihar is a frightened man today and tries to find all means to protect himself from the worsening law and order situation in the state. Moreover, these are politically volatile times. Politicians have to move across the state for campaigning. Some areas are Naxalite-affected too. So getting vehicles bulletproofed is logical." 
 
Leaders from the ruling party, however, dismissed the "poor law and order" charge. Senior Janata Dal (United) leader and current Rajya Sabha member, Ali Anwar, attributed the culture of bulletproofing to pomp and show by the powerful and mighty. 
 
JD(U)'s Bihar president Bashishtha Narayan Singh said, "This is not a good sign at all. What if anti-social elements get access to bulletproof vehicles? It is a serious matter that needs to be examined."

Poll-bound Bihar, bullet-proofing its SUVs in Meerut!

<ul><li>The Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) has opened computer classes for teachers and students in the naxal areas of Chhattisgarh, Injiram and Sukma. </li><li>It launched the first mobile phone tower in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. </li><li>CRPF has over <a href="http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/jul/21/in-a-first-crpf-to-install-sanitary-pad-dispensers-for-women-in-combat-2007290.html">300,000 personnel</a>, including several employed in conflicted or naxal areas.</li></ul>The <keyword id="76600" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Reserve-Police-Force">Central Reserve Police Force</keyword> (CRPF) is organising computer classes for school teachers and students naxal affected areas. They want to bring these remote areas into the digital era and have already initiated such activities in Chhattisgarh, Injiram and Sukma. In July, it had also launched the first mobile phone tower in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. It also enabled internet facilities, and provided computers to students--a move which was well appreciated by its residents. “Padhega Bastar, tabhi toh badhega Bastar (Education in Bastar will lead to development),” Moses Dhinakaran, Directorate General of CRPF tweeted. The Bastar district in Chhattisgarh is prone to Maoist activities. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="dhinakaran1464" handlename="Moses dhinakaran" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1117744818606575616/Ynk6YsPj_normal.jpg" favoritecount="566" retweetcount="64" status="PADHEGA BASTAR, TABHI TOH BADHEGA BASTAR: #228Bn CRPF started computer classes for students and teachers in the Nax… https://t.co/TJgQaGMnnf" createdat="1565139382000" id="1158904682628018177"></div>



 The paramilitary forces have been stepping up efforts to establish digital services in remote naxal areas. It recently provided smart TVs and DTH connections to a girls hostel in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. The CRPF has deployed over <a href="http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/jul/21/in-a-first-crpf-to-install-sanitary-pad-dispensers-for-women-in-combat-2007290.html">300,000 personnel</a>, including several employed in conflicted or naxal areas of the country such as Bastar and Jammu and Kashmir. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="dhinakaran1464" handlename="Moses dhinakaran" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1117744818606575616/Ynk6YsPj_normal.jpg" favoritecount="658" retweetcount="92" status="CRPF in DIGITAL INDIA: #111Bn #CRPF first gave smart TV and DTH connection to a Balika Ashram in Naxal affected Dan… https://t.co/yiYM5v6ywq" createdat="1564313260000" id="1155439676020277248"></div>



 See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/women-in-crpf-to-get-sanitary-pad-vending-machines/articleshow/70328261.cms">India sets aside money for 288 sanitary pad vending machines for the 8000 women in paramilitary forces</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/16-jawans-killed-in-deadly-maoist-attack-in-gadchiroli-district-of-maharashtra/articleshow/69128430.cms">15 Jawans killed in a deadly maoist attack in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra</a>

India’s paramilitary forces organise digital classes in naxal affected areas

<keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> has visited many countries and states since he assumed office, but he hasn’t visited India’s red corridor yet, but soon he would. As per an Economic Times report, Modi would be travelling to Dantewada in <keyword id="43945" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword>'s Bastar region on May 9. This will be his first visit to the Naxalite-affected state as the Prime Minister. 
 He will launch two mega projects in Chhattisgarh. Modi will inaugurate work along with <keyword id="5269" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chief-Minister">Chief Minister</keyword> <keyword id="65641" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raman-Singh">Raman Singh</keyword> on the 140 km Raoghat-Jagdalpur railway line to improve connectivity and sign a memorandum of understanding for an ultra mega steel plant in Dilimili village. It will be set up jointly by <keyword id="64877" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Steel-Authority-of-India-Ltd">Steel Authority of India Ltd</keyword> and <keyword id="121536" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Mineral-Development-Corporation">National Mineral Development Corporation</keyword> (NMDC). 
 Modi did not visit Dantewada for many years. He last visited the region during his election campaign as the <keyword id="58687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword>’s prime ministerial candidate. His visit was preceded by a major attack by the Maoists. Modi’s visit comes a month before the arrival of monsoon season when the Maoists prepare themselves to make their presence felt in dense forests. 
 He will also address a rally in Dantewada and visit Javanda, where the <keyword id="51011" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-government">state government</keyword> has established an educational centre with residential schools and colleges for 5,000 students. These institutions are for those whose studies have been hampered by Maoist attacks. 
 Modi will visit a livelihood college that helps students get jobs. He will also address a rally in Naya <keyword id="45327" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raipur">Raipur</keyword>, before leaving for Kolkata. Modi will inaugurate a low-cost housing project and a new wing of a private hospital in the new city adjacent to the state capital Raipur. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Globetrotting Modi to now visit the heart of India’s red corridor, Chhattisgarh

<ul><li>Election officials from 15 polling booths in Odisha returned empty handed as five panchayats did not show up to vote on the first day of the general election in India. </li><li>In the run up to the election, Maoist poster campaigns surfaced asking people not to vote. </li><li>But some villages reported that their reasons to not vote had nothing to do with the perceived left wing extremism.</li></ul>The first phase of the Indian general elections was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-violence-bombs-and-explosions/articleshow/68837699.cms">marred</a> by violent clashes in Andhra Pradesh and improvised explosive devices going off in Maharashtra, but in Odisha — 15 polling booths <a href="http://www.orissapost.com/zero-polling-at-15-booths-in-malkangiri/">remained</a> silent waiting for voters than would never show. State administration has confirmed that in Malkangiri district, which consists of two separate constituencies — Malkangiri and Chitrakonda — zero polling was registered as voters from five panchayats (formalised local self-governance at a village level) did not show up to participate. Fifty four officers on election duty were specially airlifted on Wednesday to these areas to make sure that the booths would be operational. But they all returned empty handed once the polling booths closed in the evening at four. In the run up to the election, Maoist posters began to surface — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/maoists-call-for-poll-boycott-in-odisha-723027.html">asking</a> people to ‘boycott the polls’ because real benefits can only be derived from armed struggle, not votes. Even so, voters from one of the villages, Temurupalli, claim that the reason they did not go to vote wasn’t because of the perceived left wing extremism, but because the booths were just too far. And, people from the village of Tamasaput say they boycotted the election because no development work was conducted in their area. The polling booths are Andrapali, Jantri, Sanyasiguda, Handikhalo, Panasaput, Singhai, Gorasetu and Jodamba were also desolate. Aside from Odisha, Maharashtra also had to bear the brunt of Naxalite activity, which is a more extreme form of Maoism. Four polling stations will <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1116357141688766469">re-poll</a> in the coming phases of the elections because polling teams were unable to reach the designated sites. Despite 15 booths lying bare on election day, Odisha still <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/odisha-assembly-elections-live-updates/articleshow/68823650.cms">witnessed</a> an overall 68% voter turnout during the first phase of the general election. The majority of Maoist-hit areas will be covered in the first three phases.

Not a single person turned up to vote in 15 polling booths in Odisha during the first phase of India’s election

<ul><li>The Home Ministry has ordered a clampdown on all <keyword id="37885" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cash">cash</keyword> refilling operations at ATMs after 9PM in cities and after 6PM in rural areas. </li><li>The ruling is set to go into effect on 8 February 2019. </li><li>The move follows a rising trend of frauds and thefts of ATMs and cash vans. </li></ul> India is no stranger to cash shortages. The image of long queues outside ATMs took root in the national conscience following the government’s decision to withdraw all 500 and 1000-rupee notes from circulation in November 2016. Earlier this year, in April 2018, a number of ATMs across the country in states such as Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh were reported to be running dry owing to the poor management of cash flow by banks and the recalibration of ATMs to facilitate the supply of new <keyword id="6378917" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="currency">currency</keyword> notes. And now? Things could likely get worse next year since the Home Ministry of India has ordered a clampdown on all cash refilling operations at ATMs after 9PM in cities and after 6PM in rural parts of the country. The clampdown is stricter in areas affected by Naxalite violence, which will see cash reloading operations halted after 4PM. The ruling is set to go into effect on 8 February 2019. The move follows a spate of frauds and <keyword id="47717" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Theft">theft</keyword>s of ATMs and cash vans. Everyday, thousands of armoured vans travel across the country reloading ATMs. At night, they become particularly vulnerable to instances of theft, especially in areas which are sparsely populated. In the year that ended March 2018, there were <a href="https://www.theweek.in/news/biz-tech/2018/08/03/bank-robbery-theft-cases-increase-five-years.html">972 cases</a> of theft and robberies recorded, a 65% increase from the previous year, culminating in a total loss of ₹449 million. The states of Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh comprised a bulk of these cases. The notification from the Home Ministry laid down a number of instructions for the transportation of cash. All vans must collect cash from banks in the first half of the day and should have two private security guards, one driver and two <keyword id="48577" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ATM">ATM</keyword> officers - all of whom should have had thorough background checks. Furthermore, a van has to be fitted with a GPS tracker as well as a CCTV and can’t transport more than ₹50 million. And finally, at least one security guard is to be sitting in the cash van at all times. Not enough? India’s ATMs aren’t only vulnerable to theft. A fair portion of them are easy targets for <keyword id="38935" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fraud">fraud</keyword> due to their outdated software, something that the new cash refilling policy doesn’t address. Card details can be easily extracted from ATMs through malware programmes and skimming devices. Last month, a discussion in Parliament revealed that <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/rbi-74-per-cent-public-sector-banks-atm-vulnerable-frauds/story/280507.html">74%</a> of the ATMs in India are running on old operating systems. As per a notification released earlier in the year, the Reserve Bank of India has ordered all banks to upgrade the software at their ATMs and implement anti-skimming protocols by next year.

India is freezing all cash refilling ops at ATMs after a certain time to prevent theft

<ul><li>On 7 October, <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword>, said that left-wing extremism would be wiped out within two to three years. </li><li>In 2015, the current BJP-led administration launched the ‘National Policy and Action Plan’, which focused on deploying more counter-insurgency personnel and development funds in districts affected by Naxalism. </li><li>As per estimates from the Ministry of Home Affairs in April 2018, the number of affected districts had fallen from 126 in 2017 to 90, while the number of worst-affected districts had declined from 36 to 30. </li></ul>Roughly a decade ago, India’s then-Prime Minister, <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="manmohan-singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword>, referred to “Naxalism” - a term meant to encapsulate far-left radical Communist movements, especially in the eastern part of the country - as India’s <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Manmohan-naxalism-the-greatest-internal-threat/article16886121.ece">gravest threat to internal security</a>. Singh pointed out that the movement was strongest in underdeveloped parts of the country, and that military and police action to combat the threat would have to be complemented by a spate of development schemes. On 7 October, while speaking at a <keyword id="76600" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Reserve-Police-Force">Central Reserve Police Force</keyword> (CRPF) event in Lucknow, India’s home minister, Rajnath Singh, said that left-wing extremism would be wiped out within two to three years. He explained that left-wing insurgency movements were on the decline owing in part to the efforts of the Indian paramilitary forces. In 2015, the current BJP-led administration launched the ‘National Policy and Action Plan’, which was aimed at curtailing the operations of left wing radicals. The programme involved a greater military presence and higher funding for police forces in districts most affected by Naxal attacks. It also include a targeted investment in schools, hospitals, roads and telecommunications networks in these regions. . In the years since the plan was implemented, the number of districts affected by Naxalism has declined considerably. As per <a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=178704">estimates</a> from the Ministry of Home Affairs in April 2018, the number of affected districts had fallen from 126 in 2017 to 90, while the number of worst-affected districts had declined from 36 to 30. Last week, Singh said that the movement had been further reduced to <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/aW1zo9iwHOKwxEuLg6qE0J/Urban-naxals-wont-be-tolerated-says-Rajnath-Singh.html">around 50</a> districts as the government’s two-pronged strategy - emphasising military action and development- was bearing fruit. . The worst-affected districts are in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, <keyword id="43945" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword> and Odisha. The government in Chhattisgarh, in particular, will be on high-alert ahead of elections to the state legislature in November. Election rallies are found to be a popular target for left-wing extremists.The Union home ministry will likely provide greater CRPF personnel to the state in the buildup to the elections.

India’s home minister plans to rid the country of its “greatest internal security threat” by 2021

Yes, we’re somewhere between the future and the past. We are no longer madly in love with democracy and yet we do not know what else to adopt or where to go. Democracy has been here for years and trumpeted its case against other known forms of governing rather well… and this is why these other forms have slowly shrivelled and some have died. The people in the countries where these other forms of government exist seem to be either too afraid or have failed to grasp the futility of what they are following. 
 
Communism, socialism, monarchy, anarchy, and feudalism have all had their day and the sun has either set on these forms or the darkness isn’t far away. But democracy continues as if there is no more any need for any evolution in the form of governing that humanity has known. 
 
The political and social thinker may or may not agree but I think democracy has some rather strange sub-forms that exist subtly or not so subtly. For instance, we see goon democracy in Uttar Pradesh, gangster democracy in those states where Naxalites are active… then there are forms like walk-out democracy that exists in our parliament and assemblies, the famed dharna democracy in Delhi, or indeed even the vyapam democracy in Madhya Pradesh. There is ludicrous democracy, joker democracy, biased democracy, and even chameleon democracy… and you can find them all if you only care to look closely. 
 
Only today a friend wrote on Facebook that “the poor, with no resources, are afraid anyway. Those earning respectable amounts, the literate &amp; enlightened are most fear-stricken, spineless before the corrupt, the wily, and the mafia. These can only voice idealism in small circle/ online community. They are shy and afraid being ridiculed as impractical idealists/ bravehearts.” Well, there you are… the common man in the virtual world has already begun expressing his disillusionment with the sort of democracy that he experiences day in and day out. This has surely the chromosomal strength to bring about some form of universal positive mutation to the myriad forms of democracy that have mushroomed today. The common feature in all forms of democracy is the alienation of not just wealth and prosperity from the majority of its subjects, but the absolute absence of coherent and workable education and the freedom to participate in decision-making. Despite all theoretical claims, the present form of democracy is not what it claims to be… and has tended to encourage only a spurt in corrupt practices where claiming to be is considered better than really being. Even Bertrand Russell, in ‘New Hopes for a Changing World’, writes: “Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature made them.” Therefore, a change is obvious. 
 
This change that restlessness initiates isn’t too far away. This time, it is not the thinker who will propose and accept a concept… it is the common man (from the entire socio-economic matrix) who will indeed first set an example of NOT BEING CORRUPT. The powerful and the decision-makers are destined to play second fiddle and be followers of the common man. If this is the way social evolution is destined to be then I'm afraid, we are going to see an end of the present form of government and the way we are governed. This is quite like picking the gun up to put the gun down… or letting the present powers know that it is “the first duty of a man is to think for himself.” (José Martí) 
 
When Aristotle said: “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime,” he did not probably realise that one day poverty in his quote will mean a degradation of ethics and acts that deliberately avoid decisions that introduce transparency in everything that is done. But as I said earlier, all this has been uncovered now and quite a lot of people know the truth of the untruth that is fed to them. Yet we are between the future and the past because nothing can happen until everyone knows. 
 
(Image: Author)

Between the future and the past

June has come and gone, but the rains are still eluding us and the mercury is forever on the rise. So we think it’s just the ideal time for an extended summer break, accompanied by a whole new lot of cool <keyword id="5050" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="books">books</keyword>. In fact, we have never been so excited about a publication month. For one, here are two brand new crime thrillers – one from <keyword id="338663" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Stephen-King">Stephen King</keyword> and the other from <keyword id="44360" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="JK-Rowling">JK Rowling</keyword> in her new avatar. And the rest of the listing looks equally impressive – from intriguing memoirs to chilling <keyword id="44461" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Insurgency">insurgency</keyword>, insightful economic solutions to chirpy story-telling. Best of all, they all make for lucid <keyword id="4228" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reading">reading</keyword>, minus the hard-hitting jargons that will put the readers off. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to take a break from your ice cream outings, beach excursions, <keyword id="6439698" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="mountain">mountain</keyword> treks and poolside parties. Get hold of something cool to drink, rush to that cushy seat and enjoy your reading. Let the books do the talking this summer. 
 
Image: Thinkstock/Getty Images

You Searched For "Naxalite" and got 12 results

Naxalites criticise Akshay Kumar and Saina Nehwal for sympathising with Army martyrs

BI India Bureau

6 Police Personnel Killed In Maoist Attack In Chhattisgarh

Times Of India

The first phase of India's Parliamentary elections had its share of explosions, firearms, and bombs

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Elections 2019: These are the constituencies affected by Maoist violence that will vote today

Sanchita Dash

Poll-bound Bihar, bullet-proofing its SUVs in Meerut!

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India’s paramilitary forces organise digital classes in naxal affected areas

Prerna Sindwani

Globetrotting Modi to now visit the heart of India’s red corridor, Chhattisgarh

BI India Bureau

Not a single person turned up to vote in 15 polling booths in Odisha during the first phase of India’s election

Prabhjote Gill

India is freezing all cash refilling ops at ATMs after a certain time to prevent theft

Dilsher Dhillon

India’s home minister plans to rid the country of its “greatest internal security threat” by 2021

Dilsher Dhillon

Between the future and the past

Arvind Passey

June Releases: 8 Cool Books To Enrich Your Summer Reading

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