BSF ensuring peace and guarding development in naxal infested Kankar

Central Chronicle News
Bhilai, Nov 22: Border Security Force (BSF) was deployed in the naxal infested area of Kanker in the year 2009. In the last 12 years, BSF has not only succeeded in curbing naxal menace but has also ensured development in the area by providing security cover to the vital government projects.
Through its strategic working, the force has also managed to win the trust of locals and ensure peace in the region, said SK Tyagi (IG – BSF) while addressing media persons here at BSF Frontier Head Quarters (Special Operations) on the eve of BSF Raising Day.
During its deployment in anti-naxal operations, BSF troops have gunned down 18 hardcore naxals while 1079 naxals have been arrested. 102 hardcore naxals were persuaded to surrender and join the main stream.
The jawans have successfully unearthed 489 Improvised Explosive Devices which were planted by naxals in different areas to target the security forces and others. BSF ensured peaceful conduct of Vidhan Sabha elections in 2013 and 2018 and Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.
Under the Civic Action Programme, BSF has been distributing stationery and other material to school students, free medical facilities to rurals, skills development programmes for unemployed youth; organising tours for students under Youth Exchange Programme, etc.
During the Covid pandemic, they provided ration, medicines and daily use items to the needy people. Further, they helped the labourers who were stuck in different states.
Tyagi further said that BSF has provided security cover to vital projects like road construction, mining, rail projects and mobile phone towers in the hypersensitive areas.
After deployment of BSF in 2009, about 62 new schools; 16 hospitals, 103 aanganwadi buildings, 22 panchayat buildings; 19 community halls, 169 culverts / small bridges and approximately 550 kilometres of roads have been constructed in Kanker.
Initially in the year 2009, five battalions of BSF were deployed in Kanker which established 23 company operated bases (COBs). At present, BSF has expanded its presence in the remote areas with 54 COBs of eight battalions under two Sector Headquarters.
With the deployment of BSF in areas near Abujhmaad, the passageway of naxals has been blocked. BSF has managed to reduce the terror of naxals and has improved the life of villagers.
BSF troops have been positioned in the highly sensitive remote naxal infested areas of Kanker. Gradually the forces succeeded in winning the trust of the locals and creating a sense of security among them. Now the villagers are able to move around without any fear and have also started small businesses.
Speaking about the history of BSF, Tyagi informed that after independence the protection of India’s international boundaries was the responsibility of local police belonging to each border state. However, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Pakistan attacked the posts on 9 April 1965 in Kutch.
This attack exposed the inadequacy of the State Armed Police to cope with armed aggression. So after the end of the war, the government created the Border Security Force as a unified central agency with the specific mandate of guarding India’s international boundaries.
This act brought greater cohesion in border security. K F Rustamji, from the Indian Police Service, was the first Director General of BSF. BSF was constituted on December 01, 1965.
The BSF’s capabilities were used in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 against Pakistani forces in areas where the Regular Forces were thinly spread. In the last 56 years of its existence, BSF is efficiently guarding the eastern and western borders of the country as well as conducting counter insurgency operations in the north east. Further, the force is fighting with the country’s internal threats in several regions.