ALWAYS ON DUTY
   Date :15-Mar-2022

time n tide
 
IN A wise call, India has decided to relocate temporarily its embassy in Ukraine to Poland. The decision has come in view of the rapidly deteriorating situation in the war-torn Ukraine even as Russian forces continue their aggressive march towards key cities including capital Kyiv. The relocation is an operational necessity as it would be extremely difficult to work from a war zone when other options are available within a smaller radius. Poland presented India a perfect destination to set up its embassy camp while monitoring situation in western Ukraine cities which are around 70 kms from the border. The significant point here is the time taken to relocate the embassy to Poland by the Government of India. The staff and office kept functioning till last of the Indians was not evacuated from Ukraine under ‘Operation Ganga’. Camp offices were also set up in the city of Lviv as part of efforts to evacuate Indian citizens from Ukraine through land border crossings. The embassy staff went out of the way to arrange for Indian students’ travel to bordering nations from where the Air India and Indian Air Force brought them back to their homeland. Even after relocation of embassy to Poland, it would be operating at full strength to assess the ground situation in Ukraine.
 
WEED THEM OUT
 
SUDDEN surge in clashes between Maoists and security forces in parts of tribal-dominated Jharkhand is a clear indicator of a hard crackdown on the Naxal menace in all the remaining affected areas of the country. The Left Wing Extremists are already facing heat in all regions hitherto famous as their bastions for the last few years. Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, parts of Maharashtra and Telangana have reported large-scale surrenders from Maoists or heavy casualties in their ranks during search and security operations by forces. Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli witnessed a spectacular success for the C-60 Commando unit last year when the ambushed a large team of Naxals. Similar operations are on in Jharkhand weakening the Maoist activities. The ‘Operation Double Bull’ has achieved stupendous success with arrest of nine Maoists of the rank of sub-zonal commander. Collective output of the sustained action is the drastic reduction of Maoist activities in many hotbeds. While the Centre and States continue to join hands to launch anti-Naxal operations, there is an urgent need to accelerate developmental activities in those regions to win over the affected population.