Editor's Desk: There is little doubt that Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government has bowed to the Maoists, who are all set to hijack the system with their dirty tricks and tactics.

 

Everytime the Maoists abduct key people, the Odisha government succumb to the pressure and goes on to fulfill their demands. The wrong precedent was set long ago and the government is unwilling to learn from its past mistakes.

 

When Malakangiri Collector Vineel Krishna was abducted last year, the Maoists had set a list of demands. The government had accepted most of them and even released dreaded Maoists and their sympathizers from jail.

 

This time around, Naveen Patnaik decided to release 27 prisoners, including 8 Maoists to secure the release of Laxmipur MLA Jhina Hikaka and Italian tourist Bosusco Paolo. However, the naxals are not convinced.

 

As they know they can have their way with this government, they have complicated things further by demanding the release of more Maoists. Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda has given a 96-hour deadline to the government to release seven Maoists of his choice or face dire consequences. The Centre is unhappy with the way the Odisha government deals with the Maoists and may feel that NCTC is the best option to handle such crisis.

 

The morale of the Odisha Police and other anti-naxal security forces has reached a bottom low, as the government is buckling under pressure. It's a Catch-22 situation for the cops and jawans who defy all the odds to fight with the Maoists in dense forests. Can Odisha take a lesson from Andhra Pradesh in dealing with the Maoists?

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