In a daring raid, believed to be code-named Operation 22, Naxalites of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) looted 1,100 weapons -- including pistols, SLRs, AK series rifles, INSAS rifles and LMGs -- on February 15, 2008-night, in the newly carved-out Nayagarh district, Orissa. The town was seized for approximately two-and-a-half hours. Those familiar with the Maoist method of organising its armed fighters and weapons think the rebels would be easily able to raise three battalions, given the number of weapons looted.

However, the Union Home Minister thinks the rebels do not pose a big threat! But, the Prime Minister thinks they do.

The Nayagarh raid was clinically precise, very meticulously planned and finely executed. It is the largest ever looting of weapons and ammunition in the history of the sub-continent; until now, the largest was the Chittagong armoury raid during the Independence movement.

Reportedly, the rebels blocked all approaches to the town, infiltrated it during the day, laid seize to the residences of the district police chief and the district collector, and launched simultaneous attacks on the district armoury, town police office and reserve police office; they also reportedly launched an attack on the Daspalla police inspector's home, which is proximate to Nayagarh.

Incontrovertibly, the people's militia participated in the raid in big numbers. Of the reportedly 600 attackers, an overwhelming number belonged to the people's militia, the Base Force of the rebels. The Maoist military machine -- People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) -- comprises of the Primary Force (attack/protection platoons), Secondary Force (Guerrilla squads) and the Base Force. The Base Force -- the largest component of the PLGA -- comprises of ordinary villagers, who otherwise have an avocation in life, but have received rudimentary military training. Eventually, as the strength of the Base Force increases with a larger number of people joining in it, the Maoists hope to convert the PLGA into the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Presently, this seems to be the 'immediate task' of the Maoists.

The Nayagarh raid is the sixth synchronised attack on multiple targets within a given town by the Maoists. Incidentally, the first was also staged in Orissa, in Koraput, on February 6, 2004; the last of these was in Riga block, Sitamarhi district, Bihar, on March 31, 2007. In 2007 alone, the people's militia participated in, at least, 37 attacks, according to this author's databases on Maoist movement in India. The involvement of the people's militia, in fact, went un-noticed until the Jehanabad Raid/ Jehanabad Jail Break -- which the Maoists call Operation Jehanabad -- was carried out by 1,000 attackers, two-thirds of who were people's militia members. In a press release issued after the raid, the rebels said: "It is a turning point in the ongoing people's war in the country… This daring action has also inspired the masses all over the country... It shows that the well-equipped, well-trained, and numerically superior mercenary forces can be dealt heavy blows by a numerically weaker but determined, fearless and politically motivated armed force of the people through concrete survey of the weak points of the enemy force, meticulous planning and effective execution based on the principle of taking on the enemy through surprise and lightening speed."

The Maoists further said in their press release: "We … send our Red Greetings to the revolutionary masses who had extended their full cooperation in various forms to the guerrillas in order to successfully carry out the operation… The intensified suppression campaign by the enemy forces should be countered by creating more Jehanabads and sending nightmares to the enemy even in his own headquarters." Apparently, the Indian state has not taken these warnings seriously. Resultantly, such synchronised attacks are being staged with impunity from time-to-time.

Nevertheless, the Union Home Minister believes the Maoists 'do not pose the single largest challenge to the country's internal security'. He has made a habit of taking the less grave view of the Maoist challenge. He reportedly said on a TV channel: "Some particular kind of statistics would create fear psychosis". Moreover, he has put his foot in his mouth on various occasions on the spatial spread of the Maoists. For instance, while replying to the debate on Demands for Grants for his Ministry, the Union Home Minister said in the Lok Sabha on May 22, 2006: "I have personally collected data... only 50 districts are affected". On the other hand, speaking a month earlier, the Prime Minister said, while addressing a meeting of the Standing Committee of Chief Ministers of Naxalite affected States, on April 13, 2006, the Naxalite movement "has now spread to over-160 districts". But, a former Governor of Chhattisgarh begs to differ. He said in an interview to a website a few months back, in 2007, "I would like to share that currently from the figures I have been able to obtain, 256 districts have been declared as [N]axalite affected districts…"

Again in 2006, while addressing the Chief Ministers conference on internal security, chaired by the Prime Minister, on September 5, 2006, the Union Home Minister reportedly said 509 police stations countrywide were affected by Maoist violence. However, Andhra Pradesh (AP) Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said at the same meeting that 500 police stations were affected in his State alone.

Evidently, either the Prime Minister or the Union Home Minister is unaware of the spatial spread of the Maoists country-wide, and either the Union Home Minister or Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister is ill-informed about the spread of Naxalite violence in AP.

Apparently, we have no idea, even at very high levels, on the spatial spread of the Maoists. Replying to an unstarred question number 320 in the Rajya Sabha, on November 21, 2007, Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal said 91 districts in 11 States were affected by Maoist violence. On the other hand, the then Cabinet Secretary, BK Chaturvedi, while speaking at the annual Conference of Chief Secretaries, in New Delhi, said on April 20, 2007 that a total of 182 districts were Maoist affected. But, the Maoists believe they have a presence in 17 States. Sonu -- who earlier used the alias Bhupathi -- whose actual name is Mallojula Venugopal and is the in-charge of the Dandakaranya Special Zone Committee (DKSZC) said in an interview published in People's March, a Maoist mouthpiece, in July 2007: "… our party has a presence in 17 States…"

Thus, while we grope in the dark about even the spatial spread of the rebels, and the challenge they pose, they are gradually expanding their reach, finely executing meticulously planned operations and working according to a well thought-out plan, of capturing political power in India through protracted people's war (PPW).