Dileep V Kumar, Thiruvananthapuram, August 9
Ever heard about the Kerala Police’s X Cell unit? Since its inception in 2020, it was only once that this unit’s name got mentioned at the government level. In the Cabinet briefing of August 3, the government confirmed the existence of such a unit as it decided to scrap some obsolete posts in the Police Department to create some new posts in the X Cell unit for strengthening the same. But what’s this X Cell unit?
It was on December 14, 2020, that the said unit became operational at the Police Headquarters for tackling emerging national/internal security issues. The unit is said to be keeping a tab on Maoist groups, radical groups, organizations that support them, their cadres, their supporters, those who help them financially or otherwise, and others. The unit is also following up on cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“Though the unit came into existence in 2020, it has collected data about such groups’ activities from 2001. So far it has 1,50,000 documents including analytical data and reports that run to 20,000 pages. Considering the emerging threats from Maoist/radical groups the need to strengthen the cell is more than ever,” said a police official.
In the Cabinet meeting, it was decided to scrap four obsolete posts – cinema operator, mason PC, roneo operator, and draftsman electrical – in the department. It was to create three civil police officer posts in the X Cell Unit but these posts were discarded. It was also decided to shift the Armed Police Inspector post in the KAP fifth battalion to the X Cell unit.
According to the state government, the Maoist threat is prominent in Central Kerala, especially in Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Kannur. In the latest, Maoist presence was reported, and that too frequently, in the Muthukad area of Peruvannamuzhi Police Station limit.
Earlier, the home ministry had stated that there has been an unprecedented improvement in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) situation in the country over the past few years.
However, it also added that the number of civilians killed in LWE-related violence has declined by 48 percent from 188 in 2017 to 97 in 2021.
In Kerala, eight Maoists got killed in police action from 2019. The state is also witnessing ISIS recruits.
