Amid the quiet at CRPF camp,a disquiet

carry on with the same vigour and enthusiasm. However,there is no denying the fact,here in Raipur,that the tragedy of losing 75 colleagues in the worst Naxal attack has shaken the force.

As CRPF personnel go about their normal duties,welcoming as always,they are hesitant to meet strangers,reluctant to talk about the incident,especially to journalists. Careful,above all,not to give away any signs of gloom or despair in the ranks.

The attack struck at the most trusted police force in the country — and as a result terribly over-stretched,being called upon to serve in the most difficult of circumstances from Jammu and Kashmir to the Northeast,from Lalgarh in West Bengal to Chhattisgarh. But nothing prepared them for Dantewada.

“We have been flooded with calls from relatives,from friends within the CRPF wanting to know what happened during the incident. How is that so many people got killed? It never happens like that. We do not have many answers. We are telling them we know only as much as them. What exactly happened will be known only after some time,” says one.

He is among the personnel who have been told by seniors to talk to us,on our request. Seated inside a room,they meet us with a straight face,their answers brief and officious. But one or two can’t hide their emotions.

“Whatever happened is obviously a big tragedy. But this doesn’t mean that the force is weak. We must fight this battle out and win it. We will definitely get hold of the attackers,” says one.

There are reports that the Dantewada attackers had crossed over into the Malkangiri area of Orissa and that the CRPF is planning an operation to chase them down. The CRPF’s top officers,including Director General Vikram Srivastava,Special DG and head of anti-Naxal operations Vijay Raman and some others are still camping in and around Dantewada since the attack. The men at the camp are keenly following reports coming in from Dantewada. They are curious to know what their senior officers will decide.

A tragedy like this can have two kinds of responses: a swift counter-attack and intensification of operations or a brief withdrawal to rethink and replan.

At the Raipur camp,it is not difficult to figure out which option the CRPF personnel prefer. “We have had many successes against Naxalites. But this incident requires that we come up with some big success very soon,” says one of them. “We have to fight back with all our strength,and quickly.”