The News About Naxals

While naxalites and naxalism has increasingly been in the news in India, the Asian Center for Human Rights has put together a review of news articles on Naxals in the national Indian print media over the first half of the year.

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NAXAL/ MAOISTS - 2007

News Clippings: January to May 2007

 

More security men than Maoists killed in Jharkhand  (12)

Ranchi : Security personnel are not getting the logistics and weapons support from the State Government which is required to fight with Maoist rebels. Official figures in the last six years shows that the number of casualties of security personnel is higher than that of Maoist rebels. In the last six years 262 security personnel, both the State police and paramilitary forces, were killed in comparison to 256 Maoist rebels. And in the same period 323 common people were killed by the Maoist rebels. The figure of killed Maoist rebels is doubtful, as the police have hardly managed to recover 50 bodies of Maoist rebels. For this the police officials argue that the rebels used to escape with the bodies of its activists killed in encounters. But it is a claim difficult to be believed by the common people. Till now the State Government has spent Rs 144 crore on police modernisation, but more than half of the police stations are in a dilapidated condition. Jharkhand has a total of 323 police station and 20 per cent are running in rented house. Of these 25 per cent the buildings can collapse any time. When the State was carved out from Bihar in November 2000, Maoist rebels were active in only eight districts and now they have spread their network in 16 districts. Due to Maoist fear the security personnel do not go for patrolling in the night to avoid ambush and landmine. Admitting the lack of facilities and advanced weapons and latest technology, a senior police official involved in anti-extremist operation told The Pioneer, "You can imagine the plight of police by one example. The State Government assured to purchase two helicopters for anti- extremist operations. But not a single helicopter has been provided to us in the last six years. Our wireless system and landmine detecting system are still the old ones and we are fighting the rebels with traditional weapons and technologies."  (PIONEER 8/1/07)

 

749 killed in naxalite conflict last year, says report (12)

NEW DELHI: As many as 749 people were killed in the naxalite conflict in 2006, according to a report released by the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) here on Wednesday. These include 285 civilians, 135 security personnel and 329 alleged naxalites, "Naxal Conflict in 2006" said. Most killings were reported from Chhattisgarh (363), followed by Andhra Pradesh (135), Jharkhand (95), Maharashtra (60), Bihar (45), Orissa (25), West Bengal (22), Uttar Pradesh (2), Karnataka (1) and Madhya Pradesh (1). While there was a decrease in the killings as compared to 2005 during which 892 people lost their lives, the Salwa Judum campaign and its disastrous consequences, such as the rights violations by the naxalites, the security forces and the Salwa Judum activists, captured centre stage. The report said the campaign led to the forcible displacement of 43,740 persons as of December 2006 in Dantewada district, the spread of the conflict to 1,427 police stations, and an increase in the striking capability of the naxalites. "These acts of the Maoists constitute serious violations of the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court," according to Suhas Chakma, ACHR director. The naxalites, who frown at the lack of development, were blocking many development initiatives in the areas where they exercised control by targeting labourers, officials and companies. They were systematically targeting all government buildings that could provide shelter to security personnel, the report said. "The claims of the security forces that all persons killed were "naxalites" are far from the truth. There have been credible reports of torture, rape and extra-judicial executions by the Salwa Judum activists and the security forces, especially in the process of forcibly bringing the villagers under the Salwa Judum fold," Mr. Chakma said. The Salwa Judum campaign, which was responsible for 48.5 per cent of the total killings in Chhattisgarh, had more to do with local political considerations than resolving the naxalite conflict, Mr. Chakma said. The ACHR expressed concerns over the continued "law and order" approach of the Government in dealing with the crisis as reflected by the creation of a division within the Home Ministry to address the naxalite conflict. The report recommended the creation of a separate Ministry for speedy development of the naxalite-affected areas, similar to the Ministry for Development of the North-Eastern Region. Also, it wanted the Centre to intervene and ask the Chhattisgarh Government to end the "Salwa Judum" campaign, not to bring civilians in conflict with the naxals, and investigate all allegations of human rights violations. (The Hindu 12/1/07

 

Maoists kill 3 forest officials (12)

Bhubaneswar: In a gruesome act, suspected Maoists on Thursday killed three forest officials at Kandhar village under Kankadahada block in Dhenkanal district, reports our correspondent. According to the police, about 15 extremists raided the forest beat station early in the morning and killed the forest employees by slitting their throats. Later, they dragged the bodies to an isolated place where they crushed the heads of the victims with stone. Two other forest guards, however, managed to escape. The victims have been identified as forest officer Ghanshyam Behera, forest guards Kumuda Chandra Samal and Nilamani Mullick. Chief minister Navin Patnaik condemned the attack. (Asian Age 2/2/07)

 

Five security men among six killed in Chhattisgarh blast (12)

Jaipur : Six people, including five security force personnel and a civilian, were killed and 12 others injured in a bomb blast on Thursday in the naxal hit Dantewara, over 500 km from Raipur. According to police, a landmine exploded after a police team was combing a forested area near village Phundri in Bhairamgarh area in the morning. "The explosion took about 10 km away from Bairamgarh on Bhopalapatnam road as a police patrol was trying to defuse a landmine laid by the Maoists," sources said. An Assistant Commandant of Nagaland Armed Police Sarvato, jawan Nayak Batti and Apang Chang, driver Dinesh Daharia, Assistant sub-inspector Chandrakant Markam and an SPO Koyam Manku were killed in blast. Inspector General Girdhari Nayak said that Maoists had laid a booby trap. "A bomb disposal squad had just removed a landmine and were disconnecting it but another hidden mine suddenly went off," he pointed out. Five of the twelve injured people were airlifted to Raipur by helicopter for medical treatment. Maoists killed the security personnel in a booby trap even as a two-day national conference began here on Thursday to discuss the Maoist insurgency prevalent in the area. (Pioneer 9/2/07)

 

Naxal task force meets in Capital today (12)

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 12: The task force on Naxalites will be meeting in New Delhi tomorrow to review the counter-insurgency operations against the Naxalites and the standard operating procedures (SoP) followed by the security forces. The meeting at North Block will be chaired by additional secretary Vinay Kumar and attended by top police officials from nine states. Though, over the past one year, sustained operations and heavy deployment of security forces in Naxalite strongholds have resulted in reduction in the number of incidents, the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s South Bastar district on February 8 that led to the death of six police personnel has left the Home Ministry worried. It is now considering a comprehensive review of the situation with the affected states. Sources are of the opinion that the Naxals at the moment are lying low and gauzing the impact of the strategy adopted by the government, which includes deployment of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Chhattisgarh. Joint operations by the affected states, their demand for more Central forces and raising of reserve battalions would also be evaluated at the meeting. The Centre has also called a meeting of the empowered Group of Ministers (GoM), to be chaired by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, on February 19 to discuss developmental issues in the Naxalite-affected states. Efforts are on to identify the lacunae in the development model adopted by these states. They will also seek the Planning Commission’s opinion on the issue. Meanwhile, a national seminar, focusing on the Salwa Judum movement, will be held at the capital on February 14. (Indian Express 13/2/07)

 

Maoists to resist formation of SEZs  (12)

HYDERABAD : The Maoists have vowed to oppose and resist the formation of the 300 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) terming them efforts to form "de facto foreign enclaves" thereby enabling foreign and local sharks to grab prime agricultural lands. This was one of the key decisions taken by the 9th Unity Congress of the Maoist party held recently. The congress, attended by over 100 Maoist leaders from 16 States, was intended to fine-tune the course of armed revolution. It was held after the merger of two major revolutionary parties, the Maoists Communists Centre of India (MCCI) and the People's War. The congress, according to a Maoist statement, was held in one of the guerrilla zones amid what it called the Government's all-out efforts to obstruct it. The meeting elected members of the central committee and successfully resolved the "disputes on political issues" that arose after the merger. Mupalla Laxmana Rao, who goes by the nom de guerre Ganapathi, was re-elected general secretary of the party. The Unity Congress, which reaffirmed the line of revolution with agrarian revolution as its axis and protracted people's war as its path, resolved to develop guerrilla zones into base areas; strengthen the mass base; transform the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) into a People's Liberation Army (PLA); and advance guerrilla war into a mobile war. A press release signed by Mr. Ganapathi said that the congress adopted five policy documents, including the strategies and tactics to be employed in the changing scenario. A political resolution on the current international and domestic situations was also passed. The Government policies, it said, were leading to further marginalisation of Dalits, students, youth, women and tribals. There was massive displacement of tribals and forest-dwellers by huge mining and irrigation projects such as Posco, Kalinganagar, bauxite mines in Orissa, Chargaon and Raoghat in Chhattisgarh, bauxite mines and the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh, iron mines and uranium projects in Jharkhand. The Maoist party called upon people to revolt and oppose the government programmes. (The Hindu 21/2/07)

 

Naxal surrender drama: Raman Govt says no to probe panel plea  (12)

Raipur : The Chhattisgarh Government has rejected any inquiry by a committee of legislators to probe alleged surrender by innocent people. The issue came up for discussion on a calling attention motion moved by the Congress. The main Opposition in the Chhattisgarh State Assembly tried to put the Government on mat in the ongoing Budget session by raising the issue of surrender by some civilians as the Maoists. The Opposition alleged that of 79 rebels including seven women, who had surrendered before Chief Minister Raman Singh and Home Minister Ramvichar Netam at a big ceremony on January 3 at the police headquarter in Raipur included innocent tribal people who were brought by the Government to enact the surrender drama. Opposition demanded constitution of a three-member legislative committee for a proper and impartial probe into the surrender episode. "An IG level probe can not unravel the truth behind the surrender episode," pointed out Congress MLA Dharamjeet Singh. Many of those surrendered were BJP cadres, Congress members alleged. "BJP leader Mahesh Baghel who is also part of the Government in his capacity as the parliamentary secretary and other local BJP leaders also protested the surrender drama," claimed another Congress party legislator Ravindra Choubey. Congress legislators demanded that an independent inquiry should be conducted into the incident. They also sought information about the findings of the ongoing IG level inquiry into the episode. They wanted to know why of 79 the surrendered, 17 innocent tribals didn't even have any cases registered against them? However, the State Government rejected the demand for constitution of a committee to probe the issue. In the absence of Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, Law Minister Brijmohan Agrawal, replying to the calling attention motion of the Opposition on the issue, said there was no need for such a committee because the State Government had already ordered an IG level inquiry into the matter. He pointed out that the Opposition should not take a stand on an issue which can only affect the security forces morale, who have been posted in the field. (Pioneer 21/2/07)

 

Maoist meet after 36 yrs, Kashmir to Manipur on agenda (12)

NEW DELHI, February 21: Giving the Union Home Ministry a rude jolt, the banned Maoists, who fight a low-intensity war with the Indian state along the “Red Corridor” down a swathe of central India from the border with Nepal in the north to Karnataka in the south, have concluded their ninth party congress somewhere in the “liberated zones” along the Jharkhand-Bihar border with a call to extend support for secessionist struggles ranging from Kashmir to Manipur. The month-long Unity Congress, held after a period of 36 years since the eighth congress in 1970 and the first to be held after merger of the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCC) with the People’s War Group in 2004, was attended by 100 delegates from 16 states, including activists of the fraternal Maoist parties from Nepal, Philippines and Bangladesh. It concluded on February 3. While vowing to fight the SEZs coming up in different parts of the country, the CPI (Maoist) Congress also supported the demand for pardon of Afzal Guru, convicted in the Parliament attack case, as well as for formation of separate states of Telangana and Vidarbha. The Unity Congress also exhorted its cadre to use every possible means to free its detained activists, even it meant organising jailbreaks. “We should support ‘just struggles’ of nationalities and sub-nationalities that demand a separate state for their development. Kashmiris and various nationalities of the North-East, such as the Assamese, Nagas, Manipuris and Tripuris, have been long waging an armed struggle against the Indian Government for their right to self-determination, including the right to secede from the so-called Union of India,” Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathi, who was re-elected general secretary, told the delegates. Focusing on the Kashmir problem, he said: “The conflict between the Indian forces and Kashmiris has generated fresh mass resentment in the wake of the Centre’s designs to hang Afzal Guru. The Kashmiri people, along with the enlightened democratic sections all over India, have raised the just demand to desist from hanging the innocent Afzal Guru.”  ……..(Indian Express 22/2/07

 

Naxals disrupt Chhattisgarh classes, schools move base (12)

RAIPUR, FEBRUARY 23: Educating children in Naxal affected districts has become a major challenge for the Chhattisgarh government as terrorist activities have resulted in closure of many schools, affecting primary education to the core. More than 50,000 tribals, including thousands of students, have been moved from their villages to relief camps. With extremists blowing up buildings or schools witnessing very low attendance in these areas, the government has decided to shift a majority of these schools in the vicinity of police stations or Salwa Judum camps. According to government sources, over 250 school buildings have been blown up by Maoist extremists over the past few months. This has forced the government to initiate a process of transferring these schools to safer locations. The schools were apparently being targeted as the extremists believe that these buildings are used by security forces as base camps to launch attacks on them. Though government sources accede that a few schools buildings are being used by the security forces, they refute allegations that the premises are being used to launch attacks on Naxalites. “There is an urgent need to save the tribal children of the area. Unless we are able to provide education to these children how can we hope for a better future. The decision to shift schools from ultra-sensitive Naxalite areas has been taken so that students are able to continue their studies,” Minister for Schedule Tribes Development Ganesh Ram Bhagat told The Indian Express. There are over 2,500 schools run by the Schedule Tribes Development Department in Naxal infested districts of Dentewara, Bastar and Kanker. “As a part of this relocation process around 100 schools run by the department will be shifted in the first phase of the project. The need to save schools and children’s academic future was felt after the government was forced to promote around 11,000 students from 246 schools in the last academic session without appearing in their annual examinations,” the minister added. The students of classes I to IV and VI to VII were promoted to the next class without appearing for the annual examinations in schools located in the development divisions of Konta, Bijapur, Bhairamgarh and Usur, where Maoists threat had forced the closure of these schools, sources said. (Indian Express 24/2/07)

 

30,000 Maoist cadre registered (12)

Over 30,000 Maoists and their weapons were today registered at seven camp sites in Nepal under UN supervision as part of an arms management pact signed by the former rebels and the Government in 2006. The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which is overseeing the peace process, said that altogether 30,852 People's Liberation Army personnel of the CPN-Maoists and their 3,428 weapons have been registered at the cantonment sites. The first stage of registration of the former combatants and their weapons at the cantonment sites were completed on February 17, UN Secretary General's Special Representative to Nepal Ian Martin said. "The weapons and ammunition stored at the seven Maoist army main cantonments are locked in storage containers furnished with shelves for safe weapons storage and easy control with a complete inventory," Martin said. He, however, expressed concern over the security provided at some of the facilities and said it might not be adequate. The weapons include some AK 47 rifles, 91 mortars, 61 machine guns, 61 automatic weapons, 2,403 rifles, 114 side arms, 212 shotguns, 253 miscellaneous weapons and 233 homemade weapons. Also 524 weapons have been retained for the security of the cantonment sites as per the November government-Maoist arms management agreement, he said. The Maoists have taken 49 weapons for the security of their leaders, he added. The second stage of verification of the Maoists' army will begin after a month. The full modalities of the second stage process are under discussion. (Pioneer 24/2/07)

 

Naxals kill 8 in Chhattisgarh (12)

Raipur, March 1 : Eight people, including four jawans of the India Reserve Battalion from Nagaland, were killed when a truck in which they were travelling hit a landmine laid by the Naxalites on Jagdalpur-Hyderabad road in Bastar region. Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) R K Vij said four constables of the Battalion, accompanied by two special police officers were returning after patrol duty. “They boarded a truck that was on its way to Darbhaguda. At around 8.30 am, the truck hit a landmine and all of them were killed. The truck driver and cleaner were also among the dead,” Vij added. The blast occurred at Metaguda area of the district when the security personnel were travelling to Errabore from Injeram. He stated that additional security forces have been sent to the spot to carry out combing operations in the nearby forests. Four other policemen were also injured in the blast and have been rushed to Jagdalpur and Raipur for medical treatment. The injured personnel belong to Nagaland police, a senior police officer said. In recent weeks, Maoists have stepped up attacks on the security forces. While seven policemen were killed in Narayanpur area in a landmine blast on January 16, another blast caused the death of six persons, including five security personnel, in Bhairamgarh on February 8. Chhattisgarh is one of the worst Naxal-affected states in the country. Around 600 civilians and security personnel lost their lives in Maoist violence last year. Nearly 50,000 tribesmen have deserted their native villages in Chhattisgarh after the government launched the Salwa Judum campaign, a fight against Naxalism, in June 2005.  (Indian Express 2/3/07)

 

JMM MP Mahato shot dead by naxals (12)

Jamshedpur: Naxalites on Sunday shot dead Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Lok Sabha MP Sunil Kumar Mahato. Two of his bodyguards and a party colleague were also killed in the attack when they were witnessing a football match organised to mark Holi at a village about 40 km from here. Jharkhand Home Secretary Sudhir Tripathi said naxalites opened gunfire from close range at 38-year-old Mr. Mahato, who represented Jamshedpur constituency. He was the chief guest at the match at Bakuria in East Singhbhum district. The lawmaker, who was also the party General Secretary, was killed on the spot, Mr. Tripathi said. East Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Pankaj Darad said seven bullets were pumped into Mr. Mahato. Two of the MP's bodyguards and the Ghatsila block secretary of JMM, Prabhakar Mahato, also died. Ghatsila Sub Divisional Officer Ramesh Dubey said that about 15 naxalites came to the venue of the match 10 minutes before its end and moved near the MP under the pretext of garlanding him before opening fire on him and his guards from point blank range. While Mr. Sunil Kumar Mahatao and his bodyguards died instantly, Mr. Prabhakar Mahato died on way to the Tata Main hospital in Jamshedpur, Mr. Dubey said. The naxalites also torched the MP's vehicle. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has called a 12-hour, State-wide bandh on Monday to protest the killings. Chief Minister Madhu Koda reviewed the security scenario in the naxal-affected regions. A Ranchi report said the Chief Minister has recommended a CBI probe into the incident. On the probable reason behind the killings, the Chief Minister said it indicated the work of naxalites. On the JMM's bandh, Mr. Koda said, ``Not only JMM, other leaders have also been hurt by the death of Mahato who was a people's representative in the Lok Sabha.'' ``But I would appeal to all to observe it (the bandh) in a democratic way.'' Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi has summoned the Chief Minister to present a report on Monday regarding "the brutal killing of the Lok Sabha member Sunil Mahato.''  (The Hindu 5/3/07)

 

Maoists blast bridge between Andhra and Chhattisgarh (12)

Hyderabad : The road link between Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh broke down on Saturday with the Maoists blasting a bridge connecting the two States in Khammam district Traffic came to a halt on both the sides after some members of the CPI Maoist blasted the bridge with explosives. The district superintendent of police RK Meena said that the incident occurred in Cherla Mandal where the bridge across a small rivulet was targeted. The bridge was built at a cost of Rs 30 lakh as the part of a project to improve the road connectivity in the area. Naxals had also tried to stop the road laying work in the past. The authorities had laid the bridge after constant pleas from the locals. (Pioneer 5/3/07)

 

Maoists kill Cong worker in Andhra (12)

Hyderabad  : CPI Maoists on Monday shot dead a lower rung leader of the State's ruling Congress party in Mahbubnagar, District Superintendent of Police Charui Sinha said. Komati Prakash, a Mandal Parishad member in his mid thirties, was shot dead by two unidentified Maoists. "They shot at him from close range killing him on the spot," she said. The incident occurred at Marikal village under Peddakottapalli Mandal of the district, about 200 kms south of Hyderabad, when Prakash was surveying the mud road laying work between Marikal and Peddakarpamula villages. The incident created panic in the area and the labourers busy in the roadwork ran helter-skelter. The killing of Prakash has come as a surprise to the police as he was neither a senior political figure nor on the hit list of the Maoists. "They have killed him without any provocation or any reason," the SP said.  (Pioneer 6/3/07)

 

We killed MP, he was turning tribals against us, say Maoists (12)

JAMSHEDPUR, MARCH 6: The banned CPI-Maoist today claimed responsibility for gunning down JMM MP Sunil Mahato, saying he was shot dead to avenge the killing of 11 Naxalites at Lango in 2003. The claim was made in posters put up by the CPI-Maoist in villages of Hadia and Lango areas under the jurisdiction of Ghorabandh police station, said Jamshedpur SP Pankaj Darad. “We are examining the authenticity of the claim made in the posters,” he said. The posters claimed Mahato had instigated villagers at Lango to kill 11 Maoists. Mahato, his two bodyguards and a JMM worker were gunned down on Sunday while watching a football match at Galudih, 28 km from Jamshedpur. The hand written posters said Mahato was killed for two reasons: for telling contractors not to pay “tax” to the Naxals; and, for supporting the anti-Naxal movement being led by the Nagrik Suraksha Samiti in East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum districts. “He instigated innocent tribals. He asked them to kill us with arrows. We killed him with bullets,” read the posters. Meanwhile, large crowds gathered today for Mahato’s cremation near his ancestral home in Chhota Gamharia. Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, Deputy CMs Sudhir Mahato and Stephen Marandi, Cabinet ministers and MLAs joined the cavalcade which brought Mahato’s body from the Tata Main Hospital in Jamshedpur to Chhota Gamharia. The last rites were performed by Mahato’s nephew Nimai. (Indian Express 7/3/07)

 

Naxal-hit states told to share intelligence, says Patil  (12)

NEW DELHI, MARCH 6: Under fire from MPs across party lines as well as Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat over the assassination of Jharkhand MP Sunil Mahato, a visibly harangued Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today tried to assure the Rajya Sabha during Zero-Hour that the Centre has asked Naxal-affected states to reach an agreement for ensuring better coordination on intelligence to tackle the situation. While Shekhawat was unimpressed with Patil’s vague responses to his query on whether Mahato had ‘adequate’ security, the Opposition walked out half-way through Patil’s reactions to their queries during the 90-minute discussion. While Patil admitted that “Central intelligence only deals with a general direction of possible extremist attacks,” he emphasised that the measures taken by the Centre to help states tackle the Naxalite menace have “shown some level of containment”. “In the country as a whole, the incidents of Naxalite violence declined from 1,608 in 2005 to 1,509 in 2006, signifying a 6.15 per cent decline,” he said in an attempt to assuage the House. Andhra Pradesh, he added, has achieved “note-worthy success in controlling the problem through Special Forces, namely, Greyhounds and other measures”. In an unusual departure from his normally hands-off style of functioning, House Chairman Shekhawat intervened in the debate to ask Patil if he as the country’s Home Minister, was satisfied with the security provided to Mahato considering his high threat perception. Patil’s weak response: “When he was asked whether the security given to him was adequate, he said it was adequate.” Even though Shekhawat cross-questioned him on this, Patil’s replies remained evasive. BJP’s Digvijay Singh led the Opposition’s charge in response to the Home Minister’s suo motu statement on the Naxalite attack, where he stressed that the Centre is “maintaining a close watch on the situation” and will “provide all possible support and assistance”. Taking Patil to task for not visiting the site himself, Singh said: “People are hurt that India’s home minister doesn’t have time for an MP’s murder.” BJP’s Yashwant Sinha, who also hails from Jharkhand, took strong exception to the numbers cited by Patil showing a 6.15 per cent decline in Naxalite attacks. “Should we say this to Mahato’s widow? The Home Minister is trying to hide behind the numbers. Each time internal security and Naxalism is debated, the Minister has tried to underplay the problem,” Sinha charged. ………. (Indian Express 7/3/07)

 

40 feared dead in Chhattisgarh Naxals attack (12)

RAIPUR: About 40 security personnel were feared killed when armed Naxals lobbed grenades and opened indiscriminate firing at a police outpost in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh in the wee hours on Thursday. Although senior officials were tight lipped about the casualty figure, sources in police said about 40 personnel were killed in the attack at the outpost in Rani Bodli, about 525 km from Raipur. Thirteen personnel, including an officer, were injured in the pre-dawn attack on the police post, they added. Twenty-three personnel of Chhattisgarh Armed Force and 55 Special Police Officers were posted there. "Some bodies and weapons are lying in that area, which we have not yet counted so we cannot give the actual figure of death in the incident," Bastar Range Inspector General of Police RK Vij said over phone. A large number of Naxals attacked the outpost, located in a jungle, from all sides and opened indiscriminate firing besides lobbing grenades and petrol bombs, sources said. Before fleeing away with the weapons of the forces, the Naxalites heavily landmined the area and the barrack, where the policemen were staying, they added. Many dead bodies are also laying in that barrack, they added. Bomb Disposal Squad were clearing land mines, the sources said adding CRPF was also helping them in this. Bijapur is a totally Naxal infested area and after the Salwa Judum or anti-Naxal operation, the Maoists have become more aggressive and targeting both the civilians and security forces. At least 676 people were killed in Naxal-related violence in Chhattisgarh over the last two years. In 2005-2006, a total of 243 civilians, 43 ultras and 65 security personnel were killed in Naxal-related violence in the state, state Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam has informed the Assembly recently. This fiscal upto February 4, at least 226 civilians, 76 Naxalites and 23 security forces were killed in Left wing extremism, he said. Similarly, in the last two years the Naxalites had committed 1,187 cases of violence in one of the worst Naxal-hit states in the country, the Minister said. In 2005-2006, a total of 639 violent incidents took place whereas this year upto February 4, 548 such incidents were reported, he said.  (Times of India 15/3/07)

 

 

Naxalites massacre policemen in Chhattisgarh (12)

KONTA: Fifty-four persons, including 15 personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force, were killed in an offensive by 300 to 350 CPI (Maoist) cadres on a police base camp in the Bastar region in the early hours of Thursday. The remaining victims were tribal youths of the Salva Judum, designated as Special Police Officers (SPOs) and roped in to combat the naxalite menace. Eleven persons were injured. The condition of four persons is said to be serious. The naxalites took away 13 self-loading rifles, three AK-47 rifles, nine .303 rifles and a two-inch mortar. According to reports, only 11 of the 79 police personnel and SPOs at the camp in a forested area, at Ranipotili village of Bijapur district, managed to escape. The assailants used petrol bombs, detonators and rocket launchers. Half the police personnel were killed in their sleep; others were shot while trying to flee from the smoke-filled premises.  (The Hindu 16/3/07)

 

Pattern shows Naxals gunning for Salwa Judum (12)

New Delhi, March 15: With special police officers accounting for 34 of the 54 killed in Chhattisgarh early this morning, speculations are rife that the Naxalites might have begun implementing their recent resolve to stamp out peoples’ movements directed against them. The attack comes nearly eight months after 25 Salwa Judum activists were killed by the Naxalites at an Errabore relief camp in Dantewada district. The first sign indicating that Naxalites were back with a renewed vigour came in the form of the killing of JMM MP Sunil Mahato, a vocal opponent of the movement in Jharkhand. However, it was not clear if all the SPOs killed or injured were officially part of the Salwa Judum project. They were drawn from among the local tribal population and were part of a temporary police camp set up to control Naxalite activities in Bhairamgarh block of Bijapur district. The group also included a road opening party since there were instances of roads in the area being mined or blocked. Shortly after the incident, police and CRPF teams fanned out to adjoining areas amid apprehensions that mines or bombs may have been planted to inflict further damage. After the attack, the Centre placed a BSF helicopter at the state government’s disposal to evacuate the injured police personnel. The Union Home Ministry has, however, turned down requests from Naxal-affected states in the past for air-power during operations, saying that helicopters should be used “mainly to transport people injured in attacks or speed up movement of police personnel during an operation”. Recent figures show that Chhattisgarh accounts for a majority of incidents and casualties when it comes to Naxal violence. Last year, the state witnessed 715 incidents of Naxal violence that left around 304 civilians, 84 security personnel and 74 Naxalites dead. According to a ministry spokesman, 13 battalions of Central paramilitary forces, including the CRPF, are already deployed in Chhattisgarh to assist the state police in anti-Naxal operations. (Indian Express 16/3/07)

 

More armed personnel to flush out naxalites in Bastar (12)

DANTEWADA (Chhattisgarh): In the aftermath of the Maoist attack on the Ranibodili police camp, more security forces are heading for the Bastar region to flush out naxalites. Some 8,000 armed personnel, also drawn from the Central pool (Central Reserve Police Force and Naga regiment), are deployed in the Maoist strongholds of the Bijapur police district (part of Dantewada revenue district). The armed forces, which intensified combing operations, had encounters with the Maoists at three places during the last two days. One Maoist was killed in an encounter at Gundagao in Bijapur district. A .303 rifle, one of the 50 weapons lifted from the Ranibodili police camp, was recovered from his person. Maoist cadres were sighted at Gotpalli and Markam villages, but gave the forces the slip. The counter-operations triggered an exodus of tribals from the region. Mostly Moriya tribals, who accompanied the Maoists in the operations, are now on the run. A majority of them were mobilised from the forest villages, which are not far from Ranibodili. They have been flocking to neighbouring Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The turnout at the tribal shandies was poor. The movement of vehicles was restricted by the police. Life remained disrupted in many towns in Dantewada district. Shops and hotels remained closed for nearly two days in the nearby towns as the 39 SPOs (special police officers) killed in the Ranibodili Maoist attack were all from the villages nearby. All of them are tribal youths who owed their allegiance to the Salwa Judum movement. The Salwa Judum leadership is reorganising the local youths once again in a big way to avenge the killings. (The Hindu 19/3/07)

 

Naxals target private sector (12)

New Delhi, March 24: The Naxalites have plans this year to disrupt various proposed infra­structure and mining projects and steel plants by cashing in on the discontent due to displacement of tribals in mineral-rich areas of the country. The projects the Naxals plan to target include the bauxite mining project of the Jindals in Visakhapatnam, the Pollavaram irrigation project, steel plants pro­posed in Chhattisgarh by Tata, Essar and Jindal, the Centre's pro­posed railway line on the Rajhara-Raighat-Jagdalpur sector, Posco's steel plants under construction in Orissa, power plants proposed by the Ambanis, a proposed steel plant in Jharkhand by the Mittal Group and the Kosi irrigation pro­ject in northern Bihar. The revela­tions come in the annual report of the "Central Military Comm­ission" of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), a copy of which is with this newspaper. The Naxals are also planning political manoeuvring to use the issue of discontent among the peo­ple for a mass mobilisation against major projects of various multina­tional companies and different state governments across the coun­try. The Naxals estimate that the situation is conducive for converting groups of people to participate in a mass struggle and to eliminate police forces to achieve their objec­tive of "liberation from the exploitative governments and the capitalist class", the Naxal annual report says. The document claims that the governments at the Centre and states have become fearful due to the growing intensity and reach of Naxalism. The eight-page report claims that even the United States is fearful of the growing strength and confidence of the Naxalites over the last two years. The report attempts to qualify its contentions by saying that due to the growing might of Naxalism the state governments and the Centre have recognised the same as the biggest challenge to internal secu­rity. The violence, especially due to a strong revolutionary presence in mineral-rich Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, has posed a threat to investments of thousands of crores of rupees in these states, the report said. "The economic policies guided by capitalism have disturbed the lives of all sections of people, as a result of which peo­ple's resistance is growing. …. (Asian Age 25/3/07)

 

Top Naxal leaders surrender in Andhra (12)

HYDERABAD, MARCH 26: Two top Naxal leaders, Durgam Ramanaiah alias Ravi and Merugu Sambaiah alias Ganesh Ueike, surrendered before the Andhra Pradesh Police in Warangal on Sunday. While Ramanaiah surrendered reportedly due to ill health, 55-year-old Sambaiah gave up because he was “disillusioned with the group’s ideology”. Sambaiah is a contemporary of party founder Kondapalli Seetaramaiah. Sambaiah’s wife Ballamkonda Sarakka, who had been underground for the past few years, has also surrendered. While he was involved in cases like the Koraput jail break of 2004 and attacks on police stations in Koraput and Etunagaram, his wife headed the Chaitanya Natya Manch in Dandakaranya, the police said. Explaining the reasons behind his surrender, Sambaiah said the group had “failed to involve the masses, and the leadership was not ready to change with the times.” There was a stark difference between the Maoists of Nepal and those in India, he added. Maoist sources said he was amongst the pioneers of the movement in the region. Ramanaiah, according to Superintendent of Police Saumya Mishra, was involved in a number of cases, including the murder of Yellandu Market Committee chairman and an attack on Kothagudem Thermal Power station. He joined the party in 1993 and was part of Radical Students Union. He was also a member of the North Telangana Special Committee, the DK zone and the Central Military Commission, she added. The police said Ramanaiah had been conducting military training camps till January 2007 for the state committee members and the divisional committee secretaries of the group. These camps were reportedly organised in West Bastar and the Andhra-Orissa border area of Galikonda, Gangaloru, Bairangadh and Made. According to officials, his 24-year-old-wife Sarakka had also joined the group in 1997. (Indian Express 27/3/07)

 

Maoists attack police station (12)

KHAMMAM: Maoists once again attacked the Maraiagudem police outpost in the Konta division in Chhattisgarh on Monday night. About 300 naxalites and Sangham members surrounded the station, hurled grenades at it and then opened fire. There was heavy firing from both sides. The Konta sub-divisional police officer, Prafulla Kumar Thakur, said the firing went on for about an hour. There were no casualties. Only two days ago the Maoists attacked the station. (The Hindu 27/3/07)

 

Naxal attacks a nightmarish experience for tribal families (12)

MARAIGUDEM: The raids by the CPI (Maoist) on a police station and adjacent Salwa Judum base camp, housing about 1,600 tribal families, at Maraigudem in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh from March 24 to 27 has caused considerable alarm. The families were displaced in the wake of confrontation between the extremist group and the State-sponsored Salwa Judum campaign. The raids were spearheaded by an assault group of 70 naxalites, accompanied by about 1,000 members of the party's village level "sanghams." The naxalites, camping in nearby forests, launched attacks only after nightfall. They hurled petrol and soap bombs and resorted to heavy firing. It was a nightmarish experience for the inmates of the tribal settlement, which lacks basic amenities. There is no power supply either at the camp or in the police station. Dantewada Collector K.R. Pisda visited the camp on Tuesday and assured the inmates that all steps to protect their lives. They made a representation him, urging that the camp be shifted either to Gollapali or Konta, division headquarters. Mr. Pisda said their request would be looked into. The first attack was launched in the early hours of March 24. The Salwa Judum activists responded quickly and retaliated with bows and arrows. About 60 youths, designated as special police officers and armed with .303 rifles, thwarted the attack. The fierce fighting lasted for about three hours. A Central Reserve Police Force unit camping in the village and some 30 personnel of the State civil and armed police joined the SPOs in beating back the Maoists. A CRPF officer said the naxalites suffered heavy casualties. Explosives, a .303 rifle and Rs. 27,000 were recovered. Maoists laid siege to the village again the next night. There was sporadic firing all through the night, with the naxalites retreating to the forests at 5 a.m. So was the case on the third and fourth day. No reinforcements could be sent to Maraigudem as the area lacked proper roads. Some of the panic-stricken camp inmates have started migrating to safer places. The youth, shouldering the task of fortifying the camp, were engaged in the last few days in putting up wooden barricades to block the free passage of intruders. (The Hindu 29/3/07)

 

Maoists blow up bridge, try to loot banks in Bihar (12)

Patna, March 31: Naxalites on Saturday evening launched an attack in Riga block of Sitamarhi district in north Bihar bordering Nepal. Hundreds of Naxals raided the local police station, block headquarters and two branches of nationalised banks taking everyone by surprise busy settling accounts on the last day of the financial year. One SAP (Special Auxiliary Police) force jawan was killed and a bank employee injured in the attack. The primary target of the Naxals was to loot the two banks but Home Commissioner Afzal Amanullah claimed that it was thwarted by the police. According to reports, the Naxals first cut off the road link to Riga from Sitamarhi, some 10 km away, by blowing up a bridge. This prevented police reinforcements from the district headquarters to reach the spot. They then surrounded the police station, block headquarters and the two banks — Bank of Baroda and Central Bank branches — and started firing from sophisticated weapons. Amanullah initially said the attack was serious but the exact situation was not known since communication lines with the block — phone as well as wireless — had been snapped. However, he later claimed that the police force fought a pitched battle with the Naxals and prevented their plan to loot cash from the banks and police arms and ammunition. “Our jawans thwarted the attempt of the Naxals”, Amanullah said. He said the police had intelligence reports about such an attack and therefore the force was alert. Reports said the SAP raised by recruiting retired army jawans repulsed the Naxal attack. The international border with Nepal is just 3-4 km from Riga and police sources said the Naxalites might have come from across the border.  (Indian Express 1/4/07)

 

5 Maoists in Nepal govt (12)

Kathmandu, April 1: Taking forward the peace process that ended the decade-old insurgency in Nepal, five Maoists were on Sunday sworn in as ministers in the new interim government headed by Prime Minister Girija Parasad Koirala, which has been tasked with steering the nation into the June 20 Constituent Assembly polls. Mr Koirala, 84, who was unanimously appointed Prime Minister by Nepal’s interim Parliament, administered the oath of office to 16 Cabinet ministers and five ministers of state, including the Maoists. Ramchandra Poudyal of the Nepali Congress, who got the peace and rehabilitation portfolio, is the seniormost in the 22-member Cabinet while Krishna Banahdur Mahara, who took the oath as minister for information and communication, is the seniormost among the Maoist representatives. The foreign ministry will be taken over by Sahana Pradhan of the UML. She will be Nepal’s first woman foreign minister. Ramsharan Mahato of the Nepali Congress is finance minister while Krishna Sitaula of the same party has been given the portfolio of home minister. Rajendra Mahat is minister of industry and commerce. Besides Mr Mahara, among the Maoists Dev Gurung took over as local development minister,Matrika Yadav as minister for forests, Hisila Yami as minister for physical planning and works and Khadga Bahadur Biswokarma is minister for women, children and social welfare. "Holding of the Constituent Assembly elections on time and to provide relief to the people will be the two main agendas of the new government," Maoist chief Prachanda said, after attending the oath-taking ceremony. "It’s a historic day for Nepal," Prachanda told reporters. "A new process of making a new Nepal has begun now and our responsibility has increased." Regarding his party’s stand on making Nepal a republic, Prachanda said: "During today’s eight-party meeting, it was agreed that if the monarchy tries to obstruct the Constituent Assembly elections, then the government would include a provision to abolish the monarchy by two-thirds majority in Parliament." He also said that the ministers of his party will accept the security provided by the government as per the prevailing rules. Earlier in the day, Nepal’s interim Parliament unanimously approved the appointment of Mr Koirala as head of the new unity government inclusive of Maoists. After taking the oath of office, Mr Koirala said it was "beginning of a new chapter in the political history of Nepal" with the inclusion of Maoists in the government. "I urge all to leave behind all minor differences and move forward together to get to our goals." (Asian Age 2/4/07)

 

Chhattisgarh: 2 killed by Maoists (12)

Raipur, April 1: Tension gripped the site of Essar Steel’s upcoming plant in Chhattisgarh after Maoist militants on early Sunday killed two farmers for having agreed to hand over their land to the company, a top police officer said. A group of over 40 armed militants swooped on Bhansi village, some 400 km south of here, in Dantewada district — among the country’s districts worst hit by Maoist violence — and killed Amit, 26, and Hungaram, 50, as they had agreed to surrender their land for the steel plant. "The situation is tense and villagers, mostly tribals of Bhansi and neighbouring Dhurli village, are highly frightened by the killings by Maoists," Dantewada district superintendent of police O.P. Pal said. "Rebels have warned villagers not to hand over their ancestral farmland to Essar Steel, otherwise they would also meet the same fate," he said. Mr Pal, along with several senior police officers, rushed to Bhansi soon after the killings to assess the situation. Extra forces were deployed at the project site. Essar Steel, one of the country’s leading steelmakers, signed an agreement with the Chhattisgarh government. (IANS) (Asian Age 2/4/07)

 

Naxals spread to TN, Karnataka (12)

New Delhi, April 1: Naxalites, who pose the biggest threat to internal security, are trying to increase their influence and activities in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where they did not have a strong presence earlier. Tamil Nadu has been a threshold state, but now the Naxalites are trying to expand base in the southern states. According to the Union home ministry report, the new areas are mostly in parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka and Kerala, the Naxal violence has been only on the fringes. Andhra Pradesh has been the epicentre of Naxalite violence in the recent past. It has now shifted to Chhattisgarh. The attacks on railways and other properties had been more prominent in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, where the ultras were also targeting mines and mining-related activities. The government has also appointed an Empowered Group of Ministers (E-GoM) to closely monitor the Naxal situation and evolve strategies to deal with the problem. The Centre has also deployed 33 battalions of paramilitary forces on anti-Naxalite duty, sanctioned 29 India Reserve Battalions (IRBs) and assisted states in the task of police modernisation in terms of modern weaponry, latest telecommunication equipment. Besides, Rs 219 crores has been reimbursed so far under the security-related expenditure (SRE) scheme for Naxal-hit areas. Of the total 12,476 police stations in the country, Naxal violence has been reported from 395 police stations in 2006, against 460 police stations during 2005. The current year saw the biggest-ever Naxal attack in worst-hit Chhattisgarh, when 55 policemen were killed by CPI(Maoists) when they stormed a police station in Bastar region on March 15. A study of the pattern of attacks showed that Naxal outfits had been targeting police posts, railway stations, forest checkpoints and other government and private property. According to the report, the Naxalites have also been attempting to intensify their efforts at social mobilisation. The Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), set up in May 2005 for this purpose, has enlarged into the People’s Democratic Front of India (PDFI). Data available with the ministry of home affairs (MHA) revealed that a total of 157 police personnel were killed in 2006 in 210 attacks on securitymen and in 335 encounters with police. This has been mainly due to frequent use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmine blasts by the Naxalites. (Asian Age 2/4/07)

 

Naxals kill 2 farmers for giving land to Essar Steel (12)

Raipur: : Two farmers were killed early on Sunday by suspected Maoist rebels for having handed over their land for an upcoming steel plant in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district. Over 40 armed Maoists raided Bhansi village, 395 km from here, and allegedly slit the throats of two villagers who had surrendered their land to Essar Steel for setting up the plant, said a senior police officer. Those killed were identified as Amit, 26 and Hungaram, 50. Police sources alleged that the extremists warned the residents of Bhansi and neighbouring Dhurli village against giving up their ancestral farmland to Essar Steel or meet the same fate as the two killed. The steel major had signed a deal with the Chhattisgarh Government in 2005 for setting up a Rs 70 billion integrated steel plant in Dantewada with a 3.2-million tonne capacity. (Indian Express 2/4/07)

 

Six killed in Naxal attack in Jharkhand (12)

RANCHI: Six persons, including two CISF personnel, were killed and six others injured when Naxals launched attacks on a CISF picket at Khasmahal coal project in Bokaro district and a police station, a senior police official said on Saturday. The two CISF personnel received fatal bullet wounds in the attack on Friday night on the picket near the project under Gandhi Nagar police station of the district, Superintendent of Police Priya Dubey said. Four civilians died when the Maoists fired at Kurpania Bazaar nearby, the SP said. Two other CISF jawans and four other civilians were injured in the attack. The Maoists, who exploded landmines at several places to create panic in the area, also tried to storm the Gandhi Nagar police station but the police repulsed their move. Both the security personnel and the Maoists traded several rounds of bullets. A cleaner of a dumper was injured when a separate group of extremists exploded a landmine in an attempt to blow up a bridge leading to Khasmahal to stop police movement. Soon after the attack, the Bokaro SP rushed to the spot with reinforcements. The encounter lasted till the early hours. The injured were being treated at a nearby hospital.  (TIMES OF INDIA 7/4/07)

 

Naxals attack train in Bihar; two killed (12)

PATNA: In a daring strike, Naxalites of the banned CPI (Maoists) attacked a passenger train in Bihar's Jamui district on Sunday morning, killing two Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawans and wounding three others, railway officials said. An unspecified number of Naxalites stopped Howrah-Gaya passenger train between Narganjo and Ghorpara stations of the Eastern Railway, about 170 km from here, around 8 am and shot dead two RPF jawans-- A Bag and B Ghosh, the sources said. No passenger was harmed by the Naxalites, they said. Three RPF personnel including a sub-inspector, who were injured in the attack, have been shifted to a government hospital at nearby Jhajha. The Naxalites were also learnt to have looted some firearms and ammunition of the RPF personnel, but no official confirmation was immediately available. The Naxalites were heard shouting anti-government slogans, the sources said. (TIMES OF INDIA 8/4/07)

 

Maoists using woman cadre to expand ideology (12)

New Delhi : The Ministry of Home Affairs is patting its back with the claim that Maoist violence is on the decline, however, the Maoists are using a different strategy to carry on their support-building exercise.  Inputs available with the Ministry shows that the Maoists are increasingly deploying their female cadre for expanding their ideological bases in semi urban and industrial areas. Non-implementation of labour laws and plight of unorganised sector workers and farmers in various parts of the country are proving to be added advantage for the Maoists. Sources said that the female cadres are taking jobs as labourers and through their interaction with the people, try to bring them in the fold of the Maoists. "Social interaction between the successive Governments from pre-independence era and the tribals did not exist, and the local people got attracted towards Maoists ideology, as they accepted the them as their benefactors," a study by S Narain of AN Sinha Institute of Social Sciences presented to the Home Ministry on Sunday mentioned. According to the MHA sources, these female cadres are not involving themselves in violent activities but they are working to expand their political and ideological base. They are concentrating their activities in States like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The expansion in the number of unorganised labour, due to growing infrastructure activities, is providing the Maoists a tool to ideologically win over the local masses that are deprived of any guarantee of dignified life. Senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs too accept the MHA annual report of reduction in Maoist violence with a pinch of salt. "Decrease in violence does not mean reduction in their strength," a senior MHA official told The Pioneer. "They often use the tactics to reduce the violent activities to create an atmosphere of ease in the establishment and they make surprise attacks to get maximum benefit in terms of looting guns and ammunition from the police," he added citing the Bijapur incident in Chhatisgarh. According to the Ministry annual report, the Maoist violence reduced by 6.15 per cent in 2006 in comparison to the previous year. In 2005 the Maoist-related incidents numbered 1,608, in 2006 the number came down to 1,509. However the annual report of the Home Ministry also maintain that out of total 8,252 police stations in the country, Maoists are present in at least 508 with considerable strength. (PIONEER 9/4/07)

 

Naxals threaten Jharkhand Dy CM (12)

RANCHI, APRIL 9: More than a month after its cadres gunned down JMM MP Sunil Mahato in East Singhbhum district, the CPI(Maoist) has come out with a letter, threatening Deputy CM Sudhir Mahato of dire consequences if he does not stop speaking against the Naxals. “You have been issuing false statements from time to time. Your aim and motive is clear to the people. However, we feel it right to challenge your statements and warn you against letting loose a barrage of lies,” says the letter dated April 8. “To come to your false propaganda about your espousing the cause of the Jharkhandis, we make it loud and clear that you have betrayed them in every conceivable way. You and your party’s corrupt leaders have proved traitors to the long cherished dream of a democratic Jharkhand,” the letter says and adds that in case he continues to support the anti-Naxalite Nagrik Suraksha Samiti, he will meet Sunil’s fate. Reacting to it, Sudhir said: “We have discussed the matter with the top brass in New Delhi and sought 30 companies of paramilitary forces.” The JMM cadres are up in arms against the Maoists. Under the Deputy CM’s patronage, 200 Adivasis belonging to the NSS had recently gathered at the Bagudia football ground in East Singhbhum district and paid tributes to Sunil Mahato. NSS chief Shanker Chandra Hembrom, who was close to the slain leader, declared on the occasion that the Adivasis instead of bowing before the Naxals would carry out a drive against them. “It is a matter of shame that a 3,000- odd Naxalites have begun to dominate over 2.69 crore people of the state,” Hembrom said. CM Madhu Koda has said that his government will not enter into a dialogue with the Naxalites till they give up arms. (INDIAN EXPRESS 10/4/07)

 

Naxalites blow up school buildings in Bihar (12)

MUNGER: Naxalites blew up buildings of two adjacent schools, which till a month ago housed a CRPF picket, in Bihar's Munger district in the early hours on Tuesday. An unspecified number of suspected CPI (Maoist) guerrillas descended on Banahara village, about 25 km from Munger, under Haveli Kharagpur police station and blew up a few rooms of a high school and a middle school using dynamites, superintendent of police Ravindran Shankaran said. No casualty was reported as there was nobody present in the two buildings at the time of the incident. The police recovered some can-bombs from the place of the incident, he said. The Maoist rebels had earlier attacked Howrah-Gaya passenger train in adjoining Jamui district on Sunday morning killing two RPF jawans and wounding three others, besides looting two carbines, pistols and a self-loading rifle.  (TIMES OF INDIA 10/4/07)

 

Maoists hounding Nepal businessmen  (12)

Kathmandu : Businessmen have demanded security from continuing "assaults" and intimidation by Maoist supporters in Nepal's Morang, Sunsari and Jhapa districts, threatening to close down industries if the Government failed to respond to their demands. "If our three-point demands maintaining industrial security, creating an atmosphere for investment and action against the guilty is not met, all industries will be shut down on April 15," said Jeevan Nepal, chairperson of the Morang Trade Association.  Acting chairperson of the Industry Association (Morang) Dinesh Golchha said businessmen were agitated at the growing lawlessness in the industrial sector and "increasing incidents of assaults on businessmen." Recently, Maoist-affiliated workers "beat up" one of the proprietors of the Pioneer Cables, Shyam Sundar Sarada. "The Maoists instigated the workers and engineered the incident after failing to extort Rs 5 lakh in donation," said Nanda Kishor Sarada, another proprietor of the Pioneer Cables. Businessmen staged a demonstration in Biratnagar on Friday to protest against the "assault" on Shyam Sundar Sarada. Businessmen of Morang, Sunsari and Jhapa districts took out a demonstration from Shahid Rangashala and went round the city.Angry over the inability of the local administration to arrest Sarada's assaulter's, the businessmen warned that they will stage phase-wise protest programmes if the guilty were not put behind bars. They also warned that they will close some 500 industries in the Morang-Sunsari industrial corridor and dump the keys with the Government if action was not taken against the guilty by April 15. Gopal Bhandari, Superintendent of Police, said one person has been arrested and a search for the others is on, The Himalayan Times reported on Saturday. (Pioneer 15/4/07)

 

Maoists can be wiped out within 3 years: Home Ministry official (12)

Hyderabad : A senior official of the Union Home Ministry has expressed confidence that if all the States work in coordination, the menace of the Left wing violence in the country could be eliminated within three years. ML Kumavat, the special chief secretary in the Union Home Ministry, who chaired the coordination meeting of the officials of nine Maoist violence-hit States in Hyderabad said that except a few States including Chattisgarh, the level of Left wing violence in most of the States was coming down.He put the estimate strength of the armed naxalites across the country at about 6000 while the number for Andhra Pradesh alone was 400. The meeting was held to prepare an action plan to further modernise the police force, improve Intelligence gathering and coordination among the States. The action plan will be presented before the Chief Ministers of the affected States when they meet next week in New Delhi. The coordination meeting was attended by the officials from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. (Pioneer 15/4/07)

 

Taking on Naxals and benefiting from it (12)

SONEBHADRA, APRIL 24: On entering the Naxalite-affected areas of Chandauli, Sonebhadra and Mirzapur your fear will be forgotten for a while. Some of the best village roads in Uttar Pradesh, including the road to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s home Safai, run through these areas. Smooth roads cutting through forests, alongside the Vindhyas and the Gaderia river, are some of the most picturesque views in the Purvanchal area. But the districts fall in the so-called ‘Red Corridor’, and the hills, the forests and the clusters of huts in a distance could be Naxalite hideouts. Two weeks ago, a Maoist commander Sanjay Kol—carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh for his arrest—was killed in an encounter. On Sunday, his wife was picked up by the police. And the fight, what the Maoists describe as state oppression and the government calls terrorism, has led poor tribals to believe that the way out of the situation would be through political empowerment and development. One such person is Dashrath Kol, Sanjay Kol’s father, who is now contesting from the Robertsganj (Reserved) seat on a Rashtriya Samanta Dal ticket. The older Kol is said to have suffered at the hands of authorities because of his son. But according to some in the Madhupur kasba of Sonebhadra, where the family stays, Sanjay was killed while trying to muster support for his father. Maoist sympathisers do not agree and have called for an election boycott in Chandauli, Sonebhadra and Mirzapur. “The Maoists are not a threat to common people. Their fight is only with the police,” said Ram Dular, a local. He could be right, for the area is remarkably incident free. The only signs of threat are the police armoured vehicles. Local CPI(M-L) leaders, often mistaken by villagers and the police for Naxalites, say some of the Maoist cadre are joining them. CPI(M-L) activist Prashant Shukla said after the mainstream Indian Left lost support in the area about 15 years ago, their place was taken by the Maoists. “We are intervening in the area and some of the Maoist cadre have joined us. Even though there is hype about the Maoist terror, there isn’t much truth in it. But this hype is fetching the police and the administration a lot of funds from the Centre,” he said. Party General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharyya, who was campaigning in Robertsganj on Monday, said his party has put up 33 candidates in the three districts. According to him, the party is getting reasonable support. Sonebhadra Superintendent of Police Raghuvir Lal said he has tried to fight the Maoist terror by holding camps with the local people. He has asked his men to establish good relations with villagers by promising them development. The two-pronged approach, to continue with combing operations while trying to inculcate confidence in people, has begun to pay off. “We promise a fair trial to the Maoists who want to surrender. I can tell you that no further recruitment is taking place,” Lal said. The local population has little time for either the Maoists or the police. The school in Madhupur does function and the teachers are regular, but other facilities barely exist. The hospital is actually a dispensary. The farmers have had a bad year because of an acute water problem and the high cost of fertilisers. Even if they manage to sow their fields, they are hit by the water shortage. The power crisis is overwhelming. ……… (Indian Express 25/4/07)

 

Maoists training children as guerrillas (12)

DANTEWADA (Chhattisgarh): Maoists here have ordered pregnant women to deliver only at makeshift camps run by women guerrillas so that the children can dedicate themselves to extreme left ideology. "Pregnant women have been ordered to deliver only under the guidance of health experts of the Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangh," said Yelam, a 32-year-old Maoist leader, in the Abujhmad forest in Dantewada district. The Sangh comprising women guerrillas is one of the frontal organisations of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist). "The children, boys or girls, will be enrolled as new cadres and will be brought up in a culture that will help fulfil the long-awaited dream of liberating the red zone," he added. Police say the 20,000 armed Maoists who operate in India have formed the 'red zone' from southern India to Nepal's border. "The decision is intended to keep reminding these children as they grow up that they are born to the cause of Maoist ideology and the creation of the red zone," said Yelam, who belongs to Indravati Dalam, an affiliate of the CPI-Maoist in Chhattisgarh. The CPI-Maoist, an outfit formed in late 2005 with the merger of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and People's War Group (PWG), has a strong presence and terror network in 13 of India's 29 states. "Our influence and support base is fast widening as police lack local support and their intelligence set up has entirely collapsed." The CPI-Maoist has set up several war training camps and explosive units in a forested stretch of Chhattisgarh's southern region of Bastar where they virtually run a parallel government. The guerrillas have killed hundreds of civilians and policemen and bombed government buildings and establishments since 1967 when they launched an armed movement from a West Bengal village. The rebels carried out one of the deadliest attacks of their four-decade-old armed struggle March 15 on a police camp in Chhattisgarh, killing 55 policemen. According to a report by the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), a total of 749 people were killed in India in 2006 in Maoist violence, with Chhattisgarh accounting for 48 per cent of the casualties. The ACHR has said in its latest report that the state has reported 101 of the total 144 casualties of Maoist violence in India from January to March this year.  (Times of India 27/4/07)

 

States advised to keep tab on Maoists (12)

New Delhi : While the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has asked the Centre to constitute a unified command at national level to tackle the Maoist violence, the meeting of the National Co-ordination Centre on Naxalism has decided to keep a close watch on movement of Maoists and inform States to launch a common offensive if situations required.  The Parliamentary Committee Report, which was tabled in Parliament on Thursday said the Maoist problem had taken a national dimension. "Besides the Central Paramilitary Forces, State Police Forces may also contribute to the unified command," the Parliamentary Report recommends. The committee headed by BJP MP Sushma Swaraj clearly mentioned that it was no longer a problem of few States, and expressed strong displeasure over the lack of initiative by the States. "There is no perceptible change on the socio-economic front," the report mentioned. Subsequently, the NCCN meeting, chaired by Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, decided to share information among the States on the weaponry, training camps, hideouts, sources of weapons and funds, areas of current activity and areas in which they plan to spread violence and activity. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of the Maoist-affected States along with officials from the Planning Commission and Central Ministries of Tribal Affairs, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Forests & Environment. The Centre asked the State officials to fill vacancies in the Government at the bottom level of the district administration especially in rural and tribal areas through special recruitment drives to ensure that the developmental agenda of the Government was not neglected due to absence of grassroot machinery, however, the State officials presented their plan of action how they were going on the agenda. They also presented their plan of increasing the strength of police forces and ensuring their share in Indian Reserve force as suggested by the Centre. (Pioneer 27/4/07)

 

Again, Naxals find Chhattisgarh cops easy target (12)

Kanker, April 28 : The discovery of gunshot wounds on the bodies of two of the five Chhattisgarh police personnel killed by Maoist rebels on Thursday night and eyewitness accounts have established that it was not just another landmine attack. It now appears that the members of the police team were shot at while trying to escape from the blast site, and more importantly, they were not armed. The attack took place when the police party was travelling by bus from Pakhanjore to Kanker. The policemen were only armed with lathis despite the fact that they were travelling through an area known to be a Naxalite stronghold. Investigations by The Sunday Express revealed that while three police personnel, assistant sub-inspectors Najgir Baksh and Lokesh Sahu, and driver Asharam Dugga, were killed in the blast, two others, Kamlesh Kanwar and Devprakash Darro, were shot dead by the Naxals. Their bodies were recovered from a ditch yesterday, a day after the incident, about 50 metres from the blast site. The blast, triggered by Naxal cadres lying in ambush near Bhuski culvert, left an eight-feet-wide crater at the site. After the blast, the Naxalites opened fire on the bus, forcing the policemen to flee from the spot. What the authorities are now finding hard to explain is how after last month’s massacre of 55 security personnel at Dantewara, the Chhattisgarh Police failed to take adequate measures to protect its men. “These policemen were travelling without weapons in a Maoist-infested area. If some of the policemen hadn’t managed to take shelter in the nearby forests, the death toll would have been much higher. The Naxalites started firing immediately after the blast,” a source said. Several of the injured personnel confirmed that they survived by running into the jungle. “Once the landmine went off, we could hear gun shots from the nearby jungles. Most of us got out of the bus after breaking the window glasses. As we didn’t have any weapons, we ran in the opposite direction from where the shots were being fired,” said Govind Sahu, a constable injured in the attack. Sahu was amongst the 18 injured policemen who ran for their lives and reached Durgukondal after hours. A police attempt to pass off the incident as just another landmine blast failed after two security personnel, Veer Singh Thakur and Tarun Kalakar, who were missing after the incident, returned to Durgukondal police station late last night. “When the Naxalites started firing I decided to take refuge in the nearby jungles. I had to spend the night in the thick undergrowth and only came out in the morning,” said Kalakar, who suffered injuries on his abdomen and legs. (Indian Express 29/4/07)

 

Maoists open fire in Orissa market, kill 2 (12)

MALKANGIRI, APRIL 29 : A CRPF jawan and a Maoist were killed and six others injured in two separate gun battles between security personnel and Left-wing extremists in the district today. Maoists opened fire at a weekly market at MV-79 village—70 km from here—and injured a civilian, the police said. CRPF personnel, who were patrolling nearby, also returned fire as panic spread in the entire area. The gun battle lasted for about 90 minutes, in which five CRPF personnel and another person were injured. CRPF and Special Operation Group reinforcements were rushed to the village and a combing operation was launched. The second encounter occurred at MPV-47 village between security personnel and ultras in which a Maoist was killed. The four injured CRPF men and a villager were later rushed to Kalimela, from where they were airlifted to a hospital in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. (Indian Express 30/4/07)

 

Maoist kill 200 over four months in Chhattisgarh (12)

Raipur : Chhattisgarh saw over 200 deaths, including 113 civilian casualties, in the first four months of 2007 - the highest toll since the Maoists gained ground in the State in the late 1970s, police said on Monday. "Maoist violence has surged to a record high in Chhattisgarh. The State witnessed 200 deaths by April 25, including 113 civilian casualties and 44 policemen. As many as 44 Maoists too were killed," said Girdhari Nayak, a police official. This was the highest ever toll in Maoist violence in the first four months of a year since the rebels gained ground in late 1970s in the State's southern tip of Bastar region spread out in 40,000 sq km of dense forests. "Combing has been intensified and that's why more retaliations are coming in from the Maoists side. Violence will only pick up further in the coming months with paramilitary troopers and police planning to fan out in the interiors to bust guerrilla bases and hideouts," Nayak said. He said Maoists were holding mass recruitments in Chhattisgarh and claimed that police had enough evidence to prove that rebels were forcing women and children to join. In 2006, the country saw 749 deaths in Maoist violence, with Chhattisgarh alone accounting for 48 per cent of the casualties. (Pioneer 30/4/07)

 

Naxals bring road, bridge work to a halt in Bihar (12)

PATNA, MAY 1: Under-Construction roads and bridges are under threat from Naxalites in Bihar. The red brigade has been demanding a cut from the contractors and have struck at many places to terrorise those engaged in development projects. Construction work on a bridge in Sheohar district had to be stopped after a Naxal attack on Sunday night. Maoists rebels raided the site, damaged equipment and set ablaze shelters meant for workers. They also blew up the existing wooden bridge over Bagmati at Dubbaghat. Following the attack, terrified labourers stopped work. Another road project in Aurangabad district also came to a halt following a similar attack. For the state police, providing adequate security at every construction site is turning out to be difficult proposition due to shortage of manpower. Initially, a police team was deputed at the Sheohar site. But after sometime the team was withdrawn and immediately afterwards the Naxals struck. Now police reinforcements have been sent again to instill confidence among those engaged in constructing the bridge. “Additional forces have been sent for carrying out combing operations and also to provide security to those engaged in the work,” Range IG Kirshna Choudhury said. Sources in the police said the Naxals had planned to blow up the under-construction bridge, but failed. While reports said the Naxals were demanding money as levy for the construction work, posters put up by the Naxals said the attack was a punishment for not paying workers their proper wages. Earlier too, the Naxals had put up posters directing the concerned construction company to get in touch with them before starting work. Once ready, the bridge will act as a lifeline for the people in the region that is annually ravaged by flash floods. It has been under construction since 2001. It may be noted that for almost all development projects being undertaken in their areas of influence, the Naxals have been putting up road blocks. According to the police, the Naxals are opposing physical infrastructure as it will allow easy accessibility to their hideouts. Lack of roads and bridges, according to the police, are major deterrents in carrying out anti-Naxal operations. (Indian Express 2/5/07)

 

We made 2 firms pay Rs 2.5 cr for work on Jharkhand GQ road, says Maoist (12)

RANCHI, MAY 3: A Maoist commander has told the Jharkhand police that the CPI (Maoist) allowed work on a state stretch of the Golden Quadrilateral after forcing L&T and ECI, the road builders, to cough up Rs 2.5 crore. The Maoists even took a Scorpio jeep from the road-builders. Confirming that this was what Maoist zonal commander Ganesh Ram said after his arrest, DGP J B Mahapatra told The Indian Express that the “levy” was paid in cash by the staff of these companies. Spokespersons of the two companies were not available for comments. Ganesh Ram said that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) could start construction of the road under its Golden Quadrilateral project in Chauparan block in Hazaribagh district only after Rs 2.5 crore “levy” was paid to the Maoists in instalments over two years. .(Indian Express 4/5/07)

 

Maoists gun down forester in Saragada (12)

BHUBANESWAR: After a brief silence, suspected Maoists have struck again. A forester was shot dead in Saragada Forest Section in Mayurbhanj district late on Tuesday night and a government beat house, where forest field staff was staying, was set on fire. Rabindra Nath Patra, 55, was asleep in the forest house when over 50 naxalites, suspected to have crossed over neighbouring Jharkhand border, attacked him, sources said. Seven ultras, including three women, were in uniform while the rest were believed to be their supporters. "Marks of two gunshots were found on head of the victim. The ultras dragged him to a village, one km away from the forest beat house," Uttam Kumar Mohanty, Inspector in-charge of Gorumahisani police station said. Patra was taking part in a three-day elephant census for Rairangpur Forest Division in Mayurbhanj district. Mr. Mohanty said that the police found CPI (Maoist) leaflets at the spot. It was the first instance of a forest official succumbing to the bullets of naxalites in Mayurbhanj district. In January last, suspected Maoists slit the throats of three forest employees and smashed their heads in Kandhar forest under Dhenkanal district. Two other employees managed to flee from the spot. Some 15-member naxalite group carried out the attack then. Meanwhile, the Orissa Non-Gazetted Forest Service Association (ONGFSA) had expressed concern over the incident. "We are like innocent creatures who have been left behind in the jungles to be butchered," ONGFSA chairman J.B. Patnaik said. The association had been demanding arms to forest field staff over the past 10 years. The government had not been paying any heed to it, he alleged. "It is not possible to go alone into the forest. We have been impressing upon the higher-ups that forest department patrol teams should be constituted with necessary power to open fire," he said. Mr. Patnaik said that forest beat houses should be done away with and residential arrangement should be made in urban or semi-urban areas. (The Hindu 10/5/07)

 

Naxals eyeing Dalits to strengthen base: Police (12)

NAGPUR, may 10: The arrest of Murali, the Divisional Secretary of North Gadchiroli-Gondia Committee of the CPI(Maoist), and three accomplices here on Tuesday, has brought to light how Left-wing extremists were exploiting Dalit sentiments to strengthen their base in the state. Nagpur Commissioner of Police S P S Yadav told mediapersons yesterday that material seized from the four have revealed a plan to commemorate the 10th anniversary of protests against defiling of an Ambedkar statue in Mumbai’s Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar. “They have constituted an action committee to implement the Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar programme,” Yadav said. Murali was also writing a booklet on the Khairlanji agitation to show how the party actually regretted not being able to do much there. Meanwhile, Murali (45), Arun Thomas Pareira (35), Dhanendra Bhurle (35) and Naresh Bansod (42) have been booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. A local court has sent them in police custody till May 16. Yadav said Murali, alias Satya Reddy, was the propaganda chief of the party’s state unit, while Pareira looked after communications. The remaining two are ground-level activists. Bhurle is a former journalist and had worked for two Marathi dailies. “We had information that they had been frequently visiting the city. We had our men in full combat readiness, but were able to arrest them without use of force. But they tried to throw the pen drive and envelops away. We managed to salvage everything, including a 9-mm Chinese pistol, two magazines, 16 rounds, two VCDs, one MP3 CD, a notepad containing information about how to manufacture IEDs and a walkie-talkie,” Yadav said. “Murali had been given charge of Nagpur, called Santra (orange) in their code,” he added. Meanwhile, the four were being interrogated by city police, Intelligence Bureau and Anti-Naxalite Operation (ANO) wing of the state police. An Andhra Pradesh Police team is already in the city to question them. Murali’s arrest is being viewed as a “big” setback to Naxalites in the state and is likely to invite a backlash. “It could be in the form of an attack on a police station, a bandh call or a kidnap,” said Special Inspector General of Police (ANO) Pankaj Gupta. Gupta has sounded the alert in the Naxalite-infested areas and VIP security has been tightened. In 1992, when Murali’s Gadchiroli counterpart Shivanna was arrested, Naxalites had retaliated by kidnapping Dharamrao Baba Atram, now a Transport Minister in the Deshmukh Ministry. Shivanna had to be freed in exchange for Atram’s release.  (Indian Express 11/5/07)

 

Naxals kill minister’s guard in Chhattisgarh (12)

Raipur, May 13: A personal security officer deployed to guard state Public Health Engineering Minister Kedar Kashyap in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district was killed by Maoists late on Saturday evening. At least three Maoists, believed to be in school uniforms, fired at constable Khubchand Sahu at a weekly market in Mardapal village, 260 km from here, a police official said. Sahu succumbed to bullet injuries on way to the hospital. A woman standing near Sahu also received bullet injuries and was admitted to a hospital in the district headquarters at Jagdalpur. The accused escaped with the constable’s AK-47 rifle, official sources added. After the incident, security personnel were rushed to the spot to conduct search and cordon off the area. The miscreants had, however, fled the scene. No arrests have been made so far. Police said Sahu was one of the guards deployed to provide security to Kashyap who was in Mardapal on Saturday to inaugurate a government hospital. The minister was inside a guesthouse when the attack occurred. (Indian Express 14/5/07)

 

Maoists hide in mining zones (12)

Bhubaneswar, May 13: After being hounded by Andhra Pradesh police, CPI-ML(Jana shakti) members led by Anand Reddy have sneaked into Kalinga Nagar area, the upcoming industrial hub of Orissa . Intelligence sources said a group of about 70, including 15 armed cadres, belonging to the CPI-ML (Janashakti) were seen in the mining belt of Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Jajpur. They are operating from trouble-torn Kalinga Nagar industrial area, sources revealed. The red rebels have made their presence felt in the region, not just by holding meetings in forests to indoctrinate villagers but were also involved in the killing of three forest men in Kankadahada block in Dhenkanal in February. They also torched two vehicles in Harichandrapur in Keonjhar in March. Some villagers in the Kalinga Nagar area earlier this week wrote to chief minister Navin Patnaik, saying Maoists coming from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have actually taken charge of the agitation. The villagers also stated that more than 200 "suspicious characters" have landed in the area. (Asian Age 14/5/07)

 

40 years of Naxalbari (12)

Who's Charu Mazumdar? It's not the sort of question they ask in Kaun Banega Crorepati. There are no lifelines either. But the boy thinks hard, real hard. Then, he shakes his head slowly and sadly. "Sir, I don't know," he replies. But the class teacher isn't giving up. He calls six more students from Class IV and repeats the question. Then much like a kind Big B, he drops a hint. "Don't you remember the 'function' we had once?" he asks. Feeling bad about letting their teacher down before a stranger, the boys and girls grope for an answer. Finally, one of them admits: "Jani na, sir, Charu Mazumdar ke (Don't know, who's Charu Mazumdar, sir)."

 

It couldn't be more ironical. Barely 10 yards from their classroom, just outside the small boundary wall of Bengaijote Primary School, is the bust of top Naxalite leader and ideologue Charu Mazumdar along with Comrades Lenin, Stalin and Mao.

 

Beside them is a plaque in the memory of 11 martyrs, including six women and two children, who were killed in police firing on May 25, 1967. Old-timers insist that the Naxalbari peasant uprising wasn't an event but a process that started back in the early 1950s. But that day Naxalbari exploded into the national consciousness. And in a few years, Naxal became synonymous with any Red extremist evoking fear among landlords and policemen alike.

 

That was then. Now as the 40th anniversary of the peasant insurrection nears, for the outside world, Naxalbari still evokes images of peasants and tea garden workers up in rebellion. For the radical Red groups of different shades, including the Maoists, it is still an emblem and an idea that inspires. But in the villages around Naxalbari, once the heartbeat of the insurrection, new realities are at play.

 

In Naxalbari, revolution is a yesterday word. Most radical Reds here are septuagenarians. A young CPI(ML) worker is a rarity. There are more Marxist-Leninist parties - New Democracy, Liberation, Janashakthi, Kanu Sanyal group, Mahdadeb Mukherjee group, to name a few - than cadre. Posters with Charu Mazumdar's photo still adorn these parts. But, as veteran CPI(ML) Janashakti group activist Khokan Mazumdar points out, there is not even a book on the 1967 rural uprising in the local Subroti Sana library, although dozens were written in Bengali.

 

Barring old activists like him who spearheaded the uprising, there is no real battle between memory and forgetting. Youngsters say the uprising rarely figures in their conversations. They remember it primarily because May 25 is celebrated as an annual ritual with politicians paradropping from Kolkata. For the young, the Naxalbari uprising is a story; not a way of life.

 

Over the years, Naxalbari and its surrounding villages have been flooded with migrants from Bangladesh - men and women with no histori cal memory of the event. The influx has changed the demographics of the villages. The adivasis, who had migrated to these parts as labour from south Bihar (now Jharkhand), and the Rajbongshis, who formed the insurrection's spine, are a minority. The migrants, who have been gradually legalised through political patronage, serve as a votebank for the CPI(M) and are averse to radical politics. Over the past three decades, the CPI(M) has always retained the Phansidewa assembly of which the Naxalbari block is a part.

 

Naxalbari is like a secret trinket tucked away on the edge of north Bengal's Darjeeling district. Nepal is just five km away; back in the Sixties, it acted as a sanctuary for 'underground' Communist leaders. Furlongs of tea estates, paddy fields, bamboo forests and banana gardens - the villages appear born to lead a green, and not a red, revolution.

 

On entering Naxalbari, not Charu Mazumdar's, but a statue of Kargil martyr Suresh Chhetri and a Lion's Club signboard welcomes visitors. Sitting in his tin-roofed shack, Khokan Mazumdar points out that the sons of former CPI(ML) workers have joined CPI (M). "They are the new prosperous political elite," he says. In Bengaijot village, Arati Sarkar, a former CPI(ML) (Janashakti) worker's son, was picked up by the police for allegedly being a Maoist. In jail for two months, he has joined CPI (M). As Abhijit Mazumdar, Charu's son and district secretary, CPI(ML) (Liberation), says, "Over the years, there has been a systematic witch-hunt against anybody who opposes the CPI(M)," he says.