Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Naxalites fast losing tribals' sympathy

By Ravi Reddy

ADILABAD NOV. 2. The naxal-affected Kadamba village in Easgaon mandal has joined the long list of villages in Adilabad district that have revolted against People's War extremists.

The events that unfolded late on Friday night in Kadamba was the 24th in a series of similar incidents reported from at least 16 police station limits since November 2000. Increasing awareness levels among poor tribals, growing intolerance towards excesses of the naxals, people friendly attitude of the Police Department coupled with development of backward villages with the joint efforts of the police and the district administration has a major impact on the psyche of villagers, particularly tribals.

The Kadamba incident cannot be taken in isolation, as the pattern of revolt in the villages, beginning with Narsapur village in Ichoda mandal in the year 2000, has been the same. In all the incidents, the naxals fled in a hurry when confronted by a determined mob. Villagers dared the naxals to kill them and warned them to mend their ways and shut the doors on them. The naxals could do little and retreated vowing to take revenge for the humiliation.

Villages like Narsapur, Dahegaon (Bazarhathnoor mandal), Tejapur (Neradigonda), Dhani (Sarangapur), Pochera (Boath), Kautegaon, Gadalapalli and Mangi (all in Tiryani), Vaspalli (Utnoor), Gangapur, Morripeta (Kadam), Kanchanpalli, Chinnadampur (Sirpur Utnoor), Movvad, Venkatapur (Asifabad), Parvatigudem, Nishani (Kerameri), Dambireddipeta (Nannel), Bommena (Neelawai), Rampur (Kotapalli) and Budharam (Chennur) have entered records books for revolting against the naxals.

One of the notable incidents that took place on May 21, 2002, was when 30 armed naxalites, led by the Adilabad DCS, Lalitakka, the VIIth Platoon commander, Komaranna, the Platoon Section commander, Narsanna, and the Allampalli LGS commander, visited Gangapur and called all former militants, whose names had been removed from police records.

Smelling foul play, the villagers gathered in large numbers, with women taking the initiative. The naxals were questioned about their intentions. The villagers did not permit them to hold a meeting and instead forced them to flee the village. Women refused food and water to the heavily armed naxals. The extremists went back threatening the villagers.

In February this year, the same villagers took on the naxals for the second time when they tried to kill a villager and thwarted their attempts. A tussle ensued and in the melee a country-made weapon was snatched from the extremists.

The SP, Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, said the ``Police me kosam'' campaign was launched with an aim to present the police as a facilitator for tribal welfare and development. "Over 600 villages, 450 of them tribal areas, have been covered under the campaign so far. The campaign also aimed at creating awareness among tribals to bridge the gap between them and the administration,'' he said. The police conducted over a 100 medical camps in 66 villages and medicines worth a few lakhs were distributed free of cost. Five veterinary camps were organised. However, history was created on May 9, 2002, when 106 tribal couples entered wedlock at a mass marriage ceremony in Ichoda mandal headquarters.

Mr. Bhagwat said the police and the administration had not let down villages that raised a banner of revolt against the armed extremists. In Koutagaon, Punnaguda and Nagulguda, 10 bullock carts and two provision shops were given under a ITDA scheme. Teachers were posted to village schools. In Dahegaon, CMEY loans to the tune of Rs. 5 lakhs were sanctioned to 20 surrendered militants. One autorickshaw was also provided to a former naxal. Dedra village came under spotlight after the police adopted it and provided electricity, constructed water tank, laid pipelines and upgraded the local school.

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