The Hindu : Police deployment fails to boost leaders' morale in Markapur

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Police deployment fails to boost leaders' morale in Markapur

By P. Ram Mohan

PEDA DORNALA (PRAKASAM DT.), MARCH 22. Even as a sizeable number of police personnel was deployed in naxalite-infested areas of the Markapur division comprising the three Assembly segments of Markapur, Giddalur and Cumbum, it could not instil confidence among people in general and political leaders in particular.

Trepidation and mistrust were writ large on the faces of many Telugu Desam activists as they resigned, albeit reluctantly, from party posts, following the People's War diktat.

There has been a public perception that naxalites would swoop down on their villages and gun them down if they are loyal to the Telugu Deam or its political ally, Bharatiya Janata Party. This prompted several Telugu Deam leaders to resign and leave their native places for safety. With electioneering hotting up, many are in the line of submitting resignation.

Literally, there is no sign of Telugu Desam campaign or its banners or flags in the villages. The TDP flag put up during its recent Janda Panduga at Puchhakayalapalle in Pedaraveedu mandal got removed by naxalites. Over 30 per cent of the leaders resigned and left the villages and the remaining are not in a position to move freely, according to Satyanarayana and Venkat Reddy, farmers of Siddinayunipalle of Araveedu mandal.

A local scribe of a language newspaper put the percentage of leaders who left the villages between 70 and 80. He says the Congress leaders too are afraid of the naxalite menace and are not moving about.

However, people appear to be enthusiastic to exercise their franchise. About 15 villages each in the three Assembly segments are reportedly affected by naxalite activities. Gundamcherla, Kalanuthala and Sunkesula of Araveedu mandal and Y. Cherlopally, Nallagundla, Kothur, Gantamvaripalle, Yedavally, Bommarajupalle, Kadaparajupalle, Chilakacherla and Nallaguntla of Peda Dornala mandal in the Markapur segment were categorised as most sensitive.

At Y. Cherlopally, a trader who supports the TDP, said he and three others were called by naxalites to the forest recently and warned against continuing in the party. Since then, they had kept quiet, he said.

Allu Venkateswar Reddy and two others of the village were killed by naxalites on February 11. Bodanam Venkat Reddy and Botturamana Reddy of the village left for safer places after receiving threatening calls. Allu Ramasubba Reddy, son of Venkateswar Reddy, said none in his village could work for the TDP openly.

People in Chilakacherla were reluctant to talk to this correspondent. Being tucked away among hillocks in the Nallamala forest the village is under close watch of the policemen. "Every politician is welcome to move anywhere in the area. We will try to provide all possible protection to him,'' says the Markapur Additional SP, Maneeshkumar Sinha.

Four to five companies of paramilitary forces were deployed and some more were being requisitioned, he said. "At the time of polling we will ensure full security to people and leaders. Regular visits by the police will create confidence among people,'' he added.

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