The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Naxals on consolidation mode in Adilabad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 07, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naxals on consolidation mode in Adilabad

By Our Correspondent

ADILABAD, NOV. 6. There is no gainsaying the fact that the Communist Party of India (Maoist) is on the job of consolidating its influence in Adilabad district. Recent incidents have only helped buttress this contention, often put forward by the authorities.

The CPI (Maoist) naxalites have launched a three-pronged strategy to re-strengthen the organisation; recruitment of cadres, collection of funds by way of extortion for the purchase of arms and establishing its presence in villages, which had opposed their visits and intrusion into local issues until the advent of the Congress Government.

Increase in cadres

As far as the recruitment of cadres is concerned, the current strength of the CPI (Maoist) naxalites in Adilabad district has reportedly doubled from 35 at the time of the elections. Though the recruitment is largely taking place among agricultural labourers in the tribal villages, the need for literate and vocal cadres has made the naxalites concentrate on revival of the Singareni Karmika Samakhya (Sikasa). However, these efforts are at a preliminary stage and the CPI (Maoist) has found getting a foothold in the coal belt a shade difficult because of loss of the former People's War coal belt secretary, Janjepalli Sridhar, on July 4 last year, followed by his successor Balanna on May 20 this year in exchanges of fire with the police.

Currently, the CPI (Maoist) North Telangana Special Zonal Committee secretary, Pulluri Prasad Rao alias Chandranna, is in charge of reviving the Sikasa. The Rs. 30 lakh seized from a naxalite courier by the Adilabad police on Friday was said to be destined for Chandranna for the purpose of rearming the cadres.

Rampant extortion

According to the district police, the CPI (Maoist) has launched extortion in a big way in Adilabad, especially in the eastern region. Reports said that the extremist organisation collected large sums of money from local contractors and lorry owners for their October 31 public meeting at Asifabad and Movvad.

Much more disturbing than these acts, however, is the threats to poor villagers held out by the CPI (Maoist). This started in August year when the naxalites beat up a villager in Gandigopalpur in Kadam mandal. This is one of the villages where the naxalites had lost their influence. Before the elections the naxalites faced stiff resistance to their visits in over 200 villages. In 22 of these, they were thrashed by the villagers and in some cases even weapons were snatched from them. Kadamba village in Kagaznagar mandal became a symbol of resistance to the former PW naxalites.

the CPI (Maoist).

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