The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Attack on SP a diversionary tactic

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 29, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Attack on SP a diversionary tactic

N. Rahul

Stepped-up operations in the Nallamala forest seem to have forced the Maoists' hand.

HYDERABAD: The abortive Claymore mine attack on the Prakasam Superintendent of Police, Mahesh Chandra Laddha, on Wednesday is viewed by the police as a "diversionary'' tactic of the Maoists in the face of intensified combing of the Nallamala forest spread over five districts.

With police forces fanning out into the forest in large numbers, the Maoists have apparently tried to divert their attention by launching an attack in the plain area. The extremists apparently wanted to send across a message that they could make their presence felt in the district headquarters town too.

Recent months have seen intense combing in the Nallamala forest with the police forces opening up areas in hostile terrain. A police officer said there were "lots'' of special parties in the forest and by one estimate it could be 15 to 20 on any given day. There were 20 to 25 men in each party.

The parties have even touched interior areas of the forest spread over an 80 sq.km. area around Palutla where the top leadership of CPI (Maoist) is believed to be holed up. The combing has resulted in recovery of a huge quantity of arms, ammunition and explosive material from nearly 15 dumps besides the surrender of 25 Maoists.

RK's whereabouts

Contrary to reports that he has fled to Chhattisgarh, senior police officers believe that the State secretary, Ramakrishna, who turned up for the talks with the State Government, is very much in this "no-man'' zone. The Palavanka Area Committee of the party takes care of the security of Ramakrishna and other important leaders who may accompany him.

Apart from attention diversion, the attack on the Prakasam SP is considered a "Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign'' (TCOC) by the Maoists. They were obviously choked by the police presence. The TCOC was aimed at demoralising the police. It was under similar pressure when the Maoists came close to police forces in February that they rung the alarm bells. They managed to wriggle out of a tight situation by making the party emissaries in the talks negotiate with the Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy, for the withdrawal of the forces. Senior police officers also said that vehicle checking was taken up by the police in a big way on the borders of four districts and roads leading through the forest in the wake of the incident.

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Andhra Pradesh