The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Police resume poster campaign against naxalites

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 09, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Police resume poster campaign against naxalites

N. Rahul

TDP era practice revived; information on top leaders sought

HYDERABAD: The police have resumed the poster campaign against naxalites like it was being done in the case of `wanted criminals.'

This was a common practice during Telugu Desam rule but was discontinued after the Congress assumed power. The Government's soft approach towards naxalites till December last prevented the police force from taking up any such activity. But, the situation has changed following the breakdown of talks and resumption of violence.

A poster published by the Mahabubnagar police has invited information from the public about Konapuri Ilaiah alias Sambasivudu, CPI (Maoist) district secretary. It also announced a reward to anyone passing on information about him.

Strong suspicion

The poster with a photograph of Sambasivudu in olive green uniform said he was involved in several killings.

The Mahbubnagar Superintendent of Police, Vikram Singh Mann, said Sambasivudu's involvement was strongly suspected in the series of offences committed by the Maoists in the district in the last few months. He said the district police had come out with ten different posters. They were now also circulating a handbook to `targets' of naxalites on do's and don'ts. Tips on how to improve their security cover and latest photographs of underground cadre were published.

They were advised not to travel too much nor spend long hours at a single destination.

A poster brought out by the Warangal police appealed to the public to be wary about an eight-member action team of the Maoists. The Warangal SP, Stephen Ravindra, said the campaign was taken up a few days ago.

Pictorial depiction

The Guntur SP, Jitender, said the district police would bring out a pictorial depiction of the destructive activity of naxalites through a three to four ft.-long poster. The unique poster, to be released in a week, would be a campaign against naxalism.

The Khammam SP, Bhavna Saxena, said the police would display the posters in the forest soon.

The idea was to reach out to the naxalites themselves with messages from their parents. What reward for giving information? A top police official said rewards on the heads of underground naxalites continued even during the peace initiative.

The rewards to informants were paid out of the same for capturing naxalites.

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