The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Maoists confident of staging a comeback

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 16, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Maoists confident of staging a comeback

K. Srinivas Reddy

‘Constant flow of information helped us stage Balimela attack’

HYDERABAD: Maoists have attributed their recent successes in what they call as ‘counter offensive actions’ against security forces in Orissa and Andhra to support from people and said that they were confident of achieving a change in ‘balance of forces’ in their ‘erstwhile strongholds’ in Andhra Pradesh.

The Balimela attack, in which 38 Greyhounds commandos travelling in a boat were killed on June 29, and also the killing of 26 Orissa policemen in a landmine attack on a Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV), have proved the supremacy of guerrilla tactics and the ‘constant flow’ of information on police movement helped them pull off two of the most successful attacks, claimed Bhaskar, secretary of the Andhra Orissa Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC).

In the latest Maoist information bulletin, a copy of which was made available to ‘The Hindu,’ Bhaskar disclosed that the rebels had also got information about forces movement prior to Balimela attack from police informers who were caught and interrogated. He refuted reports that rocket launchers were used in Balimela and pointed out that the rebels had used rifles and LMGs for attacking the boat. “We had the advantage of terrain and we knew the enemy will not be in a position to fire back at us. So we took full advantage of the situation and tried to wipe out as many Greyhounds as possible”.

AP proves tough

Mr. Bhaskar, whose real name is believed forces to be Modem Balakrishna, foresees a situation where even Greyhounds personnel will change their attitude ‘when revolution goes into a high tide’. .

Conceding that there was a setback to the Maoist movement in North Telangana and Nallamala, he pointed out that it was not so in Orissa. “In Orissa, we never suffered any setback like in AP”. He said the Maoist strength was growing steadily in Orissa and pointed out that the counter-offensives in Koraput, R Udayagiri, Nayagarh were instances of weakness of the Government in Orissa.

On the claims of Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik that extensive damage was done to naxalite movement in Orissa, Mr. Bhaskar said such statements were should be seen as ‘morale boosting exercises’ to motivate the police who were taking a ‘severe beating’. Rejecting the possibility of holding talks with governments, the Maoist leader maintained that such proposals from the State were only a part of the Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) strategy to weaken the revolutionary movement.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh