NAXALS/ MAOISTS- 2008 - Indian Social Institute · NAXALS/ MAOISTS- 2008 ... about 150 CPI (Maoist) cadres attacked the Basjore police post in Simdega ... Md Ibrar and Deono Kerke

NAXALS/ MAOISTS- 2008 (January to December 2008)

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Human Rights Documentation∗ Indian Social Institute, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003, (India)

15 Naxalite training camps destroyed in Ranchi (12) RANCHI: Fifteen Naxalite training camps have been destroyed and the security forces recovered about 10 can bombs and clamour bombs during a long and fierce encounter with the Maoists near Parasnath hils in Giridih district, a senior police officer said on Tuesday. "The tents were being used as training camps by the Maoists. They were discovered during anti-Naxal operation yesterday. This is one of the major accomplishments of the police," inspector-general of police (Bokaro range) B B Pradhan said. A truck-load of food grains, utensils and other things were also recovered, he said. Describing the success as a major achievement, Pradhan said combing operation was still continuing and the exact haul of seizure and discoveries would be ascertained only after the security personnel returned by Tuesday evening. He said that about 250 Naxalites exchanged fire with the security forces before they melted into the forests. (Times of India 1/1/08)

Naxal violence now claims cop, 2 teachers in Jharkh and (12) Ranchi, January 2: A policeman and two teachers were killed by extremists in two separate attacks in Jharkand in the past two days. Just after midnight, on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, about 150 CPI (Maoist) cadres attacked the Basjore police post in Simdega district, killing constable Sunil Sahu. Officer-in-charge of the post Amar Nath and three constables—Salan Kerketta, Md Ibrar and Deono Kerketta—were injured in the attack . "It was 12.30 am. We were inside the post. Suddenly some 150 odd extremists surrounded our post and began firing indiscriminately. We took position and returned the fire," Ibrar told Simdega SP D B Sharma who visited the hospital on Wednesday. "They did everything possible to destroy us. But we did not let them loot our arms," said Nath. Sharma told The Indian Express that the prime aim behind launching the midnight attack was to loot the arms from 17 Jharkhand policemen who were deployed at the post. In another attack, two teachers were reportedly killed by cadres of JPC, a breakaway faction of the CPI(Maoist). The victims have been identified as Kailash Pandey and Kedar Prasad. Pandey, coordinator of the Samudaik Shikshak Sangh, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and Prasad were teachers in Government-run school at Sikh village in Chatra. They were awarded with a contract to construct the school building. According to the police, they were abducted and killed because they refused to pay "levy" to the JPC. (Indian Express 3/1/08)

Centre sleeps as Maoists plan bloodbath in Chhattis garh (12) New Delhi: Chhattisgarh Government fears a major Maoist offensive against Salwa Judum camps, but its desperate SOSs to the Centre has met with a stony silence. State Government officials feel that the situation was grim and they could do precious little to combat Maoists with the current level of deployment. The Maoists have mobilised nearly 10,000 armed cadre in Bastar alone. The security forces are vastly outnumbered with each battalion required to operate in an area of 3,000 sq ms and each company in 500 sq km. A lone policeman is supposed to guard an area of four kilometres. Even as intelligence inputs indicate that the Maoists are plotting mayhem by launching a major offensive on the Salwa Judum camps, the Centre has so far not promised to meet the State's requirement of additional Central forces. Sources said the State needed at least 70 additional battalions of Central paramilitary forces to launch and sustain any major strike against Maoists. "This is the only way we could think of eliminating Maoists altogether," said a senior official. Sources said the Chhattisgarh Government has repeatedly asked the Centre to urgently send additional battalions of Central forces to combat the situation. Officials feel that even if the Maoist activities had to be checked at current level, at least a dozen additional battalions of Central forces are needed at the earliest. "There are two ways of looking at the problems. The first is to launch an all-out offensive against the Maoists and completely weed

∗ This is a collection of previously published news and views from the print as well as the electronic media, whose reference marked at the end of each news items. Department of Documentation and Library (DDL) of the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi neither claims to the veracity of the facts in the news nor subscribes to the views expressed.

them out. The second is to check their growth and prevent them from undertaking major operations," said an official.Painting a grim scenario, he said the Centre has ruled out providing 70 battalions for a decisive push against the Maoists. "We are now pleading for at least a dozen battalions to avert any major incident," he said, adding, "So far we have no indication of any help coming soon."The official said in the worst affected Bastar district alone, there were nearly 9,000 armed Maoist cadre. These include members of the Dandakarnaya special zone committee, divisional committee, area committees, local organisational squads, military companies, local guerrilla squads, Andhra Pradesh border committee, link squads of Maharashtra and north Telengana special zone committee. Besides, nearly 1,500 Maoist cadre from Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have also joined the Bastar offensive…….. (Pioneer 5/1/08)

95% oppose ULFA's demand for independence (12) Guwahati : A civil society group in Assam Friday claimed that more than 95 per cent of nearly 2.6 million people interviewed by them rejected the demand for independence by the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). The Assam Public Works (APW), a forum known for its anti-ULFA posture and claiming to have several relatives of the separatist group as its members, said it conducted an opinion poll to elicit public response about ULFA's demand for sovereignty or independence in nine of Assam's 27 districts. "Only about five per cent of the people surveyed supported ULFA's demand for sovereignty and the rest thoroughly rejected it," Abhijeet Sarma, general secretary of the APW, said in a meeting organised to release the findings.The opinion poll was conducted in the districts of Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Guwahati (metro), Dhubri, Darrang, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Nalbari. The opinion poll for the remaining 18 districts would be taken up soon. Sarma said some 1,800 APW volunteers carried out the survey with questionnaires being handed out to the respondents. (Pioneer 6/1/08)

55 Naxals surrender (12) CHANDRAPUR/GADCHIROLI: As many as 55 Naxalites, including a woman, surrendered before the district committee headed by Gadchiroli collector Niranjankumar Sudhanshu on Saturday. Additional director general of police (anti-Naxal operation) Pankaj Gupta, and Gadchiroli superintendent of police Rajesh Pradhan too were present. After the identification parade Gadchiroli district collectorate, Gupta informed media persons that the Naxals who laid down arms belonged to three dalams and hailed from 17 different villages in Etapalli tehsil. Of the Naxalites who surrendered, one was a registered medical practitioner, who led mass surrenders after organising meetings in villages (Times of India 13/1/08)

6 Maoists shot dead in Gaya (12) GAYA: Police on Sunday claimed to have killed six naxalites in a fierce encounter that lasted over four hours in Bihar's Gaya district. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Balram Kumar Choudhry told reporters here that on a specific information that members of CPI-Maoist were hiding at Bangudwa Naktaia hiils of the district cordoned off the area and asked the naxalites to surrender. Instead of laying down their arms the naxalites fired on the raiding party forcing the police to return fire in which six naxalites were killed. The district police and CRPF fired about 180 rounds during the encounter, the DYSP claimed. During the encounter women naxalites were heard shouting 'Mar Jao...Mar Jao (die and die), the DYSP said. Choudhry said no body was recovered from the encounter site and added that the naxalites might have entered the deep forests with the bodies and injured colleagues. (Times of India 13/1/08)

Five killed in Assam grenade attack (12) Morigaon (Assam): Five persons, including three CRPF men, were killed and a motorcycle damaged in a grenade attack by the ULFA in central Assam’s Morigaon district on Monday, police said. The grenade was hurled by two motor-cycle-borne ULFA insurgents at a police security check post in front of the Zila Parishad office in Morigaon town at 7.20 p.m. A motorcycle parked in the area caught fire and was damaged. The injured were admitted to the Morigaon civil hospital. In the run-up to the Republic Day the ULFA has stepped up its violence since Saturday. (The Hindu 15/1/08)

Assam is worst hit by violence (12) Guwahati, Jan. 16: Assam has acquired the dubious distinction of being the worst violence-hit state of India. If the crime analysis of the home ministry is any indicator, Assam accounts for death of more than 500 people in militant-related violence in 2007, which is more than Jammu

and Kashmir and the Naxalite-hit state of Chhattisgarh. In fighting insurgency, at least 25 security force personnel lost their lives while they succeeded in neutralising 120 armed rebels. In this process, more than 290 civilians were killed by militants, taking the total death toll to 505 during the year in Assam. Chhattisgarh, which came second in terms of violence and death toll, recorded the death of about 300 persons out of which 200 were securitymen. Majority of the security force personnel lost their lives in Naxalite violence. Another trouble-torn state, Jammu and Kashmir came third with the total deaths at 271 during the year. However, in terms of number of incidents and number of militant outfits again another frontier state of Northeast, Manipur tops the list. Despite ceasefire with Naga insurgent groups, more than 150 people, including 45 civilians, were killed in Nagaland. Most of the violent attacks were the fallout of clashes between the two separatist outfits NSCN(I-M) and NSCN(K). Referring the Assam situation, security sources said that if the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom was responsible for majority of the civilians’ killing, poorly administered area of North Cachar Hill district contributed as a breeding ground for the separatist outfits in Assam. Taking advantage of the situation, not only a tribal separatist group, Black Widow, hogged the limelight, but Naga insurgent groups too utilised the hills of Assam for giving training and arming two separatist outfits — the Adivasi National Liberation Army of Assam and Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front. Now, the Assam government has sought to impose a ban on these three separatists outfits which has strengthened their firepower with the outlawed Ulfa in Assam. Indicating that the crime analysis of the home ministry would be published soon, sources in the home ministry told this newspaper that in the runup to Republic Day, some militant outfits are also planning to realign themselves to increase coordination and exchange of arms ammunitions among themselves. (Asian Age 17/1/08)

Govt fails to contain Maoists (12) New Delhi : As the country grapples with the Maoist problem, the fact remains that just two districts of a State accounted for 27 per cent of the violence. This also highlights the callousness on part of the authorities as due seriousness and alignment of priorities, including formulation of counter strategies and tactical planning have not been accorded to break the backbone of the ultras in their stronghold. Out of the 186 districts affected by the Maoist upsurge, just two of them, Dantewada and Bijapur in Chhattisgarh account for 27 per cent of violence reported last year. Thirty-nine per cent of the incidents related to Maoist violence were reported in Chhattisgarh out of which 70 per cent of the incidents were reported in the two districts of Bijapur and Dantewada, according to the Union Home Ministry report on internal security situation. While the security forces eliminated 129 Maoists till November 30 in 2007 in comparison to the casualties of 239 ultras in the corresponding period in 2006. In contrast to the declining killing ratio of the security forces, the attrition of the security forces at the hands of the Maoists surged from 133 to 214 out which 181 security personnel were killed in action in Chhattisgarh alone, says the report. Up to November 30, 2007, 632 casualties were reported at the hands of the Maoists as against 634 deaths in the corresponding period in 2006. There has been a major resurgence of activity by 34 Maoist outfits in over 186 districts out of over 600 districts in the country. Maoist violence was reported in 91 districts across 11 States in 2007. Much of the spread is also in socially and economically backward and tribal areas. Five States including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar account for over 91 per cent of the Maoist violence. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand account for about 70 per cent of the total Maoist violence. The total number of Maoist-related violence stood at 1,385 till November 30 in 2007 in contrast to 1,389 incidents in the corresponding period in 2006. Seven States, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa and West Bengal witnessed 1,385 incidents out of which 1,126 incidents were reported in four States of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa. …….(Pioneer 17/1/08)

TV new weapon to fight Maoists (12) Hyderabad : In Andhra Pradesh, where Maoist rebels have been using art and culture as a weapon to spread their ideology among the rural masses, the police has decided to use the same method but with a touch of modern technology. In Warangal, which has traditionally been one of the strongholds of Maoists in Telangana, the police has hit upon a novel idea of distributing colour television sets equipped with DTH connection. The DSP Soumya Mishra, who handed over 20 TV sets with DTH to the residents of different tribal villages in Warangal, said that this was an attempt to expose the people in these areas to the outside world and give them a correct picture to foil the misleading propaganda of Maoists. "Through DTH, they will be able to access several TV channels which will give them information about agriculture and other areas like entertainment," she said. The villages which will benefit from this scheme are Eturunagaram,

Tadvai, Govindaraopet, Venkatapur, Kothaguda and Gudur and have been under the Maoist influence for decades. (Pioneer 20/1/08)

Several naxalite attacks on railway property in 200 7 (12) Patna: Growing incidents of attacks by proscribed CPI (Maoist) on vital installations of railways in Bihar and Jharkhand during 2007 has forced the authorities to take steps for strengthening the intelligence network and start the process of appointing over 20,000 RPF men. According to figures made available by the East Central Railway office in Hajipur and the state police headquarters here, armed naxalites blew up railway installations, including railway lines, cabins and stations in the naxal-hit Bihar and Jharkhand areas at 10 and seven places, respectively, during the period under review and destroyed property worth several crores of rupees. In 2006, the naxalites had executed such destructive operations damaging railway property at four places each in Bihar and Jharkhand, whereas the naxalites had targeted railway property at two each places in the two states during the corresponding period previous year, official sources said. When contacted, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said law and order was a state subject and the railways used to provide assistance to the government railway police in these states for protecting the property of the railways. Expressing serious concern over alleged failure of the state governments in checking the activities of the naxalites that had already caused heavy damage to railway property, Mr. Prasad said he had taken up the matter with the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil seeking to issue directives to the affected six states to strengthen their intelligence network to handle the menace. Besides, the railways had plans to appoint over 20,000 railway protection force personnel, proposals for which have been processed to the Union Finance ministry, he said adding as soon as the proposals were cleared, steps would be taken for recruitment. — PTI (The Hindu 22/1/08)

Experts say policy to be blamed for Naxal growth (1 2) New Delhi, Jan. 24: Experts blame Centre’s lack of consistency to assess the Maoist problem as the rootcause of being unable to develop a clear policy to tackle Maoist movement and violence, which is experiencing a "squeeze effect’’ in the southern region, pushing it towards other states surrounding heartland Andhra Pradesh, besides spreading its tentacles in the northern belt. There is a crisis of assessment and policy, besides manpower and weaponry, which is allowing the "Left-wing extremism’’ to spread its base "anywhere and everywhere’’ in the country, believe experts. The Centre has itself acknowledged that Maoists have spread their base and acquired high-tech weaponry thereby posing the "biggest threat’’ to internal security, a fact acknowledged by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a high-level meeting held last month. The intelligence gathering set-up in states affected by Naxal violence is in a "pitiable condition’’ which is affecting the quality of intelligence gathering to tackle the Naxal menace, said M.K. Dhar, former joint director of the Intelligence Bureau, while speaking to this newspaper. "The structural part of intelligence is being overlooked by the Central and state governments. Besides having minimal manpower involved in active intelligence gathering, the quality of intelligence gathering is extremely low. All these factors together pose a big problem for the government, which is then taken by surprise by so-called Naxal groups when they attack," said Mr Dhar. Experts claim that the states surrounding Andhra Pradesh are experiencing a "squeeze effect’’ due to the government’s contained efforts in Andhra Pradesh. Kerala among other southern states is no more peaceful and unfazed by Naxalite violence as unofficial reports claim that the problem is creeping into the entire southern region and not only Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Tamil Nadu as portrayed by the Centre. "The Centre’s focus on Andhra Pradesh has resulted in a "squeeze affect" where the Maoist problem is being pushed to the neighbouring states. (Asian Age 25/1/08)

Bastar is new Maoist epicentre: (12) Raipur, January 27: Bastar in Chhattisgarh is emerging as the new training ground for Maoist extremists from across the country. The People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) is running four camps in the forests of the region where cadres from several states are being given “on the job” training in carrying out attacks and planting explosives. Intelligence reports and documents seized by the Chhattisgarh police indicate that Bastar is the new epicentre for Maoist extremism and officials suspect that 1,500-2,000 cadres are present in these camps at any given time. Chhattisgarh DGP Vishwaranjan told The Indian Express that while three of the camps were located in the jungles of Bijapur and Dantewara districts, one camp is believed to be located in the Abujhmarh forests. “According to intelligence inputs received by us, apart from locally recruited cadres, Maoist extremists from other states, including Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, are also being given training,” the DGP said. Apart from

8,000-10,000 armed PLGA and Jan militia in the region, there are also 25,000-35,000 Naxal sympathisers or Sangham members. According to the DGP, Bastar was ideal for such camps as the cadres could be given “on the job” training through real attacks on security forces, planting of explosives, blowing up of government buildings and infrastructure. Guerrilla warfare tactics are also being taught. Lack of an adequate security apparatus emboldens the extremists to often use trainee militia members in their offensives. Bastar has five districts — Narayanpur, Kanker, Bastar, Bijapur and Dantewara — and each has been hit by Maoist violence. “For five districts with an area of over 45,000 sq km, we have just 13 battalions of Central forces, while we need at least 70,” Vishwaranjan said. Of the 13 CRPF battalions, 10 are posted in the Bastar region while three are posted in the northern districts. Chhattisgarh has been worst hit by the Naxal menace. Of the 20 police districts in the state, 16 have been officially acknowledged as being Naxalite-affected. At least 700 people, including 250 security personnel, have been killed in Naxal-related violence in the last two years. (Indian Express 28/1/08)

Hundreds of Maoists' uniforms recovered (12) Raipur : After arresting four persons with a strong Maoist links, the Chhattisgarh Police recovered hundereds of uniforms believed to be meant for the Maoists, on Sunday from Raipur and Bilaspur. On the basis of information given by the arrested two women Maoists, Malti and Meena Choudhary last week from Raipur, the police formed two teams which raided the houses and shops in Bilaspur, about 110 kms from State capital Raipur. One of the owner of the market, Naresh and his bother Ramesh were also arrested. Both of them had, police said stitched uniforms and received payments of Rs 8 lakh during the last two years. Interrogation of the two revealed that orders to stitch the uniforms was given by one Sunil Choudhary. Choudhary told the tailors that he owned a security service and that the uniforms were required for the guards, police sources said. Police are suspecting that Vijay Reddy husband of Malti had given orders for uniform faking himself as Sunil Choudhary. No tags were found on the stitched uniforms which led the police to believe that they were meant for rebels. All uniforms are learnt to be of free standard size. It is to be noted that police arrested Malti and Meena Choudhary after Malti had left carry bags containing 91 pistols and wireless sets last week in a crowded locality.A former journalist Prafull Jha was also arrested as his car was allegedly used for arms transportation. One Asit Sengupta was arrested for alleged rebel links. (Pioneer 28/1/08)

Maoists blow up new jail building in Malkangiri (12 ) Bhubaneswar: Jail security across the State was stepped up on Monday after the outlawed CPI (Maoist) cadres triggered a landmine blast at a new jail building, which was under construction at MV-79, about 60 km from the headquarters of Malkangiri district, causing substantial damages to it. There was no injury due to the explosion as the building was still under construction, Malkangiri SP SK Gajbhiye said. There was nobody inside the structure when the blast took place in the early hours. The building, however, suffered considerable damage as a major portion of the structure collapsed under the impact of the blast, whose sound created panic among the residents, he said. Senior police officials rushed to the spot and started investigation, while a high alert was sounded in MV-79 area and a massive combing operation and patrolling launched to trace the militants involved in the incident, he said. As a precautionary measure, Orissa's borders with Maoist-affected Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been sealed after the incident to prevent movement of Maoists from one State to another, police sources said Meanwhile, security was tightened in jails which lodge dreaded Maoists.(Pioneer 29/1/08)

Naxals blow mines at under-construction jail (12) BHUBANESWAR, JAN 28: Naxalites exploded three landmines near an under-construction jail in Maoist-infested Malkangiri district in the wee hours of Monday. Three walls of a residential block of the jail situated in MV 79 village (Malkangiri Village number 79 as the villages are named here) were damaged though there were no reports of loss of life or injuries. The incident took place at around 1.05 am and appeared to be planned, despite heightened police preparedness for the Republic Day celebrations. The Malkangiri administration had sounded a red alert following the Maoists’ decision to observe R-Day as a ‘Black Day’ in the district. The Naxalites had put up banners and posters asking the people not to celebrate the day, though the R-Day celebrations were uneventful. “We had specific intelligence inputs that the jail could be attacked and we had been carrying out combing operations in the area since the last two days. Naxals must have planted the mines in between the movement of the the CRPF men,” Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Satish Gajbhiye told The Indian Express over phone. Gajbhiye, however, said that the damage to the walls and a staircase was minimal and the police is still on a high alert. Malkangiri,

which borders the Naxalite-infested Dantewara district in Chhattisgarh, has been a hotbed of Naxalite activities for several years now, as it also borders infested districts like Srikakulam, Vishakaptnam and Khamam in Andhra Pradesh. Incidentally, the Malkangiri Police had arrested three Maoists, including a hardcore cadre from Kotaguda forests, on January 21 even as they were preparing to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations. Several explosive devices, including two landmines, two kg of explosives, three electronic detonators, several gelatin sticks, were seized from them. Among the three arrested was Salwa Mukta (30), allegedly a hardcore cadre. Gajbhiye denied that the blast near the jail was in retaliation to the arrests as they had specific intelligence inputs about the jail attack. (Indian Express 29/1/08)

‘Salwa Judum’ a people’s initiative to combat naxal menace: Chhattisgarh (12) New Delhi: The Chhattisgarh government on Monday justified in the Supreme Court the constitution of ‘Salwa Judum’ (self-defence groups) saying, “It is not State sponsored but a people’s initiative to combat the menace of naxalites.” “The State is committed to resolve the problem of naxalism and any peaceful movement, which resists the violent methods, definitely gets support of States. The ‘Salwa judum’ was started as a non-political peaceful movement to resist the activities of naxalites in the form of killings, kidnappings, plunder and bunks,” the government said. A Bench, consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices Tarun Chatterjee and R.V. Raveendran, was hearing a petition filed by Nandini Sundar, Ramachandra Guha and E.A.S. Sarma. The petitioners alleged that in the guise of countering naxal movement, the ‘Salwa Judum’ was indulging in killings and committing atrocities against the tribals of the State. The Bench adjourned the hearing to the February last week to enable the petitioners to file their response to the State’s counter and rejoinder by the State. Appearing for the petitioners, senior counsel Ashok Desai submitted that over 50,000 persons were kept in camps in villages, and pleaded for appointment of a committee to visit these camps and report about their plight. Appearing for the State, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi said Chhattisgarh was the most affected State due to the naxalite menace. “The naxalities are torching police stations and are posing a biggest challenge. The internal security of the nation was involved and the petitioners were trying to eulogise naxalism and naxalite activities,” he said and sought the dismissal of the petition. The petitioners said the ‘Salwa Judum’ was launched to combat naxalites but in reality these activists conducted frequent raids on villages and attacked and killed suspected naxalite sympathisers; torched their houses and looted livestock. They had sought a direction to the Chhattisgarh government to refrain from supporting, associating, encouraging or promoting in any manner the activities of the ‘Salwa Judum’ and to order an impartial enquiry to go into the atrocities committed by the group. (The Hindu 29/1/08)

9 villagers abducted by Maoists in Chhattisgarh (12 ) Raipur: At least nine villagers were on Wednesday abducted by a group of Maoists at gunpoint in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, police sources said. About 70 Maoists, including armed rebels, stopped a jeep carrying the villagers near Bhogamguda village, about 575 km from here, and asked for each one’s identity, the sources said. Subsequently, nine villagers were taken to a jungle in the Naxal-infested district, they said. Police teams have been sent to the spot and combing operation was on. — PTI (The Hindu 31/1/08)

Naxals blow up forest rest house (12) Munger: Heavily armed naxalites of the banned CPI (Maoist) blasted a Forest department rest house in Bihar’s Munger district destroying property worth several lakhs of rupees, official sources said on Wednesday. An unspecified number of maoist extremists blew up the rest house at Sonarwa village in Kharagpur sub-division with dynamite and then set on fire the furniture late on Tuesday night, Superintendent of Police Shalin said. Nobody was present there at the time of the incident. (The Hindu 31/1/08)

Naxals kill sarpanch, release tribals (12) RAIPUR, JANUARY 31: Suspected Maoist extremists on Thursday killed a sarpanch and released six tribals who were abducted from Gangalur road in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. However, three special police officers, who were accompanying the abducted villagers have still not been released. Police sources said about 40 Maoist cadres raided Jaigurh village in Bijapur district, about 575 km from the state capital, and killed sarpanch R K Sonu. “The Sarpanch was killed as the Naxalites suspected him of being a police informer. Sharp-edged weapons seem to have been used in killing the sarpanch. After killing the sarpanch, rebels fled,” sources added. Meanwhile, six of the nine tribals who were kidnapped on Wednesday by armed militants when

they were on their way to Gangalur from Bijapur were released on Thursday. “Six of them have returned to their village near Gangalur, but the rebels have not yet released the three SPOs,” stated IG (Bastar Range) R K Vij. The villagers were abducted while they were travelling in a jeep. The extremists stopped the vehicles by felling trees on the road and took the nine men hostage. The IG added that several search parties are at present combing the area for clues regarding the missing SPOs. (Indian Express 1/2/08)

Maoists beat Koraput villager to death (12) Rayagada : In an attempt to expand its tentacles, Maoists killed two villagers, who were allegedly police informers, in Koraput district on Tuesday. Around 8 pm, Maoists dragged village landlord Markanda Chaudhury along with his nephew Gupti out of his house in Nangalbeda village. The two were tied to trees in front of the Gram Panchayat office and were mercilessly beaten up. While Markanda succumbed to his injuries, his nephew is said to be in a critical condition. According to sources, Markanda, who was known as Sahukar among the local tribals, was a rich landlord and moneylender in the area. Several tribals alleged that he was exploiting them. Andhra and Orissa Police have begun a joint combing operation to trace the Maoists involved in the incident. Purna and Narsu as PRI representatives said that they were shown a list of 70 persons to be arrested. They claimed that the Andhra Pradesh Police was terrorising them to identify the listed persons. At a recent Maitri Sabha in Borigi Gram Panchayat, the OIC of Narayanapatna clarified that there was an order from the DG for a joint operation thus the State Police did not arrest people directly. Ambri Tadingi from Kambivalsa village of Borigi Gram Panchayat belied his claim by saying that the operation was exclusively by the Andhra Pradesh Police. On the eve of International Human Rights Day, tribals demonstrated before Narayanpatna block office against the sheer corruption in Orissa Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (OREGS). Narayan Hareka, who led the rally, fears that the contractors who are illegally involved in OREGS might have given wrong information to the Andhra Pradesh Police. "We do not support violence but we are sandwiched between Maoists and the Andhra Police. This may divert some peace loving tribals. Instead of using force, the State must deal with our problems with seriousness and empathy," lamented Narayan Hareka. Two years ago, Maoists had blown up Narayanpatna and Laxmipur police stations, and took away most of the weapons from the district armoury. Around the same time, one trainee IAS officer in charge of a block got seriously injured while a team led by him was diffusing a landmine planted by Maoists near borders of Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks. However, the tribals of Borigi and Nangalbeda panchayats of Narayanapatna Block have a different story to tell as they claimed to be between devil and deep sea…… (Pioneer 1/2/08)

4 CRPF men killed in Naxal attack (12) Raipur, February 2: Four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including one sub-inspector, were killed in a powerful landmine blast this evening in Maoist-infested Narayanpur district of Bastar region in Chhattisgarh. Confirming the incident, DIG Police (Kanker Range) Pawan Deo said it occurred at about 5 pm when the security personnel were on their way from Narayanpur to Kurasnar. The victims have been identified as Sub-Inspector Roshan Kumar Minj, constables Jai Kumar, Biju Kumar and Mushtak Ahmed. "The deceased were on two motorcycles and were conducting a routine road-opening exercise. When the two motorcycles approached a culvert in the area, the Naxalite cadres who were waiting in ambush exploded the landmine, killing the four on the spot," said the DIG. The site of the incident is about seven kilometres from the district headquarters of Narayanpur. The blast left a huge crater on the road, added Deo. Additional police forces have been rushed to the area and a combing operation has been launched. (Indian Express 3/2/08)

Maoists acquire latest weapons (12) New Delhi, Feb. 4: Maoists have acquired state-of-the art weapons, which is giving nightmares to the security agencies. Equipped with the latest LMGs, mortar launchers, SLRs and AK-47s and having at their disposal inflated budgets to carry out attacks, the Maoists managed to target vital government buildings in the recent past, raiding CRPF camps, looting banks, a ex-MP and a zamindar, attacking police personnel besides snatching their weaponry in states like Bihar and Jharkhand, where security agencies are believed to have stepped up their operations against Maoists. As per the latest information with the home ministry, a particular Maoist group, which is at large in Bihar, had decided to conduct a major raid on the police headquarters in Bargah district of Orissa before December 2007 as one of its major operations. It was revealed that a sum of Rs 20-30 lakhs was allotted for this plan. As per the home ministry report, a copy of which

is with this newspaper, the Maoist group consisting of more than 100 members and operating for more than two decades, is in possession of a dozen LMGs, two dozen mortar launchers, more than 200 SLRs, 1500 plus .303 rifles, more than 100 short weapons and 80-90 AK 47s to name a few. Security agencies have come to know that the group has decided to procure 200 rounds of each weapon in two years time. Giving cause for concern is the widespread nexus and financial strength of the group which is operating from four regional bureaus - eastern, northern, Southwest and central. It has its tentacles spread across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka ,Gujarat, Tamil Nadu besides the Naxal-infected states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. Currently, the group has allotted Rs 2 crores for intelligence collection, one crore for technical work, approx. Rs 40 crores for arms and ammunition and Rs 5 crores for communication - summing up its total budget allocation to more than Rs 50 crores, revealed the home ministry report. The Barhah PHQ operation, which was to be given effect by Maoists in December 2007, was planned keeping in mind the vulnerability of the police installation. The Maoist group had engaged a recce team of three members from Orissa for the purpose in May 2007 itself and very recently in July 2007, a final call was taken on the area by the team leader to assess the ''strengths and weaknesses'' of the target, revealed a home ministry official. Much to the relief of security agencies and the state government of Orissa, the Maoists dropped their plan at the last moment with the arrest of one of their team members. Past record of the operations planned and executed by the Maoist group has revealed that the group was involved in the 1992 attack on the Mathasi railway station in Dhanbad, where two weapons were looted and the attack in the Topchachi Police camp in 2001 where 13 police personnel were killed and 18 weapons, including 3 carbines were snatched. The group planned the Madhuban attack in June 2004.,…… (Asian Age 5/2/08)

Three cops killed by Maoist extremists (12) Ranchi:: In a fierce gunbattle between Maoist extremists and security personnel, two CRPF men and one constable of the Jharkhand Military Police (JMP) were killed and four others were injured near Parasnath Hill in Giridih district on Friday. CRPF havildar Balaji Mangraj, constable Desh Pandey and JMP’s Manoj Thapa were given guard of honour before their bodies were sent home in Punjab, Maharashtra and Jharkhand respectively. The four injured—Jharkhand police Sub Inspector Pramod Pandey, constable Jai Prakash Mahato and CRPF constables Rakesh Kumar and Gurupal Singh — were rushed to the Ranchi Apollo hospital.Giridih SP Murari Lal Meena dispatched a contingent of security forces on Wednesday to launch a crackdown on the rebels, following a tip-off from the state intelligence. A section of the Maoists were holding a meet at Parasnath Hill. Rs 10 lakh would be paid as compensation to the kin of the dead soldiers, DGP V D Ram said. (Indian Express 10/2/08)

Centre embarks on micro-level planning to deal with naxalism(12) NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has embarked on micro-level planning to usher in development in naxal-hit areas and has selected worst-affected Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh to act a role model. "It is for the first time that the Home Ministry has selected a particular district and wants to become a role model for other naxal affected states," a senior official said. He said that at a recent meeting of the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) on naxal problem, it was felt that central schemes for development of roads and effective launching of flagship programmes like rural job guarantee scheme and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (education for all) in Dantewada might yield the desired results. The IMG headed by Vinay Kumar, Additional Secretary (Naxal Management), in the Home Ministry, focuses on developmental issues in the affected areas as the security establishment feels that the problem can be solved only through a holistic approach. The IMG meeting was attended by senior officials from the departments of health, rural development, tribal affairs, forests, human resources development, and information and broadcasting. "It has been decided to put development schemes of these departments on the fast track," the official said. It was also decided to have transit hostels in Dantewada district to provide security to officials (Times of India 10/2/08)

Naxalites in Bihar beset by casteism (12) Patna, Feb. 11: The Naxals in Bihar are beset by casteism and fights for a share of extortion money coupled with internecine conflicts between groups have resulted in the arrests of their leaders and heavy casualties. ‘’The isms and objectives of the Naxals have taken a backseat. It is evident from casteism and the ongoing clash over share of extortion within the outlawed organisations," police officials said here on Monday. As a result, the growing dominance of Yadvas in the banned CPI(Maoist) has triggered confrontations among the activists which forced the non-Yadvas to part company with it and float a separate wing called "Third Prastuti

Committee (TPC)" in 2007, they said. TPC cadre charged the CPI(Maoist) with indulging in casteist politics and usurping the extortion money collected from time to time by the Naxals. The erstwhile deputy inspector general of police (Magadh range) Arvind Pandey, now DIG (Tirhut range), had in his report in 2007 detailed the moveable and immovable assets possessed by top leaders of CPI(Maoist), earlier known as MCCI. The leaders, whose names featured in the list include Vijay Kumar Arya and Ajay Kanu, alleged mastermind of the daring jail-break by Naxals in Jehanabad in November 2005. Mr Pandey in his report had stated that the Naxal leaders used to extort money from common people for their welfare but utilised it for accumulating assets, they said. The police said the internecine conflicts between the two ultra-Left outfits had so far claimed over 50 lives from both sides. According to official figures made available by the state police headquarters, 45 conflicts were reported among the rival groups within CPI(Maoist) between 1999 and 2007, while the Naxals clashed with CPI(ML-L) more than 245 times during the period under review. CPI(Maoist) and TPC activists had crossed swords on 14 occasions in 2004 in Bihar, the sources said. The growing rivalry had also led to arrests of several senior activists of the rival Naxal organisations, they said adding a number of weapons and large quantity of explosive were seized by the police. (PTI) (The Hindu 12/2/08)

Central forces only for fighting Naxals: Centre to Koda (12) New Delhi, February 12: Conceding that the situation in Jharkhand is almost out of control, the Union Home Ministry has decided to provide five more companies of central paramilitary forces to combat Naxalite violence in the state. A similar request from Chhattisgarh, which has accounted for the bulk of killings over the past few years, is under consideration, the ministry said after a series of meetings on Tuesday. The additional forces for Jharkhand will, however, be available only for a limited period and are likely to be withdrawn after specific anti-Naxal operations. In an indication of its growing impatience with the states failure to use existing forces optimally, the ministry has directed them not to use central personnel for normal law and order or static guard duties such as deployment outside government buildings. “Use Central forces only for targeted operations,” was the message that went out on Tuesday. According to official figures for last year, the two states accounted for nearly 68 per cent of incidents and over 75 per cent of the total casualties in Naxalite violence in 2007. Chhattisgarh has 13 batallions (nearly 13,000 personnel) and Jharkhand five battalions (nearly 5,000 personnel) of central forces, mainly the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Chhattisgarh has been at the forefront when it comes to demands for additional Central forces, claiming it needed a huge number of personnel to clear Naxal strongholds where the state police held little or no sway. Last week, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal had sought to give a political colour to the Naxalite problem, claiming that the problem had been 90 per cent contained in states other than Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa. The BJP was in power in all these states, barring Jharkhand, he had pointed out. The review meetings took a close look at utilisation of funds provided by the Centre for police modernisation. The state Government officials are learnt to have been taken to task for their failure to fill vacancies in state police forces. The two states were directed to streamline the implementation of Centre-sponsored schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana. Implementation of such schemes is being monitored at the highest levels, with Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar personally reviewing the performance of Naxalite-affected states at regular intervals. The Director General of Police and other senior officers attended the meeting on Jharkhand, chaired by Union Home Ministry Shivraj Patil. Chief secretary and DGP attended the second meeting which was on Chhattisgarh. Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, CRPF DG SIS Ahmed and senior ministry officials attended both the meetings. (Indian Express 13/2/08)

Unified Command to tackle Naxals in Chhattisgarh (1 2) RAIPUR, FEBRUARY 15: Chhattisgarh's fight against Naxals has got a boost with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil announcing the creation of a Unified Command, headed by Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh and comprising officials of the Central and state governments, to tackle the growing menace in the state. Patil also promised five additional battalions of Central paramilitary forces, raising of more India Reserve Battalions and armoured vehicles for anti-Maoist operations. Patil’s announcement came immediately after a meeting held at the Raj Bhawan here on Thursday night on the anti-Maoist strategy to be adopted in the state. The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh Governor E S L Narasimhan, Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, Chief Secretary Shivraj Singh, Union Special Secretary (Internal Security) M L Kumawat, CRPF DG S I S Ahmad, Principal Secretary (Home) N K Aswal and Director General of Police Vishwaranjan. Sources said the decision was also prompted by reports of differences over the style of functioning of the Central and state police forces and the lack of coordination between them. “Though 13 battalions of Central forces have been deployed for anti-Naxal operations, with the operational command

under the State DGP, there have been differences in the operational aspects,” the sources confirmed. The strategic location of the state, which lies at the centre of the Maoists “red zone” and borders several other Naxalite-affected states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, also played an important part in taking this decision. Apart from this, sources said the growing number of violence and reports of four operational training camps in the Bastar region helped the Centre seal the decision. “The Chhattisgarh Government has also been given sanction to raise four more India Reserve Battalions and the Central Government will provide seven more armoured vehicles,” the Home Minister added. “The Maoist menace will be fought at every level and the Centre will lend all possible assistance to the state,” he said. Sources said that though Chhattisgarh has 13 battalions of Central paramilitary forces, the state’s demand for additional forces was met to boost the strength of security forces in the Maoist-affected areas, especially Bastar region (Indian Express 16/2/08)

14 killed in Naxal attack in Orissa (12) BHUBANESWAR: Fourteen police personnel, including two women, and a civilian were killed when around 500 heavily armed Naxals attacked a police training school, armoury and a police station in Nayagarh district of Orissa late on Friday. They also took away a cache of arms and ammunition in a bus they had hijacked in the district, about 100 km from here. A group of Naxals, including women cadres, with bombs and firearms raided Police Training School, district police station and armoury around 10:45 pm, Manmohan Praharaj, Director State Intelligence Wing said. Praharaj said that 14 police personnel, including two women and a civilian were killed and four policemen injured in the attack and the gunbattle that continued till around 12:15 am (Saturday). The police had put up a brave fight against the Naxals, but they were outnumbered. He said the victims included two from PTS, and six from the police station and armoury, besides a civilian caught in the crossfire near Daspalla in Nayagarh district of Orissa. One of the policemen killed in the attacks has been identified as ASI Nandpani Misra. The injured policemen have been shifted to SCB Medical College in Cuttack and it is suspected that the death toll may go up. Before launching the attack, the Naxals announced that they would not harm the public as their target was the police. The attack on the police was meticulously implemented that that the state intelligence department did not have any inputs. The police suspect it to be the handy work of Sabyasachi Panda, CPI (Maoist) Andhra-Orissa secretary. Police sources said the Naxals who attacked the police were speaking in Hindi and Telugu and they suspect that the Naxals were from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. Police sources said three Naxalites were also killed in the exchange of firing. However, the bodies have not been recovered. It is suspected the Naxals before fleeing have taken away the bodies. Meanwhile, red alert has been sounded in the state and the police have started combing operation in the neighbouring districts of Phulbani, Gajapati, Rayagada and Malkangiri in Orissa. This is second major incident of Naxal attack on the police in Orissa in the last two years. Earlier, on March 24, 2006 more than 500 heavily armed Maoists, including a large number of women, swooped down on the sleepy town of R Udayagiri in Orissa's Gajapati district, attacked armed police camps, and freed all 40 prisoners in the sub-jail in a replay of similar violence in Madhuban and Jehanabad in Bihar. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday visited the armoury and the police training school at Nayagarh. (Times of India 16/2/08)

Naxals storm Orissa town, kill 15 (12) NAYAGARH/BHUBANESWAR: In the biggest ever Maoist attack in Orissa, hundreds of armed guerrillas stormed Nayagarh town, barely 90 km from Bhubaneswar, and overran three police stations and two outposts on Friday night. Altogether, 13 police personnel and two civilians were killed in the attack that lasted over four hours and completely exposed the lack of preparedness of the local police despite similar operations in the past in Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. The Naxals looted two armouries and walked off with impunity, having met no resistance. They took with them enough arms and ammunition, including light machine guns and standard army-issue assault rifles, to fight a full-scale war. They drove off in a bus that they had hijacked. As many as 10 police personnel were injured. One of the civilians killed was a village guard. Nayagarh SP Rajesh Kumar claimed that his men tried to resist the Maoists. But some police personnel said most of their colleagues fled their posts. "There was no option. We ran for our lives," said one officer. Some policemen put up a feeble resistance at the district armoury and reserve office. The attack sent shock waves through the state, leaving the security brass red-faced over the demonstration of how vulnerable the state capital itself was. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik drove to the spot on Saturday morning. Asked about the incident, he came up with a stock reply. "Intensive combing operations are going on. An additional force of 600 police personnel has been sent to Nayagarh," he said. Asked about an intelligence or administrative failure, he said, "We're

looking into it." Patnaik said about 60 security personnel tried to repulse the attack for more than two hours. "But they were outnumbered by the militants," he told the assembly. "We have sealed all exit points," DGP Gopal Chandra Nanda said. "We are confident of catching the rebels. Some of them might have come from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand," he added. Personnel from CRPF, the Special Operation Group (which deals with terrorists) and police were pursuing the Maoists. Gun battles between the fleeing Naxalites and security forces were reported from the Tarasingi area of Ganjam district. Similar encounters were taking place in the Chahali jungle in Kandhamal. Authorities have stopped movement of vehicles in the area.(Times of India 17/2/08)

IAF copters join hunt for naxalites (12) NEW DELHI: The government has drafted the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the hunt for Communist Party of India (Maoists) activists who had attacked police stations in Orissa on Friday night and decamped with several weapons and ammunition after killing over a dozen policemen. Official sources said the IAF had set up a task force, headed by a senior officer, to oversee the search and reconnaissance operations. Two Chetak helicopters under his command took off from Bhubaneshwar on Saturday in an attempt to locate the fleeing Maoists, about 12 hours after they had concluded the operations with no casualty to their rank and file. Other sources said the IAF’s assistance does not deviate from the policy of the armed forces not to intervene in counter-insurgency operations against the Maoists in central India. The IAF had earlier provided unmanned aerial vehicles to track Maoists but after a couple of initial successes, their efficacy had blunted leading to their withdrawal. The IAF has also provided air support for reconnaissance operations before polls in some Maoist affected States but has so far steadfastly stayed away from using air power in the country’s heartland. The Army too has declined to be drawn into anti-Maoist operations though the Chattisgarh government has drafted some of its former servicemen to train its security personnel in identifying and defusing improvised explosive devices and using mine detectors and jammers. (The Hindu 17/2/08)

Naxals stole 1,200 firearms in Orissa (12) Bhubaneswar, Feb. 17: The base of the Maoist guerrillas in Orissa — which was confined to a few districts in the southern region bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — has expanded to central and coastal parts of the state in the last couple of years. The Friday’s attack by the rebels on Nayagarh town, just 80 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, proves that they are advancing towards the heartland of the state. The state intelligence — which is often in news for its poor performance — had no inkling about the Maoists spreading their tentacles in the district, especially after they were hounded on the borders by the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh police. Although the Maoists were seen in Nayagarh town on Friday night and took their dinner en masse, the intelligence could not take note of their presence. The recent communal clash in the adjoining Kandhamal district provided them a perfect opportunity to visit and survey Nayagarh. Taking advantage of the mass exodus of riot-hit people to Nayagarh town for shelter, the rebels came in the guise of affected persons and lived in flocks in camps set up near major police establishments. What contributed to the rebels’ successful execution of armoury loot, as the police suspects, is the guidance by Sabyasachi Panda, a native of Nayagarh and a hardcore Maoist leader. More than 500 heavily armed Maoists, including a large number of women, had swooped down on the sleepy town of R. Udayagiri in Gajapati district, attacked armed police camps, and freed all 40 prisoners in the sub-jail in a replay of similar violence in Madhuban and Jehanabad in Bihar. According to Nayagarh police training school in-charge officer Juria Behera, the rebels took away around 1,200 state-of-the art firearms including 298 number of 303 rifles, 130 SLR rifles, 30 AK-47 rifles and 300 Insas rifles, 80 9mm pistols, 203 escart rifles, 80 9mm pistols and 1 lakh live bullets. These looted weapons, estimated to be worth over Rs 1 crore, was supplied to Nayagarh armoury just a week ago. As majority of the police forces, including the jawans of police training school, were mobilised to Bhubaneswar from Nayagarh, the Naxals found it vulnerable to carry out their mission. (Asian Age 18/2/08)

20 Maoists dead, rest trapped (12) Bhubaneswar, Feb. 17: A day after raiding police stations and armouries in Nayagarh town, the fleeing Maoists came face to face with the security personnel hunting them in the jungles of Ganjam and Kandhamal districts of Orissa on Sunday, leading to fierce gun battles between them. "At least 20 Maoists have been killed in the anti-Naxal operation so far. The encounter is still going on," said Orissa home secretary T.K. Mishra. Three jawans of the Special Operation Group (SOG) were killed in the operation, he added . Raids were also being conducted at possible hideouts in Orissa’s Rayagada and Gajapati districts. Although security personnel have

recovered the bodies of the slain commandos, not a single guerrilla’s body could be seized as their colleagues carried them away deep into the forests. The guerrillas, who swooped down on three police stations, two district armouries, a police outpost and a police training school in Nayagarh late on Friday evening, killing 14 police personnel and one civilian, are holed up in the caves of Gasama hill near Gallery, in Ganjam district, and in Tikabali forest in Kandhamal district. The encounter started after the police blocked all escape routes available to the fleeing Naxalites. The SOG and CRPF have encircled Gasma hill and Tikabali forest. At least 600 security personnel, including CRPF jawans, state armed forces, 100 SOG personnel and as many Greyhound commandos, have been engaged in the encounter with the rebels. Additional director-general of police (intelligence) Manmohan Praharaj is leading the operation. Two special Indian Air Force helicopters have been assisting the security personnel in what is being considered the country’s biggest ever operation against the Maoists. The Andhra Pradesh government has also sent two helicopters and specially trained fighters to join the operation to flush out the Maoists. Union special secretary (internal security) M.L Kumawat arrived in Nayagarh on Sunday afternoon and reviewed the operation against the guerrillas. According to unofficial sources, over 25 Naxalites may have been killed and three policemen are missing.(Asian Age 18/2/08)

6 CRPF men, 13 Maoists killed in 2 attacks (12) Bhopal/Raipur, Feb. 18: Six CRPF men and at least 13 Maoists were killed on Monday in two separate encounters in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. State IG (anti-Naxalite cell) Girdhari Nayak told this newspaper that the first encounter occurred at around 2 pm at Korrumpara hill in the jurisdiction of Mirtur police station. Here six CRPF constables lost their lives, but not before gunning down a number of Maoists, three of whose bodies had been recovered. The second encounter, Mr Nayak said, took place at Fuladi hill in which eight Naxalites were killed. Each body had been recovered. The possibility that the Naxals may have suffered higher casualties was strong since the police was still searching for more bodies. Fighting, he said, was still on when information last came in. Mr Nayak also said that the recent Maoist attack on police establishments at Nayagarh in Orissa had been led by an entire battalion. "The Maoist rebels came in trucks, buses and Tata Sumos." The resources at their command only showed that if the problem was not dealt with on a war footing, it would pose a serious danger to the country, the IG said. In Orissa’s Sambalpur district, meanwhile, the police and CRPF personnel recovered 500 detonators from four suspected Naxalites, who were arrested, reports PTI. The police and CRPF had intercepted a car during a routine search operation on Monday, in which the detonators were found hidden, CRPF spokesperson Ajay Chaturvedi said in New Delhi. (Asian Age 19/2/08)

Biggest drive against Naxals launched (12) Bhubaneswar, Feb. 19: Launching the country’s biggest ever anti-Maoist offensive, security forces on Tuesday adopted a new strategy of militant warfare in the hunt for Naxals in the dense forests of Orissa where additional paramilitary personnel have been rushed to join the long haul operation. Backed by helicopters and sniffer dogs, over 1,000 policemen intensified their search for the Maoists involved in the Nayagarh attack in which 14 policemen and one civilian were killed last Friday after failing to locate them in Gosmah forest, official sources said. Fresh reinforcements of 500 CRPF were rushed by the Centre. "Besides using IAF choppers to spot the ultras inside jungles, the security forces deployed a large number of trained dogs," said a senior officer engaged in the four-day old combing operation. The security forces used sniffer dogs to locate ultras suspected to be hiding in the caves of Singhasini Hills. (PTI) (Asian Age 19/2/08)

Naxalites torch jeep in Koraput (12) KORAPUT: Naxalites torched a commander jeep near Borgi in Narayanapatna block of Koraput district on Sunday evening. The naxalites who were in civil dress had asked the passengers to alight from the vehicle at Maijariguda in Bargi panchayat and accused the driver of carrying CRPF personnel to Borgi from Narayanpatna on a regular basis. The naxalites had asked the driver to inform Srikant Choudhury, a businessman of Borgi and the owner of the jeep to stop helping the police by offering transportation in the locality and had torched the vehicle after taking it to a distant place. In yet another incident suspected naxalites looted the houses of Narasingh Choudhury of Ullu Badi in Langalabeda panchayat and Giridhar Sahu of Maijariguda in Borgi panchayat after causing serious damage to the buildings. While no attacks were reported, the looting might be the creation of some local organisations, Deepak Kumar, SP of Koraput, said. Refuting the reported allegations made by naxalites on the use of the torched vehicle by the police , he said that police had not used any such vehicle of the locality for transportation. (The

Hindu 26/2/08)

In Naxal’s latest den, police station can’t fill up vacancies (12) MALKANGIRI (ORISSA), FEBRUARY 25: With barely a dozen cases being registered every year at the local police station, this may sound like an island of peace. Nestling in the lap of verdant forests and the Chinna Godavari river on the Andhra Pradesh border, Motu tehsil in Malkangiri, the district worst-hit by Naxalism in Orissa, is far from idyllic — it is one of the origin points of the Red Corridor in the state, the den of Naxalites. Motu is also a transit point for Naxalites from Andhra Pradesh who cross the Sileru and Saberi rivers and then fan out across the state. Only the local tribals can walk in Motu without any fear. An outsider, a government official or even a policeman is always at risk here. Locals say nobody can enter Motu without the Naxalites getting to know. Four-wheelers are never used for fear of landmines and even riding a two-wheeler is risky. But a police station does exist in this den of radicals. While Naxalites have been looting and rampaging police stations across the state — the latest being in Nayagarh about 90 km from Bhubaneswar — Motu police station has somehow survived. There has been only one attack on the police station — way back in August 2001 when two policemen were killed. But even then, the attack was successfully repulsed by security personnel. There have been periodic gunbattles outside but the Naxalites have not ventured in ever since. Well-equipped with weapons like LMGs, INSAS, AK-47s and grenade launchers, these policemen have been keeping the Naxalites at bay but there is little to show when it comes to arrest of Naxalites, their sympathisers or evidence of Naxalites killed in operations. The prime aim of the policemen is to keep themselves alive and protect the police station. “If we have to go to Malkangiri district headquarters (110 km away), we have to be heavily armed and in groups. It is like an anti-Naxalite combing operation every time we venture out of the police station. If we are not careful we could be ambushed,” said a constable. Motu police station has one inspector and four police constables. But then there are men of the Special Operations Group, CRPF, Orissa State Armed Police, District Voluntary Force. Citing security concerns, nobody reveals the numbers nor do they allow photography on the premises. The police station has a decent building, comprising five rooms, and a well-stacked armoury, ready for any emergency. But it’s a tough posting — the policemen can only interact amongst themselves or watch TV for a few hours when there is electricity. Their living quarters are in need of urgent repairs. Though there is a BSNL telephone tower in Malkangiri district, Motu police station does not have a land line phone. If the inspector in-charge has to communicate with his seniors or even the Malkangiri SP, he has to use his personal cellphone. There is a satellite telephone for the district, but it is with the district collector — unlike neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where there is a satellite phone in every police station. Though the Balimela hydro-electric project is in Malkangiri, there is no electricity for hours together in the district. In summers, day temperatures can go up to 45 degrees Celsius. The tribals have no need for the police station. This probably explains the low number of cases being registered in the police station. Says a constable, “The annual average number of cases is about 15 and most pertain to murder. And in these cases too, most are filed by the police against unknown persons.” The information network in Motu, like in other parts of the state, is clearly not very active. An officer said it is because informers here are paid only about Rs 2,000 as against five times that figure in neighbouring states. “So the best we can do is to be on the lookout,” he said. How do they survive in these conditions? “Barely and being constantly on our toes.” They have to make do with rice, dal and vegetables from a kiosk-hotel nearby. The CRPF men have made cooking arrangements for themselves in their living quarters. Non-vegetarian food has to be brought from the Malkangiri district headquarters and that too on specific days like Wednesdays and Sundays. The SP’s office has sought sanction for a mess but nothing has happened until now. There is no recreation

facility — old magazines are the only company. A transfer may be the only way out of Motu but most who are locals are transferred only within the district. At best, they are transferred to neighbouring Koraput, another Naxalite-infested district. But there is a transfer within the district every two years. ……… (Indian Express 26/2/08)

Naxalites shift gaze to urban areas, think of car b ombs, suicide missions (12) NEW DELHI, MARCH 2: At a time when Naxalites and their sympathisers are trying to infiltrate the industrial belts around Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and cities right up to Jammu, new evidence suggests that they are also trying to build urban guerrilla warfare capabilities like rigging remote-controlled explosives devices in cars, even human bombs. Internal security officials confirmed that a laptop seized following the arrest by Jharkhand police of Jayant alias Kunal alias Tudu on August 12 last year contains literature and designs on rigging explosives for human and car bombs. Prime accused in the murder of CPI-ML Jharkhand MLA Mahendra Singh, Jayant was picked up by police from Chennai. The seized laptop, which was examined by security agencies, indicated that the Naxalites were not only networking with other insurgent groups in India like the ULFA but were interested in guerrilla warfare by non-state players in the Middle-East. Seized material also shows that the extremists have been training in the use of 12.7 mm anti-aircraft guns and have already acquired 80 mm mortars and rocket-propelled grenade rifles. Although the Union Home Ministry continues to treat the Naxal menace as a largely socio-economic problem, casualty figures of securitymen have been steadily rising since 2002 and the Naxal influence is spreading across the country. When the NDA quit office in April 2004, there was Naxal presence in 125 districts and 12 states. Today the Naxalites are in 182 districts and 12 states, with “soft bases” in industrial belts around Delhi and Mumbai. In 2004, 23 CRPF battalions were deployed for anti-Naxalite operations. Today, 32 battalions have been pressed into service. The Naxal attempt to move to the cities has also been noticed in Chhattisgarh, large tracts of which are already in their grip. Intelligence inputs received by security sources have revealed that the presence of Naxal cadres has increased in the urban areas of the state, including Raipur. Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Vishwaranjan too confirmed to The Indian Express that there has been an increase in Naxalite presence in the urban areas of Chhattisgarh. Police sources said that disclosures by several arrested ideologues, including Narayan Sanyal who is in judicial custody after his arrest from Raipur, pointed to the bid by Naxals to move towards the cities. Despite the threat, the Centre-State response and coordination leaves much to be desired. Naxalites looted 1091 weapons during the attack on the Nayagarh police armoury in Orissa on February 16 but till date the CRPF has not been told what weapons were taken away by the extremists. Inducted into counter-operations two days later, the CRPF has so far recovered 1029 weapons, including 500 .303 rifles, 30 INSAS rifles and 20 SLRs. But there is no way to confirm whether these are the same weapons that were looted from Nayagarh. (Indian Express 3/3/08)

Nayagarh attacks: arrested Maoist spills the beans (12) BERHAMPUR: Neither the forest officials nor the police used to keep watch on the Gasama jungle on Ganjam-Kandhamal border for possible presence of anti-socials before the naxal attacks in Nayagarh. Their vigilance could have thwarted the Nayagarh plans of Maoists. Interrogation of the arrested Maoist, Manjulata Muduli, who was a part of the naxal group involved in the attack, has revealed that the around 300 naxals involved in the Nayagarh attack on February 15 gathered up in the Gasama jungle near Sinharadi hill from February 12. This hardcore female cadre was active in western Orissa. Manjulata was arrested along with another hardcore cadre Pratap Kimbaka from Ranikiari village in Ganjam district near Galeri police outpost blasted by naxals on February 16. Manjulata was taken to the Gasama hill and areas near it on Monday for on the spot interrogation by the police to find details regarding the naxal operation. According to sources, she has revealed the detailed events in the Gasama jungle area that preceded the Naygarh attacks. As many as 290 Maoists had taken part in the Nayagarh operation, she said. The rest 10 like her were left behind the Gasama hill to prepare food for the Maoists on their return journey after attacks in Nayagarh district. Around 150 hardcore Maoists, selected for their violent skills from different parts of Orissa, were in this large team of naxals. The rest were naxal commanders from Orissa and outside the State. The whole team got together in the Gasama jungle near Sinharadi hill from February 12 to chalk out the last details of their attack. The nearby Gasama hill was to be their get together point after attack. The irony is that although Maoists in such large number stayed inside this jungle, cooked food and used modern communication equipments like mobile phones and walkie-talkies, no forest official or policeman of the area could suspect anything. (The Hindu 8/3/08)

Ulfa triggers three blasts, leaves 27 hurt (12) GUWAHATI: Twenty-seven people were injured when suspected Ulfa rebels triggered three blasts in Assam on Saturday. In Tinsukia in upper Assam, 25 people were injured when a bomb exploded in front of a shop. "The bomb was hidden in a bicycle on G N B Road," SP Prashanta Kumar Bhuyan said. The injured were admitted to Tinsukia Hospital. In Guwahati, an explosion rocked busy Fancy Bazar around 2.30 pm. "The explosion was apparently caused by a crude bomb which was hidden under a truck. Two people were hit by splinters," ASP (city) Debojit Deuri said. The third explosion took place near an Army camp at Pipling in Dibrugarh district around 7 pm. Army and police were yet to comment whether there was any damage or casualty. Police recovered two bombs in Tinsukia and Darrang districts. "A bomb-like object was recovered from a bicycle at Chirra Patty in Tinsukia town," Bhuyan said. Army personnel defused the explosive. A bomb weighing about two-and-half kg was recovered from a bicycle at Tangni Bazar area in Darrang district. Since early 2007, Ulfa has stepped up its activities in upper Assam and Guwahati.(Times of India 9/3/08)

Naxals call for bandh on March 14 (12) HYDERABAD: Two naxal organisations, CPI (Maoist) and CPI-ML (Janasakthi), have jointly given a call to the people of Telangana to observe a bandh in protest against the Congress’ anti-Telangana stand on March 14, the day when Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to visit Hyderabad. Criticising the Congress for what they called its attempt to renew its power in the state, the naxal parties accused Sonia of betraying the same people who were responsible for her party winning the 2004 elections. "The Congress government in the state has not completed any project in the state except the international airport at Shamshabad. No irrigation project has been completed, not an acre has been brought under cultivation," the parties said in a statement issued here on Monday. Sonia will inaugurate the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on March 14 and participate in the inauguration of an irrigation project in Telangana. The two-page statement, singed by Maoist party North Telangana Special Zonal Committee secretary Chandranna and Janasakhthi party’s regional secretary Bharat, asked the people of the region not to vote for the Congress in the next elections. "The state government is handing over 60 per cent of the land in Nalgonda, Medak, Ranga Reddy and Mahabubnagar districts to the landlords of the Coastal Andhra region. These acts of the government along with construction of Potireddy Padu and Pulichintala projects are bound to destroy the Telangana region," the leaders of the two naxalite groups said in the statement. The statement was also critical of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti for portraying the resignations of its MPs, MLAs and MLCs as acts of sacrifice. "The party which has given the struggle a go by for four years now wants to win the elections by showing the resignations as sacrifice," the statement said urging the party to wage a real struggle in association with progressive elements and people of the region. Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also given a call for bandh on the same day with the similar cause. The Congress president already cancelled a public meeting in Hyderabad on March 14 as that may force her to speak on the Telangana issue. ( Times of India 11/308)

17 Maoists killed in encounter (12) PAMEDU (Chhattisgarh): Dispelling the notion of impregnability of Bastar forests, security forces managed to inflict a stunning blow to Maoist rebels, when they carried out precision raids and shot dead as many as 17 rebels in one of the biggest counter-insurgency operations in recent times in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday morning. Police recovered weapons including an AK-47, three Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), landmines and many single shot weapons during two spells of the ambushes in Darelli forest of Pamedu police station falling in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. There were seven women among the slain Maoists. The fact that the security forces suffered no casualties spoke of the precision of the raids and perfect coordination among different police agencies of the two States, police officers said. A top Maoist leader from Andhra Pradesh and four squad commanders of Khammam district were believed to be among those slain. The fierce gun battle, in which the security forces apparently seized the initiative, took place about ten kilometres from Andhra Pradesh border and the Maoists believed to be attending a plenum meeting were obviously taken by surprise. The police said more than 500 shots were fired on both sides in two spells — one at 9 a.m. and another four hours later. Some 13 were killed in the first spell of gun battle while the other four fell to police bullets in the second assault. While firing ceased around 2 p.m., security forces were still combing the area, in the belief that more naxal squads could be found. Police contingents from Khammam in Andhra Pradesh and Bijapur in Chhattisgarh were inching their way to the scene of exchange of fire. Security has been further tightened on the A.P.-Chhattisgarh border and also in the villages on either side of the border.

The Tuesday assault, stated as a turning point in counter-insurgency operations in Chhattisgarh, was taken up after the police conducted an aerial survey of the forests on the inter-State border last week following intelligence inputs about the Maoist gathering. More than 60 Maoists were reportedly attending the plenum while some militants were guarding the place, when police carried out the raid. Khammam Superintendent of Police D.S. Chauhan confirmed that those killed in the encounter were mostly from Khammam district. He said operations were on for retrieval of the bodies as well as the search for those who managed to escape. Incidentally, 16 policemen were ambushed and mowed down in automatic gunfire, after a police team on its way to Pamed police station literally walked into the deadly trap laid by the rebels in the same jungles on November 2, 2007. Only five policemen managed to escape from the rebels who used light machine guns and mortars in the ambush. (The Hindu 19/3/08)

For first time, three states team up to raid Naxali te stronghold (12) RAIPUR, MARCH 17: In the first such joint operation against Naxalites, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh dispatched some 1,000 police commandos to the Naxal stronghold of Bastar in Chhattisgarh where forest camps were destroyed in two separate operations last week. In the first operation, policemen from Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra targeted Naxalites in the Abujhmad forests bordering Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. The second operation was carried out in the forests of south Bastar region by the Greyhounds, Andhra’s anti-Naxal force, and Chhattisgarh Police commandos. Confirming the joint action in the Bastar region, Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Vishwaranjan said the security forces destroyed three big Naxalite camps and about a dozen smaller camps inside the forests. “The two separate operations ended last week and were successful as the security forces, for the first time in several years, were able to make night halts inside these forests and initiate action against the adversary,” Vishwaranjan said. The entire action, he said, was planned and implemented by the police forces of these states and no help of the Centre was sought for the mission. He said the action was significant as this was the first time that any major offensive action had taken place inside the Abujhmad forests. Abujhmad (locals call it the unknown forests) is considered the strongest Naxal bastion and the CPI (Maoist), which claims it is a liberated zone, runs training camps there for its cadres. Sources said that before undertaking the operation, policemen carried out two surveys to familiarise themselves with the local terrain. In all, 200 commandos from Maharashtra, three companies of Greyhounds and some 500 Chhattisgarh policemen took part in the action which lasted for almost a week. While the Bastar operations were on, security was tightened in the districts of Rajnandgaon, Dhamtari, Mahasamund and Balaghat to prevent Naxal cadres from shifting base to these areas. Sources said Naxalite literature, daily provisions and weapons were seized in large numbers. There were no reports, however, of any casualties as the Naxalites retreated under police pressure. “Four Naxalite cadres have been arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police and are being interrogated,” Vishwaranjan said, adding that such operations will continue. “This will now become a regular feature. We will attack and consolidate in the territory which was so far being dominated by the extremists,” he said. (Indian Express 18/3/08)

Naxals growing on large-scale extortion (12) CHATRA (JHARKHAND): Extortion has become a major source of revenue generation for the naxals operating from the hilly terrains and dense forests of Jharkhand, one of the most natural resource-rich States of the country. Even though relentless police action has dealt a heavy blow to their expansion plans in the area, efforts to throttle their money supply lines have not succeeded so far. The naxals here have strategically targeted every source of wealth generation in the State such as government-contracted construction works, auctions, coal and mineral mining, and brick kiln business. The police have reason to believe that the naxals raise as much as Rs.350 crore per year, nearly double the annual budget of the Jharkhand police! The most important source of the naxals’ income is levy-collection from “tendu patta” (the leaf used for making beedis) and “kattha” contractors. The money generated through these two sources only is estimated at about Rs.57 crore per season. Lately the extremists have also started raising funds through cultivation of opium and by extorting money from opium growers. The police said such activities were going on in Chatra, Latehar, Giridih, Hazaribagh and areas along the Jharkhand-West Bengal border. Besides, the police have information that Government employees working in remote areas are also being forced to part with “protection money”. Intelligence inputs gathered by security forces have revealed that at least on paper, 70 per cent of the revenue collected by the naxals from various districts, which is done by zonal commanders, is forwarded to the higher level functionaries for the “party fund”. The rest is used for day-to-day expenses.

“However, there are instances where zonal commanders have been found leading a lavish life and buying properties, whereas the lower-rungs live in pitiable condition. In many cases, top naxal leaders have vanished with the collection amounts running into crores,” said a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer. The officer said the lure of money was so strong within the cadres that the fight for retaining the levy amount had led to a rift among various groups and eventual parting of ways. Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee, which has emerged as a powerful outfit giving a tough fight to its parent group, and Jharkhand Liberation Tigers are two such examples. While the CRPF along with the police has managed to contain naxal activities to a great extent, the Administration has failed to put a check on the system of levy collection. “The government-contracted works are their main source of levy collection. We try our best to convince the contractors to lodge complaints against any threats from the naxals, but rarely do they come forward,” said a senior police officer. “It may sound weird but at times we feel that all the government-funded developmental works should be frozen to ensure that the money meant for infrastructural development does not get diverted to the naxals who use it for procurement of weapons,” said the officer. (The Hindu 23/3/08)

Centre allots Rs 500cr for areas hit by Naxalites ( 12) New Delhi, March 23: The Centre has decided to allocate Rs 500 crores during the 11th Five-Year Plan for development of infrastructure in Naxal-hit areas. This assumes significance in the backdrop of growing Left wing extremism in various states. The new scheme aims at providing critical mobility to the police by upgrading existing roads and tracks in inaccessible areas and securing camping grounds and helipads at strategic locations in remote and interior areas. Rehabilitation of surrendered Naxalites and need-based hiring of weapons, vehicles and communication equipment in emergency situation are also carried out under it. To meet the emerging challenges to internal security in the form of naxalism and terrorism, stress is being laid on rapid modernisation of the state police forces. The state police, being directly concerned with law and order, need to improve their functioning and be equipped with the latest technology so that they are able to successfully meet emerging challenges. Significantly, of late there have been several incidents of Naxals storming police stations in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa in which personnel have been attacked and arms looted. Through the plan, to be implemented by concerned state governments, the Centre intends to upgrade and strengthen approach roads to police stations and outposts where there is risk of attack by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines. According to Union home ministry sources, the scheme, which is fully funded by the Centre, seeks to provide security to police stations and outposts by strengthening those at risk of attack due to their dilapidated condition. Helicopters have been provided to affected states for rushing central para-military forces and evacuating injured people and security personnel, but in the absence of helipads state governments are unable to make right use of the machines. The scheme envisages provision for critical needs, specific to areas and districts where holistic anti-naxalite measures are being taken up in a focused manner. Financial assistance is also provided to affected states for combating naxalism under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE). Under this, reimbursement is provided by the home ministry to Naxal-affected states for security-related expenditure in respect of ex-gratia payment for civilians and security personnel killed. Funds are also provided for transportation, communication and other logistic support for central para-military forces deployed for anti-Naxalite operations. Cost of ammunition for anti-naxalite operations and training to the state police forces are met under the scheme, which also takes care of community policing and security-related infrastructure by village defence committees. The main objective of the police modernisation scheme is to reduce dependence of state governments on the Army and central para-military forces for internal security and law and order. Some of the major areas covered under the scheme include construction of secure police stations, outposts and police lines, and ensuring mobility, security, provision of modern weaponry to the police. Security, surveillance, communication, forensic equipment, upgradation of training infrastructure, police housing and computerisation are also taken up under the scheme. (Asian Age 24/3/08)

SSB roped in to protect volunteers of salwa judum ( 12) New Delhi, March 24: Close on the heels of the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) report which has said that the volunteers of salwa judum are leading "disturbed lives" in "fortified camps" for fear of being attacked by extremists, the Centre has decided to rope in the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for protecting these tribal volunteers. The ARC has described Salwa Judum as a process wherein poor tribals are caught between "the legitimate sovereign power of the state and the illegitimate coercive power of the extremist". The report has mentioned that these camps

have been attacked by extremists leading to several deaths. "While one battalion has already gone, the other is undergoing induction and would be sent soon," director-general of SSB Gopal Sharma told reporters here. The SSB has said that the decision to rope in the force exclusively for protection of people involved in the movement, has been taken after various intelligence inputs suggesting that Naxalites were planning to hit them again. Last year, Naxalites mowed down 55 people which included some CRPF personnel. Salva Judum, is widely seen as a people’s movement especially those from the tribal belt, who are countering Naxalites in dense forest areas of Chattisgarh etc. The SSB, guarding India’s border with countries like Nepal and Bhutan, also raised concern of stepping up intelligence-gathering in border areas in the wake of reports suggesting that Maoists were having free run from the Indo-Nepal border and cadres of banned Ulfa were using the dense forests of the Indo-Bhutan border. The force has suggested the creation of an intelligence wing. Mr Sharma, who joined as the SSB chief after heading the J&K police for over three years, said the force has already started measures of having its own intelligence wing which would provide important inputs to it. The SSB is also preparing a "border management doctrine" to create "secure and friendly borders" with both it’s neighbours. (Asian Age 25/3/08)

Naxals take war to virtual world, police wary (12) It’s not merely the inaccessible forests or the remote areas in the middle of Red corridor where security forces are waging a war against the Naxalites. The virtual world, too, is fast becoming a battleground with extremist literature being posted on Internet browsers. Sources in the security agencies say the Chhattisgarh Police website was hacked thrice by pro-Maoists attackers. However, the state police — engaged as it is in a long and tough battle with the Naxalites — plans to concentrate on the ground level battle and doesn’t want to tackle its opponents in the virtual world as yet. In fact, the state police website has been taken off the Internet. “The police has decided to do away with the website and there are no future plans to reactivate it,” said a senior officer. Added Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Vishwaranjan, “We should first deal with Naxalites on the ground level and push them back from areas where they have established their dominance. Maintaining a website is not our priority right now.” Sources say the Internet is being used as a powerful tool by Maoist sympathisers to disseminate their viewpoint and seek support for their cause. “Several websites which are run by Naxalite sympathisers or with an open tilt towards Left wing extremism are on the watch list,” sources added. Intelligence sources say the security agencies have been monitoring the activities of Naxalite sympathisers, and other extremist groups, on the Internet, for many years now. However, action against these websites can be taken only after receiving a clearance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. “A website is blocked only if it is found to be indulging in anti-India rhetoric or professing separatism,” sources confirmed. But blocking a website isn’t a permanent solution as the Maoist content can be easily transferred onto another website. The exercise is termed as less than useful by intelligence sources. (Indian Express 27/3/08)

Probe slams officers, staff for largest Naxal jailb reak (12) RAIPUR, March 25: An administrative inquiry into Chhattisgarh’s Dantewara prison break on December 16, 2007 where 299 prisoners escaped — in one of the biggest ever jailbreaks enacted by suspected Maoists from inside the prison walls — has indicted senior police officials, exposed shocking lapses in prison security and revealed the callous attitude of district administration and local police.The report adds that inadequate number of prison guards, improper training — guards on duty that day didn’t even know how to fire — non-separation of Naxalite and other inmates and alleged collusion by the jail staff was collectively responsible for one of the biggest prison-breaks in the nation’s history. Over 105 of those who escaped were suspected Maoists. The report of the inquiry, conducted by Development Commissioner (Bastar) R S Vishwakarma, has been given to Chief Minister Raman Singh, Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, Chief Secretary Shivraj Singh and Principal Secretary (Home) N K Aswal. Confirming the report’s receipt, Netam told The Indian Express that the government would initiate action against officials indicted. “We have already initiated several steps to tighten security at all prison facilities housing Maoist extremists,” he added.It’s not going to be easy given the key findings of the report, a copy of which is with The Indian Express:•The jail’s capacity was 150 prisoners, at the time of the attack there were 377 inmates. •Naxalites were deliberately not shifted to the Central Prison in Jagdalpur as this would have reduced the inmate count which, in turn, would have cut down prison’s fund allocation for feeding inmates. This indicates a “corruption angle.” •Of the total sanctioned strength of 22 prison officials — including one assistant jailer, five head guards and 16 guards — only four “unarmed guards” were present on duty during the jailbreak. •The prison has two roof watchtowers manned by two guards during the night. When the jailbreak happened, no

guard was present on these towers. A guard Hiranand Ajgale was on duty behind the prison and he wasn’t there when the alarm was raised.•The alleged mastermind of the incident, Sujeet Kumar, also known as “Commander” inside the jail, was allowed to move around in the prison freely even outside the main gate and the prison armoury. This has been authenticated by statements of several guards. Sujeet mobilised a mob and over-ran the jail in barely 15 minutes. He was able to break open the wooden door of the room where several weapons, including one Insas rifle, three muskets, three .303 rifles and 237 rounds of bullets were kept. These weapons should have been kept in a nearby armoury which had a steel door. “Weapons and ammunition were kept at such a place from where they could have been looted easily. This reinforces the suspicion of involvement of jailer with the fleeing inmates,” the report says. •The fleeing inmates tied up round-in-charge Sunil Kumar Pujari and head guard Jaiprakash Kannoje. Hearing gunfire, a frightened guard in-charge Shambhuram Sahu hid behind the wall. No one tried to stop the fleeing inmates, there was no provision of a reserve guard. •Just minutes before the incident, jailer B S Mankar left the premises, accompanied with his wife, without taking any prior permission from his superiors. • Sahu has deposed that although he headed the guards, he was not handed the charge of the armoury. He claimed he hasn’t even been trained to fire a rifle while adding that rifles at the armoury weren’t even tested after last year’s monsoon season. Security guards on duty that day were not trained to fire weapons. •Assistant Jailer R R Rai said that when Mankar was on leave he was asked to prepare a list of suspected Naxal inmates so that they could be transferred to the Central jail. However, when Mankar returned from leave, he refused to forward the list.The report has indicted several top police and administration officers: •DIG (Prisons ) P D Verma: Did not follow guidelines with regard to transfer of Naxalite prisoners to the high-security Central jails. Besides he failed to act on numerous complaints against jailer B S Mankar. He also didn’t prepare a roster for inspection of state prisons, which included several inspections of Dantewara jail. •District Collector K R Pisda: Failed to inspect the jail every month as provided under Section 82 of the jail rules. Only one such inspection was carried out by him during the last one and a half years. He did recommend additional security for the jail but failed to ensure that the directive was complied with. •Superintendent of Police (Dantewara) Rahul Sharma: Failed to make available additional security as asked for by the Collector. Overlooked jail headquarters directive to provide one platoon of armed forces for prison security. Failed to inspect the jail even once. •Chief Medical Officer who was also Jail Superintendent G S Thakur: Did not inspect the jail, didn’t apprise authorities of complaints against jailer. •Jailer B S Mankar: Undue patronage to Sujeet; was absent from duty on the day of jail break. Failed to transfer Naxalite inmates to the high security Jagdalpur Central prison. (INDIAN EXPRESS 27/3/08)

Naxals loot explosives in Chhattisgarh (12) RAIPUR: More than 100 heavily armed Maoists raided an iron ore mine of Sail in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, 170 km from Raipur, and drove away with a truckload of explosives used in mine blasts. Police said the Naxals looted 1.75 tonne of explosives from the Mahamaya iron ore mine in Dalli-Rajhara. The Maoists also kidnapped eight officials of the Chhattisgarh government and Sail's Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) on Thursday, but later freed them. The kidnapped officials included Rajbir Singh, SDO (forest), Bhanupratapur, and BSP mines manager Srikant. Chhattisgarh police and personnel of paramilitary forces launched a search early Friday to recover the explosives. ''Many search parties have been deployed in Durg, Kanker and Bastar region,'' Durg SP told TOI. (Times of India 29/3/08)

Bihar cops get success against Naxals (12) BEGUSARAI/NAWADA: Following an encounter with the CPI(Maoist) near Karauna Soti under Birpur police station, Begusarai police arrested 10 rebels on Friday afternoon. Also on Friday, Nawada police destroyed a Maoist opium farm at Jamdaha village under Rajouli police station. The arrested persons included armed women members of the banned outfit. Besides, the police were successful in recovering a huge cache of arms from the Maoists that included four rifles, one of them a looted police rifle, two pistols of foreign make and a country-made pistol. Police also recovered uniforms used by the rebels during their armed operations. Begusarai SP Amit Lodha said two policemen were injured in the gunbattle that lasted for more than an hour. He said the police had gone to the place following a tip off that the Maoists were having a secret meeting near Karauna. In Nawada, police carried out the raid on the opium farm following a tip-off that the Naxals were growing opium at Jamdaha. When the raiding party reached the village, the Maoists fired on the security forces forcing the latter to retaliate. Police recovered a loaded rifle, some gunpowder and other explosive devices from the area. Police also came across a "katta" factory in the village which was later destroyed along with the illegal opium plants grown on a five-acre plot. Nawada SP Vinod Kumar said the Maoists cultivated the opium to generate funds. The SP

said three persons have been arrested. "The arrested persons are directly or indirectly associated with the Maoists," he said. (Times of India 29/3/08)

Maoists damage electric towers, blackout in Bijapur (12) Raipur : Maoists damaged electric poles leading to a virtual blackout in more than 150 villages in the insurgency prone Bijapur of Bastar region, police said on Sunday. The Maoists damaged five poles of 33 KV line. This has resulted in a blackout in more than 150 villages of Bholapatnam and Usur blocks. "Maoists had put wooden logs on fire under the electric poles which caused the poles to bend", Baijapur Superintendent of Police Ankit Garg told The Pioneer. He said power supply would be restored by Tuesday. Meanwhile, police has intensified patrolling in the entire Maoist affected areas apprehending attacks by the militants in dark. Strict vigil is being maintained at the police stations, outpost and other important places including Government offices in areas currently under blackout. Maoists have reportedly called for a bandh on March 31 in protest against the killing of 17 of their cadres recently, in a gun battle with Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh. It is to be noted that last year in June, the Maoists had caused a major blackout for almost a week in the entire Bastar region covering the five districts including Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kanker and Bastar, by blasting three high-tension transmission tower. (Pioneer 31/3/08)

SC flays Chhattisgarh for arming civilians to comba t Maoists (12) New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily against arming the civilians to combat Maoists in Chhattisgarh in the name of Salwa Judum movement. "It's a question of law and order. You (State) can't give arms to somebody and allow them to kill. Ultimately you will be an abettor under (IPC Section) 302," said a Bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice Aftab Alam. The court while mooting a proposal to order an independent investigation of the conditions in relief camps where atrocities against the local tribal population by the Salwa Judum members was reported, asked the petitioner to supply information about the worse-hit camps by April 15, the next date of hearing. The scathing remarks by the court came during hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Nandini Sundar, Ramachandra Guha and EAS Sarma who complained of inhuman conditions at the camp, besides a reign of terror unleashed by Salwa Judum members. Senior advocate Ashok Desai appearing for the petitioners pointed out the urgency of rehabilitating the tribals numbering almost 50,000 back to the forests, their natural habitat, since June is the season of sowing. Finding merit in the petitioners' arguments, the court said, "A neutral agency must enquire whether people are there in camps willingly." This was preceded by two independent reports cited by the petitioner that lend credence to its allegations. One related to a report prepared by former Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh who reported on the depraving conditions of children in the camp as part of a report prepared for the National Council for Protection of Children. In another report, M Veerappa Moily, Chairman, Administrative Reforms Commission proposed the disbanding of Salwa Judum. "From the allegations it appears the State is harming somebody. If you are giving arms to somebody State will be abetting the crime," the Bench said, adding, "You first admit that you are giving arms."…. (Pioneer 1/4/08)

Naxals kill 8 of family for being ‘traitors’ (12) Ranchi, April 8: Continuing their attacks on “traitors” in their area of influence, CPI (Maoist) cadres gunned down eight persons, including three women, and injured one on Tuesday morning in Gumla district. Sources in Gumla told The Indian Express that an armed squad led by Maoist leaders Sunil Bhuinyan and Manoj Nagesia intercepted a Bolero in which Bhado Singh along with his eight family members was travelling, at Semra village. The attackers, using automatic weapons, fired indiscriminately at the vehicle killing eight of the occupants, including Singh. One of his relatives, Renu Devi, escaped with injuries and is being treated at a local hospital. According to DIG R K Mallick, Singh returned the fire with his licensed weapon but was outnumbered. Singh, a farmer of neighbouring Gudma village, had been running a resistence movement under the banner of Shanti Sena against the Naxalites since 2001. “They were on the hit list of the Naxalites for quite some time. But they did not take enough precautions. Even the police did not bother to provide them security cover,” said Sudhir Singh, a relative of Bhado Singh. The police have launched a combing operation but no arrests have been made so far. On Monday, three persons, including a 65-year-old man, were killed by the Maoists in two separate incidents. The first incident took place in Tukudiri village in West Singhbhum district where the militants cadres beat up to death Rasika Bhuinya, a chowkidar, alleging that he was a police informer. In the other case, two persons were shot dead in Lohardaga district on the same

charge. Tuesday’s was the third consecutive attack on those who are being perceived as working against Maoists. The Maoists have called a Jharkhand-Bihar bandh on April 16 to protest against what they allege as police zulm (highhandedness). .(Indian Express 9/4/08)

Maoists kill 6 in Rohtas forest (12) PATNA: Maoists killed six persons, said to be members of the Sashastra People’s Morcha, in the Tardih forest of Rohtas district on Thursday. The police claimed that they found naxalite pamphlets at the scene of crime. The Maoists charged that the slain persons “betrayed the parent organisation and served as police informers.” The police sealed Bihar’s borders with Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh and launched a combing operation. The deceased belonged to the Barachatti and Mohanpur blocks of Gaya district. (The Hindu 11/4/08)

Maoists move towards majority in Nepal (12) KATHMANDU: The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) has maintained its lead, bagging 75 of the 135 seats in the elections to the Constituent Assembly, and is moving towards a simple majority in the first-past-the-post system. The Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) are far behind. The NC has won just 21 seats and the UML 20. The Maoist party is leading in about 60 constituencies where vote counting is going on. The NC is leading in 20 and the UML in 15. If the Maoists maintain the lead, they can easily win a simple majority in the first-past-the-post system under which 240 seats are up for grabs. The Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), which spearheaded the Madhesi movement and is taking part in the election for the first time, is faring well. It has won in 9 seats and is leading in 10 more. More senior leaders of the NC and the UML have been swept aside in the pro-Maoist wave sweeping the country. Prominent members of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s family have been trounced. His daughter and Minister Sujata Koirala, his nephews Shekhar Koirala and Ashok Koirala and his cousin Sushil Koirala have lost. Senior NC leader and Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, the former Finance Minister, Mahesh Acharya, the former Minster, Govinda Raj Joshi, and senior UML leader and former Foreign Minister, K.P. Olim, have been defeated. A Standing Committee meeting of the UML has decided to withdraw from the government in the wake of the party’s defeat. The committee has, however, decided to work together with other parties to implement federal democratic republic and to draft a new Constitution. The committee also decided to present the resignation submitted by UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal at the party’s central committee for ratification. Senior leader Amrit Kumar Bohara has been appointed the party’s acting general secretary. (The Hindu 14/4/08)

(Maoist) kills five policemen (12) PATNA: The CPI(Maoist) on Sunday attacked the police station and the booking office of the Jhajha Railway Junction near here killing six people, including five police personnel, and looted a large number of weapons. The naxalites exploded several bombs as they attacked the police picket and the booking office. The SAP, STF and CRPF forces stationed in the district rushed in to counter the attack. In the encounter that followed, two SAP jawans, a Sub-Inspector and two jawans of the GRP and a parcel porter were killed. The communication linkwas snapped. Movement of trains was badly affected. (The Hindu 14/4/08)

Naxals target crowded railway station, six killed ( 12) PATNA, APRIL 13: Over 200 armed Naxalites stormed a crowded railway station on the New Delhi-Howrah line in Bihar, blew up the railway police station, looted a huge cache of arms and ammunition and killed five railway policemen and one porter. The attack on Jhajha railway station— an important station in Jamui district of Bihar—took place around 5 p.m. on Sunday. It brought rail traffic to a complete halt and several important trains including the Rajdhani Express were held up at different points. IG (Operations) S K Bhardwaj confirmed six deaths—two Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) men, two Government Railway Police (GRP) jawans, one RPF jawan and one railway porter. “A hunt has been launched to nab the Maoists,” he said. The attack came at a time when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was busy reshuffling and expanding his cabinet. He immediately directed IG (Operations) Bhardwaj to rush to the spot. According to reports, over 200 armed Maoists swooped down from the hills nearby around 5 pm. The Maoists immediately fanned out and surrounded all important points on the railway platform while urging passengers not to panic. The target of the attack was the GRP station on the platform. A large number of Maoists surrounded it and opened fire, killing and injuring the policemen, hardly prepared to face an attack of that magnitude. Then, they looted the arms and ammunition in the police station and

used dynamites to blow up the police building. Though the police claimed that there was an encounter between the Naxals and the police, the Maoists managed to escape. Apart from blowing up the GRP station, the Naxals damaged an ATM counter, RPF booth and booking counter on the platform. Several long-distance trains were stranded due to the attack. Reports said that the Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express was about to cross the station at the time of the attack when it was stopped at a small station just before Jhajha. Though Naxals in the recent past had attacked isolated railway stations in the region, this was the first attack on a major station. The Naxals had once attacked a running train, killed two policemen and looted their arms near Jhajha, a junction. (Indian Express 14/4/08)

Dressed as commoners, Naxals deal a bloody blow (12 ) Jhajha, April 14: The attack on the Jhajha Railway Station on Sunday that claimed six lives was the most successful operation by the Naxalites in Bihar since the Jehanabad jailbreak over two-and-a-half years back. The attack was carried out in the typical style that the authorities have come to associate with Naxals: over 200 of them, a good number of them women, dressed as commoners, mixing with the crowd on the platform before launching the surprise attack. If in Jehanabad, the Naxals managed to free many of their imprisoned comrades, at Jhajha, they walked away with a hefty booty of arms and ammunition -- 36 rifles, six SLRs, two carbines and 1,867 cartridges. “The Naxals were dressed like commoners, used mostly small firearms and had a large number of women at the forefront, which makes it very difficult for the police to open fire,” said IG (Operations) S K Bhardwaj, who is supervising the combing operations. Bhardwaj added that they had arrested two persons involved in the attack, including one woman, and got vital clues. Recounting the attack that began at around 6 pm, the officer-in-charge of the Government Railway Police (GRP) Station, Sati Kumar Verma, who was also injured, said: “The platform was crowded as a passenger train had just arrived. After my evening stroll, I was standing outside the police station when a person from the crowd suddenly attacked my head with a spade. I started bleeding profusely and even before I could realise what had happened, 20-30 men and women had entered the police station.” Only four-five jawans were present at the station at the time. However, they had plenty of arms and ammunition as train escort parties had returned, submitted their weapons and were relaxing in the barracks, away from the platform. The Naxals fired in the air and at GRP jawans who tried to stop them from looting the arms. Even as the core group carted away the weapons, other members took strategic positions in and outside the station. Landmines were laid just outside to stop any police reinforcements. Another group of Naxals took control of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Station, which had only three unarmed jawans. The fourth group took charge of the office that mans movement of trains. “They did not kill any of our unarmed jawans but damaged the office,” said RPF Station in-charge Arup Kumar. Police claims apart, Sunday's attack showed how badly prepared they were to face any such attack. (Indian Express 15/4/08)

Naxals blow up rail track, raid station in Jharkhan d (12) Ranchi/Aurangabad, April 16: Naxalites targeted the railway network during the 24-hour bandh called by them in Jharkhand and Bihar, blowing up a stretch of the railway track on Wednesday and holding employees of a station captive after a raid. Armed Naxalites blasted a two-metre stretch of railway track at Choudary-Baandh in Giridih district in Jharkhand in the early hours on Wednesday, disrupting train services in the Dhanbad division. The Naxalites had called the bandh to protest against the killing of eight of their associates in an encounter near Garwah earlier this month. The Maoists also set afire a truck at Tamar, about 50 km from Ranchi. According to reports, several long distances vehicles were off the roads due to the bandh, affecting loading and unloading at mineral sites. In Bihar’s Aurangabad district, over 200 heavily armed Maoists raided Fesar railway station and held its five employees captive on Tuesday night. Rail traffic on the Aurangabad-Mughalsarai section of the east central Railway was disrupted for more than two hours, police sources said. In the wake of the Maoist attack at Jhajha station, all railway stations in the state have been put on high alert and the government, the railway police and railway protection force personnel have been advised to move in groups during the physical search of all important trains, the sources said. (PTI) (Asian Age 17/4/08)

After central India, Naxals intensify operations in TN (12) CHENNAI: As operations to flush out Naxalites intensify in central India, the Maoists are moving to the Western Ghats in search of a haven. Intelligence sources have confirmed Naxalite movements in Theni, Dindigul and Kodaikanal, especially in the hill regions. Maoists from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh are moving into Tamil Nadu, which has not

yet intensified operations against Naxalites. Maoists disguised as vendors sneaked into the state by road with weapons. Hindi and Telugu speaking Maoists get in touch with local members. Sources said, Police and paramilitary forces in Naxalite-prone states have killed 45 Naxalites in the last six months. So Naxalites come down south where they can campaign for their movements without running into trouble. Women cadre are now actively participating in Maoist campaigns in tribal areas. Women Naxalites lure the tribals by offering them free karate classes. They give them free weapons training sessions. As most tribals are poor, they fall prey to these offers, a senior intelligence officer said. The Naxalites are planning to recruit them for their movement. The recent arrest of Viswa alias Viswanathan from Pattiveeranpatti near Dindigul was an eye-opener for the police. Additional director general of police (law and order) K Vijaykumar, who led Operation Cocoon to kill forest brigand Veerappan, said, We have a separate team in the Special Task Force that conducts raids where Naxalite activity is suspected. According to intelligence sources, nearly 12 separate groups infiltrated Tamil Nadu and are in the Western Ghats. Each team comprises six men and four women. Four of them are well-versed orators, while the others are weapon handlers. While the northern border districts of Dharmapuri and Vellore have seen Naxalite activity, Dindigul and Theni are slowly becoming naxalite bases. The Q branch deputy superintendent of police post has been vacant for the past several months, a senior police officer said, citing this as a reason for the Naxalite activity in the area. (Times of India 18/4/08)

Maoists strike terror in Chhattisgarh (12) KHAMMAM: Naxalites of the CPI (Maoist) struck terror at Korandul in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh by setting fire to 47 vehicles of the Essar Steels on Thursday night. The vehicles burnt in the arson included 33 dumpers, four earth moving equipment, two diesel tankers and one bus. Some 400 naxalites stormed into the company premises at Kadampal locality in the town around 11.30 p.m, doused the vehicles with diesel and set them afire by keeping the guards and drivers away at gun point. Most of them were armed with automatic weapons and clad in olive green uniform and they were speaking Hindi and English. More than 100 women were among the naxalites who raided the company premises bringing its operations to a standstill. The Maoists, who fled the scene, left a pamphlet issued in the name of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal committee. It sounded a warning to both Essar Steels and another private company against continuing their operations in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. It claimed that the land, water and the forest belonged to Bastar tribes and they alone had the right to enjoy them. (The Hindu 26/4/08)

Maoists draft children into cadres (12) Bhubaneswar, April 28: Maoists have now turned to children to expand their base in Orissa. The Left-wing ultras have started drafting children, particularly school-going boys and girls in the tribal pockets of Malkangiri district in south Orissa, into their cadres with an objective of giving a fillip to their activities in the state, a senior police officer said on Monday. The ultras have recently formed "Bal Sangathan", the children wing of their organisation in south Orissa. The strength of children cadre has already reached over 300 in just a couple of months, the police officer said. "We have definite information about the formation of Bal Sangathan by the Maoists in Orissa. This is part of their strategy to strengthen their organisation and run their operations without arousing suspicion among the security personnel," said Malkangiri SP Satish Kumar Gajavayee. The Maoists target the children from the poverty-stricken families in the tribal pockets for the purpose. They indoctrinate these minors with their ideology and develop in them a feeling of hatred towards the administration and the government machinery, thus poisoning their minds. The children are initially imparted training on gathering information on movements of security personnel in their respective areas. They are also used as couriers to pass on letters to Maoist leaders without inviting the attention of the police. Subsequently, they are trained in militant warfare. These children are sometimes used as a shield during encounters with the police, the police officer said. The Maoists, who have considerable influence among the poor tribals in the inaccessible pockets, hardly get any resistance from the parents for luring their children into their cadres. At least four dalams (units), Kalimela, Motu, Kolkunda and Poplur, were already active under the Malkangiri Naxalite division. Members of all the dalams had been entrusted with the task of recruiting child cadres, official sources said. "This is a serious development. We are planning to launch a massive drive to dissuade the tribals from sending their children to the Maoists, besides conducting raids on their training camps in the forests," a senior police officer said. (Asian Age 29/4/08)

Nepal Maoist outfit still on India ban list (12) New Delhi, April 29: Even as Maoists have emerged victorious in Nepal, and India has promised all cooperation, one of their frontal organisations continues to be on the list of banned outfits, prepared by the ministry of home affairs. According to the official website of the home ministry, Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj (ABNES) stands at the end of the list of 34 organisation enlisted as "banned organisations" on the MHA website. The number one banned organisation is the United Liberation Front of Assam, followed by National Democratic Front of Bodoland, besides other international terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen etc. The banned organisations list also contains the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and all its formations and front organisations. The MHA website says that these organisations are declared as terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967. MHA sources revealed that ABNES was earlier banned at the request of earlier regimes in the Himalayan nation for having links with Maoist groups. There are no fresh instructions from the government so far for its removal from the list of terrorist organisation, declared under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, said MHA sources. This group, reportedly, had alleged links with Naxal groups, besides helping the Left-wing extremists in raising their cadre and providing arms training in the villages located along the porus Indo-Nepal border, sources said. (Asian Age 30/4/08)

Naxals target outsiders in Malkangiri district (12) BERHAMPUR: Naxals are killing unidentified persons from outside the State in naxal infested Malkangiri district of Orissa. The Maoists have also started massive propaganda drive to claim mark their presence in the district. The police force in this most naxal infested district of Orissa is yet to ascertain the real reason behind the two recent killings of unidentified persons from outside the State by the Maoists and their propaganda drive. But the Malkangiri Superintendent of Police, Satish Kumar Gajbhiye says one of the major reason behind it is the effort by the vagrants to increase their ransom collection. An unknown person was killed by naxals in the district on April 3. The papers found from his belongings hinted that he was one ‘Bhaskar’ from Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. In another incident naxals killed person near Telarai on April 24. He was again suspected to be from adjoining Chhattisgarh as writings in Devnagri script were found on his body. There are also suspicions that these persons were part of the Naxal outfit and were killed due to some tussle. Although Naxals claimed they were police informers, Mr. Gajbhiye reiterated they had no links with the police and were also not known to any localites. The bodies of these persons were surely used by the Maoists to terrorise people for increasing ransom claims from traders of remote areas, he said. Meanwhile, a CD with video clippings of ‘Bal Sangham’ or children’s wing of naxals has also started making rounds as part of Naxal propaganda. Investigations have proved that the footage in the CD were from different parts of the country especially from north India. But it was used by naxals to give an impression that Bal Sangham training was continuing in Malkangiri district also. The SP accepts that Bal sangham was active in low scale in remote areas of the district but the recent CD clips were only part of a naxal propaganda to create a panic situation. During past one year naxals have targeted four village headmen in Malkangiri district. They include a former naib-sarpanch Sunam Jagabandhu of Tandbai panchayat, Mukunda Madhi of Bandiguda, former chairman of Kalimela block, Jaga Madi and Madkami Kana of Petta village. As per tradition they were settling disputes at their villages and were involved in developmental activities at the villages. They were killed as they were opposed to ‘praja courts’ by naxals who have no links with their village affairs and are opposed to developmental works especially communication link up, said the SP. According to him naxals strongly oppose roads and telephone link to remote areas as it weakens their scope to collect ransom. In April naxals killed Satyam Lachha, who was involved in ferry business on a river near Jilengiguda. (The Hindu 4/5/08)

Manipur goes the Salwa Judum way (12) Imphal : The Manipur Government has decided to provide arms and ammunition to the people of the State to defend themselves from militants. Official sources said in Imphal on Saturday that the State Cabinet, presided over by Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, discussed the issue on Friday night at a meeting, which lasted for over three hours. In the first phase, the people of Heirok and Chajing would be provided security by opening special posts, to be commanded by Special Police Officers. The people of Heirok in Thoubal district had been demanding arms, following the killing of three people by militants on March 24. The State Government has been considering the possibility of providing arms and ammunition to the people since the past few days. About 300 youths at Heirok and 200 youths at Chajing, commanded by police forces, will

be recruited to provide security to the people. Each youth would be provided with Rs 3,000. The modalities would be worked out by a police team, headed by a DIG, and the entire process was expected to start by next month, officials said. The recruitment would be done under the guidance of the deputy commissioners of the concerned districts. The Manipur Police Housing Corporation will construct barracks for the recruits and all of them would be provided with .303 rifles and motorcycles. The volunteers, however, would not be allowed to venture out of the specified villages. (Pioneer 4/5/08)

Naxal-hit states seek relaxation (12) New Delhi, May 4: As if the work pending under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna was not enough, the Union rural development ministry has floated a proposal seeking further ‘’relaxation’’ in the number of ‘’unconnected habitations eligible for assistance’’ under the scheme, taking the numbers down to 250 population in plain areas and 100 population in tribal areas. This fresh relaxation has been sought for the 33 districts identified as worst-hit by ‘’Naxal violence’’ spread across states of Chattishgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The revised request by the rural development ministry has come at a time when the Public Accounts Committee, monitoring the release of funds for the scheme by the Centre, is irked by the fact that the data of ‘’habitations eligible for assistance’’ under the scheme is still changing ‘’frequently’’ even after eight years of the scheme being launched. The committee has voiced fears of ‘’corruption in PMGSY’’, calling for implementation of ‘’safeguards’’ and ‘’techniques to curb corruption’’ by the implementing agencies in its 72nd report tabled in Parliament recently. Notably, the rural development ministry has already got the approval for Central funding (for the current year 2008-09) for connecting those habitations in the 33 Naxal-hit districts where habitation stands at 500 population in plain areas and 250 in tribal areas, revealed home ministry sources. This was a departure made from the original form of the scheme, launched in 2000, which said that such habitation will be covered which has above 1000 population in plain areas and above 500 population in hilly and tribal areas. Responding to the fresh request made by the rural development ministry, the Union ministry of home affairs, which is coordinating developmental activities in Naxal-affected states, has asked the ministry to ‘’decide fast’’. "The rural development ministry, at the behest of state governments, has made a fresh appeal to give further relaxation to those districts which are worst hit by Naxal violence. The MHA has asked the ministry to take a decision as soon as possible," said a senior home ministry official. MHA sources revealed that the issue came up for discussion recently during the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) meeting on Naxalism convened by the MHA recently. The Public Accounts Committee has noted that as on May 2001, the number of ‘’unconnected habitations eligible for assistance’’ under the scheme was 1.41 lakhs. The figures swelled to 1.6 lakhs in December 2003 and subsequently 1.71 lakhs in December 2004. "Later, the figure went up to around 1.73 lakhs in March 2005. The committee has revealed in its report that in Chattishgarh, which is worst-hit by Naxal violence, "initially 12,561 eligible unconnected habitations were reported to the ministry; however the figure was again revised to 13,761 habitations in the tribal and hilly areas without survey or any other evidence in support of the revised estimation." The committee has expressed shock over ‘’reliable data ‘’missing under a scheme which involves such ‘’huge financial outlays’’. Further examination of records in the states by the committee has revealed a similar situation in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where the habitation-wise population against the roads proposed under the programme were not supported by any documents. The Committee has recommended that responsibility be fixed for ‘’past negligence’’ and a time-frame be fixed for preparation and implementation of district/state-wise plans in order to avoid ‘’duplication of expenditure on existing roads and enable proper utilisation of the scarce resources’’. (Asian Age 5/5/08)

Maoists plan to recruit Nepali labour in India (12) Dehradun : The arrest of Maoist leaders -- Gopal Bhatt, Prashant Sanglikar, Anil Kumar Chaurakoti, Niluballabh and Jeevanchandra Arya -- in recent months from Kumaon has rung alarm bells in the State administration and security agencies as Uttarakhand has a 240-km border with Nepal and a sizeable migrant labour force from that country. The presence of as many as 15,000 Nepali migrant labourers, who are mainly concentrated in Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts that border Nepal, presents a security threat to the State. Security forces fear that given the circumstances of this labour force they may well turn out to be recruiting bases for potential Maoist activists. Young, underpaid, with precious little going for them they could easily be swayed by the compulsive rhetoric of a veteran ideologue. As per the 1950 India-Nepal treaty, citizens of both countries are free to work anywhere. Given that the border regions in both the countries are poorly developed, residents in these areas lead an extremely

impoverished and hard life. This could prove to be an ideal recruiting ground for the Maoists and also explain the reason for their increased activities in the State. Talking to The Pioneer, Superintendent of Police (Tehri) Mohan Singh, who has been transferred from Champawat just a few days ago, said the presence of Nepalese migrant labour had become a common phenomenon in the hill areas of the State. He also stated that till now they had been only involved in cases of theft but no political activism. The SP informed that the police was also conducting a verification drive in all Maoist-affected areas. According to a Maoist plan, called 3U, they want to develop a corridor in Uttari Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand which has put the State at high risk. The geographical location of Uttarakhand is such that it allows easy entry and exit into the country. Aware of the risk potential, the State Police has prepared a plan to identify the underground cadre and try and nab Maoists who are at large whereas members of overt organisations such as Progressive Students Front have been put under watch as they espouse CPI(Maoist) ideology. Talking to The Pioneer, IG (Law & Order) MA Ganapathy said, "At the moment, the spread of Maoist movement has been contained. However, to completely eliminate them certain socio-economic issues need to be addressed." A few weeks ago in a meeting with the Union Home Minister, Chief Minister Maj Gen BC Khanduri had asked the Centre for more funds to deal with the spurt in Maoist activities in the State. However, in a chat with The Pioneer, Chief Development Officer of Champawat Balbir Singh Rawat said that Banwsa, Tanakpur and the stretch between Purnagiri and Brahmagiri were the most affected regions in the district. Therefore, to absorb the residents of these areas into the mainstream, the district administration was opening primary health centres, schools and implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Border Development Schemes to upgrade infrastructure in the region and to reduce the poverty faced by a sizeable majority of the people. (Pioneer 9/5/08)

Casting terror in Naxal hotbed (12) Sringeri, May 16: An uneasy peace exists in Sringeri these days. The temple town founded by Sankaracharya on the banks of the river Tunga in Karnataka’s Chikamagalur district now has a fortified police station to guard against armed Naxals. The holy town set against the backdrop of the Western Ghats and the Kudremukh national park is one of many places where Naxals had in recent days pasted posters calling for a boycott of the Karnataka assembly poll that was held on Friday. In the village of Naravi in Mangalore district, also bordering the national park, the Naxal call for boycott of the elections appeared on the walls of the gram panchayat office. In Sringeri, too, it appeared on government buildings. Both places have been witness to Naxal violence in recent times. As many as 10 alleged Naxals have been killed in police encounters while two civilians have been killed in the last five years. The Maoist movement in the region grew from the resistance to evacuation of nearly 15,000 forest people living in 36 revenue villages in the protected national park. The movement still has a democratic face in the form of the Kudremukh National Park Virudhi Horata, a conglomerate of different groups cutting across social strata who are fighting for the rights of the Kudremukh forest people. “An atmosphere of fear exists in these parts. If a tribal comes to town for the weekly market, he cannot be sure he will return home. There is the constant threat of police raids,” says Kalkuli Vittal Hegde, president of the Kudremukh National Park Virudhi Horata and a resident of Sringeri town. His movement has resulted in several government packages—amounting to nearly Rs 100 crore—for the forest community. But these packages haven’t translated into changes on the ground, says Vittal Hegde. According to gram panchayat officials at Naravi village in Belthangady taluk of the Dakshin Kannada district, where posters calling for an election boycott appeared this week, the forest people are well-informed about government schemes like the NREGA or the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. The region is among the few in Karnataka where pre-poll carrots— money, booze and other entrapments—hold little weight. While police officials say the Naxals visit homes in the villages and ask people to fight for their rights, the forest people deny it. “They come late at night when there are no policemen around. But they only ask for food or a place to rest. They don’t do any sermonising,” says 75-year-old Ramappa Poojary from Idu village at whose home two women, Hajima and Parvati, were gunned down by police and a third Yashodha was arrested in 2003. The Poojarys say they are not going to heed the Naxal call to boycott the elections. “People are caught between the police and the Naxals,” said a Naravi panchayat official. The Kudremukh National Park Virudhi Horata and allied groups decided on May 14 to ask the tribal people to exercise their franchise in favour of the Congress candidate and former Karnataka law minister D.B. Chandregowda. The BJP candidate, D.N. Jeevaraj, has reacted by calling the Congress Naxal sympathisers. “Four innocent adivasis were killed by the police of the JDS-BJP government last July at Menasinahadya. The Congress is willing to listen us,” says Vittal Hegde. (Indian Express 17/5/08)

Maoists’ latest target:Andhra-Orissa border (12) Hyderabad, May 22: The Naxal movement in Andhra Pradesh is diminishing slowly, but the Maoists are striking with a vengeance on the Andhra-Orissa border. These are not well-planned attacks on police stations or government machinery, but cold-blooded killings of former sympathisers or anyone they don’t like. The Maoists’ general refrain is that they were police informers and hence, the execution. However, anti-Naxal squads of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa claim that 95 per cent of the people killed by the Maoists, especially on the Andhra-Orissa border, were innocent. In the last four months, at least 12 such killings have been reported on the border. “They are neither police informers nor did they fall out with the Maoists. Their fault was someone didn’t like them. Most of them have no connection either with the Maoists or police. At times, they are simply picked up and shot dead for no reason at all,” an officer posted with anti-Maoist cell said. The murder of former cricketer Rajendra Sahu at Gothalpadar village in Rayagada district of Orissa on May 16 is one such instance. Police inspector Indramani Behera of Gunupur police station, where the case was registered, said Sahu’s only mistake could be that he was seen talking to some Congress party workers in the village. “It is a lie that he was a police informer. Police wouldn’t even think of using him as an informer, as his father was killed by Maoists in 2002 on the same pretext. From my investigation I conclude that he was seen with political workers; someone didn’t like that and he paid the price,” Behera said. Rayagada district Superintendent of Police Ashish Kumar Singh added: “In the last eight months there have been several such killings in border areas touching Visakhapatanam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh. Notes left behind by the killers claim that they were police informants, which is absolutely false. They were killed for other reasons. In two instances in Rayagada district, people were killed at random because the fear of Maoists was waning in that particular area.” The killings are occurring in the border areas spread over Khammam, Vizag, Vizianagaram and East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh and Malkangiri, Koratpat, Gajapati, Rayagada and Ganjam districts of Orissa. With very few areas left under their influence on the Andhra-Orissa border, the Maoists have started eliminating former sympathisers and their friends, suspecting them to be police informers. “They are killing their own people. Some of them don’t even hold any position in their organisational set-up, but because they are in the know of things, they are eliminated for fear that they might inform the police,” said an officer with AP police’s Special Intelligence Branch. While the Maoists’ tactics have created an atmosphere of terror and suspicion in the border areas, inside Andhra Pradesh, the Maoists have dug their own grave by resorting to such tactics. In 2003, after the Maoists killed 13 persons in a single day and nine the following day in Nizamabad district, accusing them of being police informers, the entire tribal and scheduled caste population on whom the Naxals depended for help, turned against them. “In fact, a few months after this incident, the Maoists were totally wiped out of the area because they didn’t have local support. That district is now off the Naxal map,” an official said. On the Andhra side, the Naxal movement is still present in Vizag, Vizianagaram, East Godavari and Khammam districts. Vizag and Khammam continue to witness violent attacks and random killings. Police officers said that the border area was more prone to random killings because of the contiguous hilly terrain on both sides of the border. (Indian Express 23/5/08)

Maoists protest encounter, call 3-day bandh in Malk angiri (12) Malkangiri : Maoists called a three-day dawn-to-dusk bandh in Malkangiri district under the South-Western Police Range of Orissa from Thursday in protest against the killing of their two leaders on May 16 by the Special Operation Group jawans. Roads in Motu, Kalimela, Beijingguda, MV-79, MV-99, Balimela, Chitrakonda, MV-70 and several other major locations of the districts wore deserted look with local people preferring to stay indoors fearing landmine blasts and grenade attacks by rebels. Maoists pasted posters and distributed leaflets asking the locals to support the bandh and remain indoors. "The May 16 police encounter was illegal and unconstitutional," said a poster pasted in the Motu area, according to highly placed police sources. The poster further slammed the police excesses on their cadre and the combing operations being jointly carried by the State police and CRPF jawans under the elite Special Operation Group. "The outlawed rebels have blocked roads to Kalimela, Chitrakonda, Orkel and several other block headquarters protesting killing of their two comrades," Malkangiri SP Satish K Gajbhiye told The Pioneer. It may be recalled that a joint team of the SOG jawans and district police raided a training camp of the ultras in the forest of Tamkelguda, about 110 km from Malkangiri districts headquarters town, and gunned down two rebels after an hour-long fierce gun battle while the rest managed to escape. Later two rifles, a grenade and a kit bag were recovered from the site. Meanwhile, the police have seized a landmine near MV-66 on Kakarkonda- Compakonda. The mine camourflaged ina tiffin box was attached to sic bamboos. SDPO Sanjjev

Arora and RI Sarat Mishra hand led the police team that recovered the mine. Police parties have cleared the Malkangiri- Motu- Orkel road. However, Malakangiri- Chitrakonda road is yet to be cleared. (Pioneer 23/5/08)

Three shot dead by Maoists in Gumla district of Jha rkhand (12) Gumla: Three persons were shot dead on Wednesday and another was seriously wounded by armed Maoist rebels at Kotam village in Jharkhand’s Gumla district. Two brothers, identified as Nijamul Ansari (16) and Ajmul Ansari (25), were among the dead, according to Superintendent of Police Baljit. The third victim was Mahesh Mahto, he said and added that one Karampal Munda was injured. Munda had been to a shop, owned by the Ansaris, to purchase rice when six Maoists came and opened fire. Police suspect extortion could be the motive behind the shooting. In another incident, suspected Maoist rebels snatched Rs.5.5 crore in cash and gold of a bank during transport at Tamur, also in Jharkhand. — PTI (The Hindu 22/5/08)

State hardens stand on naxalites (12) BHUBANESWAR: Hardening its stand on naxalite-related violence, Orissa government did not withdraw any case against naxalites although it had earlier announced not to press charges against 156 persons who were alleged to be involved in left wing extremists’ violence. Replying to an application through RTI, Home Department said no case had been withdrawn against naxalites. The department said the naxalites those wanted to return to mainstream could come through surrender scheme prepared by the State government. In September 2004, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared that after reviewing extremist related cases, it was decided to withdraw prosecution and not to press charges against 156 persons in 34 cases. The decision was part of State government’s effort to find a solution to extremist related problems by initiating a dialogue with the extremist groups without any pre-conditions. Human rights activist, Biswapriya Kanungo, who sought the information, said the State government exhibited discriminatory approach on treating criminal cases. “While State government showed a second thought on naxalite related case, it had promptly withdrawn seven petty criminal cases against sitting members of Legislative Assembly,” Mr. Kanungo said. (The Hindu 25/5/08)

Maoists gun down BJD leader (12) BERHAMPUR: A lawyer, Prabir Kumar Mohanty, who was also secretary of the district unit of the BJD, was shot dead by Maoists in Malkangiri district of south Orissa in the wee hours of Tuesday. The body was found near MPV-127 village in the morning. Four armed Maoists were involved in the killing of Mohanty who was a resident of MV-79 village, said Malkangiri Superintendent of Police, Satish Gajbhiye. The Maoists killed him after calling him out for a ‘discussion’ in the nearby forest. He was shot from close range. The extremists left the body near MPV-127 village, four km from MV-79. In letter left near the body, the Maoists said they killed him because he was a supporter of the Sangh Parivar and ‘exploiter’ of women and tribals. According to the Superintendent of Police, the slain lawyer was defence counsel for arrested Maoists in several cases. Although he was a member of the BJD, he was active in RSS. There were also allegations that he had relationship with a tribal girl although he was married. This apparently made it easy for the Maoists to brand him an exploiter. According to Mr. Gajbhiye, Mr. Mohanty was playing with fire due to his relationship with the Maoists as counsel. The Maoists seem to have thrown a challenge at the ruling alliance in the State through the murder of the BJD district secretary. Two party observers of the BJD -- Balakrushna Ratha and Ramesh Majhi -- were at Malkangiri town since Monday to monitor the planning for the coming panchayat polls. Following the killing, the inter-state border with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in Malkangiri has been sealed and combing has been intensified to nab the naxals involved in the killing. (the Hindu 28/5/08)

Maoist writ: Death for police informers (12) Dhanbad : Apparently shaken over the arrest of a series of top-level leaders in Bihar and Jharkhand, the backbone of the Maoist organisation --- the Krantikari Kisan Committee (KKC) has sounded the death sentence for police informers. Issuing direct orders of elimination of all such suspected police informers, the KKC leadership has begun to tighten its grip in the entire coal-belt and neighbouring region. It is now being adhered to all the more vehemently after the arrest of politburo member Pramod Mishra alias Ban Bihari in Dhanbad recently. It may be noted that the Lal Dasta (red Squad) of the CPI (Maoist) acts solely on the orders and requisitions placed by the KKC in all the areas of its control. And understanding well the fact that the KKC actually runs the Maoist diktat all over, it is only when the KKC rules that direct coercive action is required, that the armed Lal Dasta comes in to execute the particular task. The last week's killing at Nawadih in

Bokaro district was the first step in this regard.Sources close to the organisation confirmed that efforts to identify all potential threats to the top level and active cadres have been initiated by the KKC. "The move is to pick out the police informers who can get the organisation's important cadres arrested or snared in ambushes," said reliable sources close to the core faction of KKC in Topchanchi area. "Even the suspected informers will have a fair chance to defend themselves as a Jan Adalat would be called for it and only then the death sentence would be announced and executed," added sources. Likewise, sources justified that the killing of Ramashankar Mahto at Gorga village under Barwadda police station was an execution of the decision taken by the leadership in the KKC. In the recent past, KKC had ordered the elimination of village chowkidars (rural policemen) as they were held directly responsible for the multiple police raids on Maoists bunkers besides identification of some top-level cadres and their hideouts. Similar has been the fate of those who chose to fall out of the Maoist set up and hobnobbed with the police. In the coal belt and Chhotanagpur region itself, more than 15 chowkidars have been killed till date and many have deserted their homes to take refuge in police stations simply out of fear. (Pioneer 28/5/08)

Patil calls for holistic development of infrastruct ure to counter Maoists (12) New Delhi : Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review the implementation of the development schemes in Maoist-affected areas and emphasised holistic development of critical infrastructure to counter the ultra-Left menace. During the in-depth analysis of development programmes in 33 districts in eight States affected by Maoist violence, Patil urged the implementing departments to identify area-specific solutions, keeping in view the problems of difficulty of terrain and accessibility of some locations in the areas affected by Maoists. The Minister also stressed upon the need for faster development in Maoist-hit districts as part of the holistic approach to take the fruits of development to the people. The two-hour meeting was attended by senior representatives of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Health and Family Welfare, Communications and Power. Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, Special Secretary (Internal Security) ML Kumawat and Joint Secretary (Maoist Management) Vinay Kumar were also present at the meeting, which felt that there should be a holistic approach to deal with the menace that poses the single greatest threat to internal security. As absence of better connectivity in the affected areas added to the problem, Patil emphasised on laying of rural roads and suggested that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna should be fully utilised. The monitoring of the rural road scheme should be done strictly, he said and added that the task should be done in a time-bound manner. Since housing was another major problem in the Maoist-hit areas, it was felt that the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) should be given more priority. For better telecommunication in areas prone to Maoist attacks, it was suggested that the premises used by Central para-military forces and police stations could be used for setting up communication towers. Identifying shortage of electricity as yet another problem, Patil said that non-conventional sources of energy, particularly bio-fuel, should be tapped to generate power. Concerned over the growing Left wing extremism, which claimed nearly 700 lives last year, the Centre has formulated a Rs 500 crore plan which envisages provision for critical needs, specific to areas and districts where holistic anti-Maoist measures are being taken up in a focused manner. Financial assistance is also provided to the affected States for combating Maoism under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE). Modernisation of the State police forces is also stressed upon under the scheme. The scheme also aims at providing critical mobility to the police by upgrading existing roads and tracks in inaccessible areas and securing camping grounds and helipads at strategic locations in remote and interior areas. (Pioneer 29/5/08)

Naxals kill sarpanch, release tribals (12) RAIPUR, JANUARY 31: Suspected Maoist extremists on Thursday killed a sarpanch and released six tribals who were abducted from Gangalur road in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. However, three special police officers, who were accompanying the abducted villagers have still not been released. Police sources said about 40 Maoist cadres raided Jaigurh village in Bijapur district, about 575 km from the state capital, and killed sarpanch R K Sonu. “The Sarpanch was killed as the Naxalites suspected him of being a police informer. Sharp-edged weapons seem to have been used in killing the sarpanch. After killing the sarpanch, rebels fled,” sources added. Meanwhile, six of the nine tribals who were kidnapped on Wednesday by armed militants when they were on their way to Gangalur from Bijapur were released on Thursday. “Six of them have returned to their village near Gangalur, but the rebels have not yet released the three SPOs,” stated IG (Bastar Range) R K Vij. The villagers were abducted while they were travelling in a jeep. The extremists stopped the vehicles by felling trees on the road and took the nine men hostage. The IG added that several search parties are at present combing the area for clues regarding the missing SPOs. (Indian Express 1/2/08)

Maoists beat Koraput villager to death (12) Rayagada : In an attempt to expand its tentacles, Maoists killed two villagers, who were allegedly police informers, in Koraput district on Tuesday. Around 8 pm, Maoists dragged village landlord Markanda Chaudhury along with his nephew Gupti out of his house in Nangalbeda village. The two were tied to trees in front of the Gram Panchayat office and were mercilessly beaten up. While Markanda succumbed to his injuries, his nephew is said to be in a critical condition. According to sources, Markanda, who was known as Sahukar among the local tribals, was a rich landlord and moneylender in the area. Several tribals alleged that he was exploiting them. Andhra and Orissa Police have begun a joint combing operation to trace the Maoists involved in the incident. Purna and Narsu as PRI representatives said that they were shown a list of 70 persons to be arrested. They claimed that the Andhra Pradesh Police was terrorising them to identify the listed persons. At a recent Maitri Sabha in Borigi Gram Panchayat, the OIC of Narayanapatna clarified that there was an order from the DG for a joint operation thus the State Police did not arrest people directly. Ambri Tadingi from Kambivalsa village of Borigi Gram Panchayat belied his claim by saying that the operation was exclusively by the Andhra Pradesh Police. On the eve of International Human Rights Day, tribals demonstrated before Narayanpatna block office against the sheer corruption in Orissa Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (OREGS). Narayan Hareka, who led the rally, fears that the contractors who are illegally involved in OREGS might have given wrong information to the Andhra Pradesh Police. "We do not support violence but we are sandwiched between Maoists and the Andhra Police. This may divert some peace loving tribals. Instead of using force, the State must deal with our problems with seriousness and empathy," lamented Narayan Hareka. Two years ago, Maoists had blown up Narayanpatna and Laxmipur police stations, and took away most of the weapons from the district armoury. Around the same time, one trainee IAS officer in charge of a block got seriously injured while a team led by him was diffusing a landmine planted by Maoists near borders of Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks. However, the tribals of Borigi and Nangalbeda panchayats of Narayanapatna Block have a different story to tell as they claimed to be between devil and deep sea…… (Pioneer 1/2/08) 4 CRPF men killed in Naxal attack (12) Raipur, February 2: Four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including one sub-inspector, were killed in a powerful landmine blast this evening in Maoist-infested Narayanpur district of Bastar region in Chhattisgarh. Confirming the incident, DIG Police (Kanker Range) Pawan Deo said it occurred at about 5 pm when the security personnel were on their way from Narayanpur to Kurasnar. The victims have been identified as Sub-Inspector Roshan Kumar Minj, constables Jai Kumar, Biju Kumar and Mushtak Ahmed. "The deceased were on two motorcycles and were conducting a routine road-opening exercise. When the two motorcycles approached a culvert in the area, the Naxalite cadres who were waiting in ambush exploded the landmine, killing the four on the spot," said the DIG. The site of the incident is about seven kilometres from the district headquarters of Narayanpur. The blast left a huge crater on the road, added Deo. Additional police forces have been rushed to the area and a combing operation has been launched. (Indian Express 3/2/08)

Maoists acquire latest weapons (12) New Delhi, Feb. 4: Maoists have acquired state-of-the art weapons, which is giving nightmares to the security agencies. Equipped with the latest LMGs, mortar launchers, SLRs and AK-47s and having at their disposal inflated budgets to carry out attacks, the Maoists managed to target vital government buildings in the recent past, raiding CRPF camps, looting banks, a ex-MP and a zamindar, attacking police personnel besides snatching their weaponry in states like Bihar and Jharkhand, where security agencies are believed to have stepped up their operations against Maoists. As per the latest information with the home ministry, a particular Maoist group, which is at large in Bihar, had decided to conduct a major raid on the police headquarters in Bargah district of Orissa before December 2007 as one of its major operations. It was revealed that a sum of Rs 20-30 lakhs was allotted for this plan. As per the home ministry report, a copy of which is with this newspaper, the Maoist group consisting of more than 100 members and operating for more than two decades, is in possession of a dozen LMGs, two dozen mortar launchers, more than 200 SLRs, 1500 plus .303 rifles, more than 100 short weapons and 80-90 AK 47s to name a few. Security agencies have come to know that the group has decided to procure 200 rounds of each weapon in two years time. Giving cause for concern is the widespread nexus and financial strength of the group which is operating from four regional bureaus - eastern, northern, Southwest and central. It has its tentacles spread across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,

Uttarakhand, Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka ,Gujarat, Tamil Nadu besides the Naxal-infected states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. Currently, the group has allotted Rs 2 crores for intelligence collection, one crore for technical work, approx. Rs 40 crores for arms and ammunition and Rs 5 crores for communication - summing up its total budget allocation to more than Rs 50 crores, revealed the home ministry report. The Barhah PHQ operation, which was to be given effect by Maoists in December 2007, was planned keeping in mind the vulnerability of the police installation. The Maoist group had engaged a recce team of three members from Orissa for the purpose in May 2007 itself and very recently in July 2007, a final call was taken on the area by the team leader to assess the ''strengths and weaknesses'' of the target, revealed a home ministry official. Much to the relief of security agencies and the state government of Orissa, the Maoists dropped their plan at the last moment with the arrest of one of their team members. Past record of the operations planned and executed by the Maoist group has revealed that the group was involved in the 1992 attack on the Mathasi railway station in Dhanbad, where two weapons were looted and the attack in the Topchachi Police camp in 2001 where 13 police personnel were killed and 18 weapons, including 3 carbines were snatched. The group planned the Madhuban attack in June 2004.,…… (Asian Age 5/2/08)

Three cops killed by Maoist extremists (12) Ranchi:: In a fierce gunbattle between Maoist extremists and security personnel, two CRPF men and one constable of the Jharkhand Military Police (JMP) were killed and four others were injured near Parasnath Hill in Giridih district on Friday. CRPF havildar Balaji Mangraj, constable Desh Pandey and JMP’s Manoj Thapa were given guard of honour before their bodies were sent home in Punjab, Maharashtra and Jharkhand respectively. The four injured—Jharkhand police Sub Inspector Pramod Pandey, constable Jai Prakash Mahato and CRPF constables Rakesh Kumar and Gurupal Singh — were rushed to the Ranchi Apollo hospital.Giridih SP Murari Lal Meena dispatched a contingent of security forces on Wednesday to launch a crackdown on the rebels, following a tip-off from the state intelligence. A section of the Maoists were holding a meet at Parasnath Hill. Rs 10 lakh would be paid as compensation to the kin of the dead soldiers, DGP V D Ram said. (Indian Express 10/2/08)

Centre embarks on micro-level planning to deal with naxalism(12) NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has embarked on micro-level planning to usher in development in naxal-hit areas and has selected worst-affected Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh to act a role model. "It is for the first time that the Home Ministry has selected a particular district and wants to become a role model for other naxal affected states," a senior official said. He said that at a recent meeting of the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) on naxal problem, it was felt that central schemes for development of roads and effective launching of flagship programmes like rural job guarantee scheme and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (education for all) in Dantewada might yield the desired results. The IMG headed by Vinay Kumar, Additional Secretary (Naxal Management), in the Home Ministry, focuses on developmental issues in the affected areas as the security establishment feels that the problem can be solved only through a holistic approach. The IMG meeting was attended by senior officials from the departments of health, rural development, tribal affairs, forests, human resources development, and information and broadcasting. "It has been decided to put development schemes of these departments on the fast track," the official said. It was also decided to have transit hostels in Dantewada district to provide security to officials (Times of India 10/2/08)

Naxalites in Bihar beset by casteism (12) Patna, Feb. 11: The Naxals in Bihar are beset by casteism and fights for a share of extortion money coupled with internecine conflicts between groups have resulted in the arrests of their leaders and heavy casualties. ‘’The isms and objectives of the Naxals have taken a backseat. It is evident from casteism and the ongoing clash over share of extortion within the outlawed organisations," police officials said here on Monday. As a result, the growing dominance of Yadvas in the banned CPI(Maoist) has triggered confrontations among the activists which forced the non-Yadvas to part company with it and float a separate wing called "Third Prastuti Committee (TPC)" in 2007, they said. TPC cadre charged the CPI(Maoist) with indulging in casteist politics and usurping the extortion money collected from time to time by the Naxals. The erstwhile deputy inspector general of police (Magadh range) Arvind Pandey, now DIG (Tirhut range), had in his report in 2007 detailed the moveable and immovable assets possessed by top leaders of CPI(Maoist), earlier known as MCCI. The leaders, whose names featured in the list include Vijay Kumar Arya and Ajay Kanu, alleged mastermind of the daring jail-break by Naxals in Jehanabad in November 2005. Mr Pandey in his report had stated that the Naxal leaders used to

extort money from common people for their welfare but utilised it for accumulating assets, they said. The police said the internecine conflicts between the two ultra-Left outfits had so far claimed over 50 lives from both sides. According to official figures made available by the state police headquarters, 45 conflicts were reported among the rival groups within CPI(Maoist) between 1999 and 2007, while the Naxals clashed with CPI(ML-L) more than 245 times during the period under review. CPI(Maoist) and TPC activists had crossed swords on 14 occasions in 2004 in Bihar, the sources said. The growing rivalry had also led to arrests of several senior activists of the rival Naxal organisations, they said adding a number of weapons and large quantity of explosive were seized by the police. (PTI) (The Hindu 12/2/08)

Central forces only for fighting Naxals: Centre to Koda (12) New Delhi, February 12: Conceding that the situation in Jharkhand is almost out of control, the Union Home Ministry has decided to provide five more companies of central paramilitary forces to combat Naxalite violence in the state. A similar request from Chhattisgarh, which has accounted for the bulk of killings over the past few years, is under consideration, the ministry said after a series of meetings on Tuesday. The additional forces for Jharkhand will, however, be available only for a limited period and are likely to be withdrawn after specific anti-Naxal operations. In an indication of its growing impatience with the states failure to use existing forces optimally, the ministry has directed them not to use central personnel for normal law and order or static guard duties such as deployment outside government buildings. “Use Central forces only for targeted operations,” was the message that went out on Tuesday. According to official figures for last year, the two states accounted for nearly 68 per cent of incidents and over 75 per cent of the total casualties in Naxalite violence in 2007. Chhattisgarh has 13 batallions (nearly 13,000 personnel) and Jharkhand five battalions (nearly 5,000 personnel) of central forces, mainly the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Chhattisgarh has been at the forefront when it comes to demands for additional Central forces, claiming it needed a huge number of personnel to clear Naxal strongholds where the state police held little or no sway. Last week, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal had sought to give a political colour to the Naxalite problem, claiming that the problem had been 90 per cent contained in states other than Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa. The BJP was in power in all these states, barring Jharkhand, he had pointed out. The review meetings took a close look at utilisation of funds provided by the Centre for police modernisation. The state Government officials are learnt to have been taken to task for their failure to fill vacancies in state police forces. The two states were directed to streamline the implementation of Centre-sponsored schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana. Implementation of such schemes is being monitored at the highest levels, with Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar personally reviewing the performance of Naxalite-affected states at regular intervals. The Director General of Police and other senior officers attended the meeting on Jharkhand, chaired by Union Home Ministry Shivraj Patil. Chief secretary and DGP attended the second meeting which was on Chhattisgarh. Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, CRPF DG SIS Ahmed and senior ministry officials attended both the meetings. (Indian Express 13/2/08)

Unified Command to tackle Naxals in Chhattisgarh (1 2) RAIPUR, FEBRUARY 15: Chhattisgarh's fight against Naxals has got a boost with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil announcing the creation of a Unified Command, headed by Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh and comprising officials of the Central and state governments, to tackle the growing menace in the state. Patil also promised five additional battalions of Central paramilitary forces, raising of more India Reserve Battalions and armoured vehicles for anti-Maoist operations. Patil’s announcement came immediately after a meeting held at the Raj Bhawan here on Thursday night on the anti-Maoist strategy to be adopted in the state. The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh Governor E S L Narasimhan, Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, Chief Secretary Shivraj Singh, Union Special Secretary (Internal Security) M L Kumawat, CRPF DG S I S Ahmad, Principal Secretary (Home) N K Aswal and Director General of Police Vishwaranjan. Sources said the decision was also prompted by reports of differences over the style of functioning of the Central and state police forces and the lack of coordination between them. “Though 13 battalions of Central forces have been deployed for anti-Naxal operations, with the operational command under the State DGP, there have been differences in the operational aspects,” the sources confirmed. The strategic location of the state, which lies at the centre of the Maoists “red zone” and borders several other Naxalite-affected states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, also played an important part in taking this decision. Apart from this, sources said the growing number of violence and reports of four operational training camps in the Bastar region helped the Centre seal the decision. “The Chhattisgarh Government

has also been given sanction to raise four more India Reserve Battalions and the Central Government will provide seven more armoured vehicles,” the Home Minister added. “The Maoist menace will be fought at every level and the Centre will lend all possible assistance to the state,” he said. Sources said that though Chhattisgarh has 13 battalions of Central paramilitary forces, the state’s demand for additional forces was met to boost the strength of security forces in the Maoist-affected areas, especially Bastar region (Indian Express 16/2/08)

14 killed in Naxal attack in Orissa (12) BHUBANESWAR: Fourteen police personnel, including two women, and a civilian were killed when around 500 heavily armed Naxals attacked a police training school, armoury and a police station in Nayagarh district of Orissa late on Friday. They also took away a cache of arms and ammunition in a bus they had hijacked in the district, about 100 km from here. A group of Naxals, including women cadres, with bombs and firearms raided Police Training School, district police station and armoury around 10:45 pm, Manmohan Praharaj, Director State Intelligence Wing said. Praharaj said that 14 police personnel, including two women and a civilian were killed and four policemen injured in the attack and the gunbattle that continued till around 12:15 am (Saturday). The police had put up a brave fight against the Naxals, but they were outnumbered. He said the victims included two from PTS, and six from the police station and armoury, besides a civilian caught in the crossfire near Daspalla in Nayagarh district of Orissa. One of the policemen killed in the attacks has been identified as ASI Nandpani Misra. The injured policemen have been shifted to SCB Medical College in Cuttack and it is suspected that the death toll may go up. Before launching the attack, the Naxals announced that they would not harm the public as their target was the police. The attack on the police was meticulously implemented that that the state intelligence department did not have any inputs. The police suspect it to be the handy work of Sabyasachi Panda, CPI (Maoist) Andhra-Orissa secretary. Police sources said the Naxals who attacked the police were speaking in Hindi and Telugu and they suspect that the Naxals were from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. Police sources said three Naxalites were also killed in the exchange of firing. However, the bodies have not been recovered. It is suspected the Naxals before fleeing have taken away the bodies. Meanwhile, red alert has been sounded in the state and the police have started combing operation in the neighbouring districts of Phulbani, Gajapati, Rayagada and Malkangiri in Orissa. This is second major incident of Naxal attack on the police in Orissa in the last two years. Earlier, on March 24, 2006 more than 500 heavily armed Maoists, including a large number of women, swooped down on the sleepy town of R Udayagiri in Orissa's Gajapati district, attacked armed police camps, and freed all 40 prisoners in the sub-jail in a replay of similar violence in Madhuban and Jehanabad in Bihar. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday visited the armoury and the police training school at Nayagarh. (Times of India 16/2/08)

Naxals storm Orissa town, kill 15 (12) NAYAGARH/BHUBANESWAR: In the biggest ever Maoist attack in Orissa, hundreds of armed guerrillas stormed Nayagarh town, barely 90 km from Bhubaneswar, and overran three police stations and two outposts on Friday night. Altogether, 13 police personnel and two civilians were killed in the attack that lasted over four hours and completely exposed the lack of preparedness of the local police despite similar operations in the past in Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. The Naxals looted two armouries and walked off with impunity, having met no resistance. They took with them enough arms and ammunition, including light machine guns and standard army-issue assault rifles, to fight a full-scale war. They drove off in a bus that they had hijacked. As many as 10 police personnel were injured. One of the civilians killed was a village guard. Nayagarh SP Rajesh Kumar claimed that his men tried to resist the Maoists. But some police personnel said most of their colleagues fled their posts. "There was no option. We ran for our lives," said one officer. Some policemen put up a feeble resistance at the district armoury and reserve office. The attack sent shock waves through the state, leaving the security brass red-faced over the demonstration of how vulnerable the state capital itself was. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik drove to the spot on Saturday morning. Asked about the incident, he came up with a stock reply. "Intensive combing operations are going on. An additional force of 600 police personnel has been sent to Nayagarh," he said. Asked about an intelligence or administrative failure, he said, "We're looking into it." Patnaik said about 60 security personnel tried to repulse the attack for more than two hours. "But they were outnumbered by the militants," he told the assembly. "We have sealed all exit points," DGP Gopal Chandra Nanda said. "We are confident of catching the rebels. Some of them might have come from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand," he added. Personnel from CRPF, the Special Operation Group (which deals with terrorists) and police were

pursuing the Maoists. Gun battles between the fleeing Naxalites and security forces were reported from the Tarasingi area of Ganjam district. Similar encounters were taking place in the Chahali jungle in Kandhamal. Authorities have stopped movement of vehicles in the area.(Times of India 17/2/08)

IAF copters join hunt for naxalites (12) NEW DELHI: The government has drafted the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the hunt for Communist Party of India (Maoists) activists who had attacked police stations in Orissa on Friday night and decamped with several weapons and ammunition after killing over a dozen policemen. Official sources said the IAF had set up a task force, headed by a senior officer, to oversee the search and reconnaissance operations. Two Chetak helicopters under his command took off from Bhubaneshwar on Saturday in an attempt to locate the fleeing Maoists, about 12 hours after they had concluded the operations with no casualty to their rank and file. Other sources said the IAF’s assistance does not deviate from the policy of the armed forces not to intervene in counter-insurgency operations against the Maoists in central India. The IAF had earlier provided unmanned aerial vehicles to track Maoists but after a couple of initial successes, their efficacy had blunted leading to their withdrawal. The IAF has also provided air support for reconnaissance operations before polls in some Maoist affected States but has so far steadfastly stayed away from using air power in the country’s heartland. The Army too has declined to be drawn into anti-Maoist operations though the Chattisgarh government has drafted some of its former servicemen to train its security personnel in identifying and defusing improvised explosive devices and using mine detectors and jammers. (The Hindu 17/2/08)

Naxals stole 1,200 firearms in Orissa (12) Bhubaneswar, Feb. 17: The base of the Maoist guerrillas in Orissa — which was confined to a few districts in the southern region bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — has expanded to central and coastal parts of the state in the last couple of years. The Friday’s attack by the rebels on Nayagarh town, just 80 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, proves that they are advancing towards the heartland of the state. The state intelligence — which is often in news for its poor performance — had no inkling about the Maoists spreading their tentacles in the district, especially after they were hounded on the borders by the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh police. Although the Maoists were seen in Nayagarh town on Friday night and took their dinner en masse, the intelligence could not take note of their presence. The recent communal clash in the adjoining Kandhamal district provided them a perfect opportunity to visit and survey Nayagarh. Taking advantage of the mass exodus of riot-hit people to Nayagarh town for shelter, the rebels came in the guise of affected persons and lived in flocks in camps set up near major police establishments. What contributed to the rebels’ successful execution of armoury loot, as the police suspects, is the guidance by Sabyasachi Panda, a native of Nayagarh and a hardcore Maoist leader. More than 500 heavily armed Maoists, including a large number of women, had swooped down on the sleepy town of R. Udayagiri in Gajapati district, attacked armed police camps, and freed all 40 prisoners in the sub-jail in a replay of similar violence in Madhuban and Jehanabad in Bihar. According to Nayagarh police training school in-charge officer Juria Behera, the rebels took away around 1,200 state-of-the art firearms including 298 number of 303 rifles, 130 SLR rifles, 30 AK-47 rifles and 300 Insas rifles, 80 9mm pistols, 203 escart rifles, 80 9mm pistols and 1 lakh live bullets. These looted weapons, estimated to be worth over Rs 1 crore, was supplied to Nayagarh armoury just a week ago. As majority of the police forces, including the jawans of police training school, were mobilised to Bhubaneswar from Nayagarh, the Naxals found it vulnerable to carry out their mission. (Asian Age 18/2/08)

20 Maoists dead, rest trapped (12) Bhubaneswar, Feb. 17: A day after raiding police stations and armouries in Nayagarh town, the fleeing Maoists came face to face with the security personnel hunting them in the jungles of Ganjam and Kandhamal districts of Orissa on Sunday, leading to fierce gun battles between them. "At least 20 Maoists have been killed in the anti-Naxal operation so far. The encounter is still going on," said Orissa home secretary T.K. Mishra. Three jawans of the Special Operation Group (SOG) were killed in the operation, he added . Raids were also being conducted at possible hideouts in Orissa’s Rayagada and Gajapati districts. Although security personnel have recovered the bodies of the slain commandos, not a single guerrilla’s body could be seized as their colleagues carried them away deep into the forests. The guerrillas, who swooped down on three police stations, two district armouries, a police outpost and a police training school in Nayagarh late on Friday evening, killing 14 police personnel and one civilian, are holed up in the

caves of Gasama hill near Gallery, in Ganjam district, and in Tikabali forest in Kandhamal district. The encounter started after the police blocked all escape routes available to the fleeing Naxalites. The SOG and CRPF have encircled Gasma hill and Tikabali forest. At least 600 security personnel, including CRPF jawans, state armed forces, 100 SOG personnel and as many Greyhound commandos, have been engaged in the encounter with the rebels. Additional director-general of police (intelligence) Manmohan Praharaj is leading the operation. Two special Indian Air Force helicopters have been assisting the security personnel in what is being considered the country’s biggest ever operation against the Maoists. The Andhra Pradesh government has also sent two helicopters and specially trained fighters to join the operation to flush out the Maoists. Union special secretary (internal security) M.L Kumawat arrived in Nayagarh on Sunday afternoon and reviewed the operation against the guerrillas. According to unofficial sources, over 25 Naxalites may have been killed and three policemen are missing.(Asian Age 18/2/08)

6 CRPF men, 13 Maoists killed in 2 attacks (12) Bhopal/Raipur, Feb. 18: Six CRPF men and at least 13 Maoists were killed on Monday in two separate encounters in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. State IG (anti-Naxalite cell) Girdhari Nayak told this newspaper that the first encounter occurred at around 2 pm at Korrumpara hill in the jurisdiction of Mirtur police station. Here six CRPF constables lost their lives, but not before gunning down a number of Maoists, three of whose bodies had been recovered. The second encounter, Mr Nayak said, took place at Fuladi hill in which eight Naxalites were killed. Each body had been recovered. The possibility that the Naxals may have suffered higher casualties was strong since the police was still searching for more bodies. Fighting, he said, was still on when information last came in. Mr Nayak also said that the recent Maoist attack on police establishments at Nayagarh in Orissa had been led by an entire battalion. "The Maoist rebels came in trucks, buses and Tata Sumos." The resources at their command only showed that if the problem was not dealt with on a war footing, it would pose a serious danger to the country, the IG said. In Orissa’s Sambalpur district, meanwhile, the police and CRPF personnel recovered 500 detonators from four suspected Naxalites, who were arrested, reports PTI. The police and CRPF had intercepted a car during a routine search operation on Monday, in which the detonators were found hidden, CRPF spokesperson Ajay Chaturvedi said in New Delhi. (Asian Age 19/2/08)

Biggest drive against Naxals launched (12) Bhubaneswar, Feb. 19: Launching the country’s biggest ever anti-Maoist offensive, security forces on Tuesday adopted a new strategy of militant warfare in the hunt for Naxals in the dense forests of Orissa where additional paramilitary personnel have been rushed to join the long haul operation. Backed by helicopters and sniffer dogs, over 1,000 policemen intensified their search for the Maoists involved in the Nayagarh attack in which 14 policemen and one civilian were killed last Friday after failing to locate them in Gosmah forest, official sources said. Fresh reinforcements of 500 CRPF were rushed by the Centre. "Besides using IAF choppers to spot the ultras inside jungles, the security forces deployed a large number of trained dogs," said a senior officer engaged in the four-day old combing operation. The security forces used sniffer dogs to locate ultras suspected to be hiding in the caves of Singhasini Hills. (PTI) (Asian Age 19/2/08)

Naxalites torch jeep in Koraput (12) KORAPUT: Naxalites torched a commander jeep near Borgi in Narayanapatna block of Koraput district on Sunday evening. The naxalites who were in civil dress had asked the passengers to alight from the vehicle at Maijariguda in Bargi panchayat and accused the driver of carrying CRPF personnel to Borgi from Narayanpatna on a regular basis. The naxalites had asked the driver to inform Srikant Choudhury, a businessman of Borgi and the owner of the jeep to stop helping the police by offering transportation in the locality and had torched the vehicle after taking it to a distant place. In yet another incident suspected naxalites looted the houses of Narasingh Choudhury of Ullu Badi in Langalabeda panchayat and Giridhar Sahu of Maijariguda in Borgi panchayat after causing serious damage to the buildings. While no attacks were reported, the looting might be the creation of some local organisations, Deepak Kumar, SP of Koraput, said. Refuting the reported allegations made by naxalites on the use of the torched vehicle by the police , he said that police had not used any such vehicle of the locality for transportation. (The Hindu 26/2/08)

In Naxal’s latest den, police station can’t fill up vacancies (12) MALKANGIRI (ORISSA), FEBRUARY 25: With barely a dozen cases being registered every year at the local police station, this may sound like an island of peace. Nestling in the lap of verdant forests and the Chinna Godavari river on the Andhra Pradesh border, Motu tehsil in Malkangiri, the district worst-hit by Naxalism in Orissa, is far from idyllic — it is one of the origin points of the Red Corridor in the state, the den of Naxalites. Motu is also a transit point for Naxalites from Andhra Pradesh who cross the Sileru and Saberi rivers and then fan out across the state. Only the local tribals can walk in Motu without any fear. An outsider, a government official or even a policeman is always at risk here. Locals say nobody can enter Motu without the Naxalites getting to know. Four-wheelers are never used for fear of landmines and even riding a two-wheeler is risky. But a police station does exist in this den of radicals. While Naxalites have been looting and rampaging police stations across the state — the latest being in Nayagarh about 90 km from Bhubaneswar — Motu police station has somehow survived. There has been only one attack on the police station — way back in August 2001 when two policemen were killed. But even then, the attack was successfully repulsed by security personnel. There have been periodic gunbattles outside but the Naxalites have not ventured in ever since. Well-equipped with weapons like LMGs, INSAS, AK-47s and grenade launchers, these policemen have been keeping the Naxalites at bay but there is little to show when it comes to arrest of Naxalites, their sympathisers or evidence of Naxalites killed in operations. The prime aim of the policemen is to keep themselves alive and protect the police station. “If we have to go to Malkangiri district headquarters (110 km away), we have to be heavily armed and in groups. It is like an anti-Naxalite combing operation every time we venture out of the police station. If we are not careful we could be ambushed,” said a constable. Motu police station has one inspector and four police constables. But then there are men of the Special Operations Group, CRPF, Orissa State Armed Police, District Voluntary Force. Citing security concerns, nobody reveals the numbers nor do they allow photography on the premises. The police station has a decent building, comprising five rooms, and a well-stacked armoury, ready for any emergency. But it’s a tough posting — the policemen can only interact amongst themselves or watch TV for a few hours when there is electricity. Their living quarters are in need of urgent repairs. Though there is a BSNL telephone tower in Malkangiri district, Motu police station does not have a land line phone. If the inspector in-charge has to communicate with his seniors or even the Malkangiri SP, he has to use his personal cellphone. There is a satellite telephone for the district, but it is with the district collector — unlike neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where there is a satellite phone in every police station. Though the Balimela hydro-electric project is in Malkangiri, there is no electricity for hours together in the district. In summers, day temperatures can go up to 45 degrees Celsius. The tribals have no need for the police station. This probably explains the low number of cases being registered in the police station. Says a constable, “The annual average number of cases is about 15 and most pertain to murder. And in these cases too, most are filed by the police against unknown persons.” The information network in Motu, like in other parts of the state, is clearly not very active. An officer said it is because informers here are paid only about Rs 2,000 as against five times that figure in neighbouring states. “So the best we can do is to be on the lookout,” he said. How do they survive in these conditions? “Barely and being constantly on our toes.” They have to make do with rice, dal and vegetables from a kiosk-hotel nearby. The CRPF men have made cooking arrangements for themselves in their living quarters. Non-vegetarian food has to be brought from the Malkangiri district headquarters and that too on specific days like Wednesdays and Sundays. The SP’s office has sought sanction for a mess but nothing has happened until now. There is no recreation facility — old magazines are the only company. A transfer may be the only way out of Motu but most who are locals are transferred only within the district. At best, they are transferred to neighbouring Koraput, another Naxalite-infested district. But there is a transfer within the district every two years. ……… (Indian Express 26/2/08)

Naxalites shift gaze to urban areas, think of car b ombs, suicide missions (12) NEW DELHI, MARCH 2: At a time when Naxalites and their sympathisers are trying to infiltrate the industrial belts around Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and cities right up to Jammu, new evidence suggests that they are also trying to build urban guerrilla warfare capabilities like rigging remote- controlled explosives devices in cars, even human bombs. Internal security officials confirmed that a laptop seized following the arrest by Jharkhand police of Jayant alias Kunal alias Tudu on August 12 last year contains literature and designs on rigging explosives for human and car bombs. Prime accused in the murder of CPI-ML Jharkhand MLA Mahendra Singh, Jayant was picked up by police from Chennai. The seized laptop, which was examined by security agencies, indicated that the Naxalites were not only networking with other insurgent groups in India like the

ULFA but were interested in guerrilla warfare by non-state players in the Middle-East. Seized material also shows that the extremists have been training in the use of 12.7 mm anti-aircraft guns and have already acquired 80 mm mortars and rocket-propelled grenade rifles. Although the Union Home Ministry continues to treat the Naxal menace as a largely socio-economic problem, casualty figures of securitymen have been steadily rising since 2002 and the Naxal influence is spreading across the country. When the NDA quit office in April 2004, there was Naxal presence in 125 districts and 12 states. Today the Naxalites are in 182 districts and 12 states, with “soft bases” in industrial belts around Delhi and Mumbai. In 2004, 23 CRPF battalions were deployed for anti-Naxalite operations. Today, 32 battalions have been pressed into service. The Naxal attempt to move to the cities has also been noticed in Chhattisgarh, large tracts of which are already in their grip. Intelligence inputs received by security sources have revealed that the presence of Naxal cadres has increased in the urban areas of the state, including Raipur. Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Vishwaranjan too confirmed to The Indian Express that there has been an increase in Naxalite presence in the urban areas of Chhattisgarh. Police sources said that disclosures by several arrested ideologues, including Narayan Sanyal who is in judicial custody after his arrest from Raipur, pointed to the bid by Naxals to move towards the cities. Despite the threat, the Centre-State response and coordination leaves much to be desired. Naxalites looted 1091 weapons during the attack on the Nayagarh police armoury in Orissa on February 16 but till date the CRPF has not been told what weapons were taken away by the extremists. Inducted into counter-operations two days later, the CRPF has so far recovered 1029 weapons, including 500 .303 rifles, 30 INSAS rifles and 20 SLRs. But there is no way to confirm whether these are the same weapons that were looted from Nayagarh. (Indian Express 3/3/08)

Nayagarh attacks: arrested Maoist spills the beans (12) BERHAMPUR: Neither the forest officials nor the police used to keep watch on the Gasama jungle on Ganjam-Kandhamal border for possible presence of anti-socials before the naxal attacks in Nayagarh. Their vigilance could have thwarted the Nayagarh plans of Maoists. Interrogation of the arrested Maoist, Manjulata Muduli, who was a part of the naxal group involved in the attack, has revealed that the around 300 naxals involved in the Nayagarh attack on February 15 gathered up in the Gasama jungle near Sinharadi hill from February 12. This hardcore female cadre was active in western Orissa. Manjulata was arrested along with another hardcore cadre Pratap Kimbaka from Ranikiari village in Ganjam district near Galeri police outpost blasted by naxals on February 16. Manjulata was taken to the Gasama hill and areas near it on Monday for on the spot interrogation by the police to find details regarding the naxal operation. According to sources, she has revealed the detailed events in the Gasama jungle area that preceded the Naygarh attacks. As many as 290 Maoists had taken part in the Nayagarh operation, she said. The rest 10 like her were left behind the Gasama hill to prepare food for the Maoists on their return journey after attacks in Nayagarh district. Around 150 hardcore Maoists, selected for their violent skills from different parts of Orissa, were in this large team of naxals. The rest were naxal commanders from Orissa and outside the State. The whole team got together in the Gasama jungle near Sinharadi hill from February 12 to chalk out the last details of their attack. The nearby Gasama hill was to be their get together point after attack. The irony is that although Maoists in such large number stayed inside this jungle, cooked food and used modern communication equipments like mobile phones and walkie-talkies, no forest official or policeman of the area could suspect anything. (The Hindu 8/3/08)

Ulfa triggers three blasts, leaves 27 hurt (12) GUWAHATI: Twenty-seven people were injured when suspected Ulfa rebels triggered three blasts in Assam on Saturday. In Tinsukia in upper Assam, 25 people were injured when a bomb exploded in front of a shop. "The bomb was hidden in a bicycle on G N B Road," SP Prashanta Kumar Bhuyan said. The injured were admitted to Tinsukia Hospital. In Guwahati, an explosion rocked busy Fancy Bazar around 2.30 pm. "The explosion was apparently caused by a crude bomb which was hidden under a truck. Two people were hit by splinters," ASP (city) Debojit Deuri said. The third explosion took place near an Army camp at Pipling in Dibrugarh district around 7 pm. Army and police were yet to comment whether there was any damage or casualty. Police recovered two bombs in Tinsukia and Darrang districts. "A bomb-like object was recovered from a bicycle at Chirra Patty in Tinsukia town," Bhuyan said. Army personnel defused the explosive. A bomb weighing about two-and-half kg was recovered from a bicycle at Tangni Bazar area in Darrang district. Since early 2007, Ulfa has stepped up its activities in upper Assam and Guwahati.(Times of India 9/3/08)

Naxals call for bandh on March 14 (12) HYDERABAD: Two naxal organisations, CPI (Maoist) and CPI-ML (Janasakthi), have jointly given a call to the people of Telangana to observe a bandh in protest against the Congress’ anti-Telangana stand on March 14, the day when Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to visit Hyderabad. Criticising the Congress for what they called its attempt to renew its power in the state, the naxal parties accused Sonia of betraying the same people who were responsible for her party winning the 2004 elections. "The Congress government in the state has not completed any project in the state except the international airport at Shamshabad. No irrigation project has been completed, not an acre has been brought under cultivation," the parties said in a statement issued here on Monday. Sonia will inaugurate the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on March 14 and participate in the inauguration of an irrigation project in Telangana. The two-page statement, singed by Maoist party North Telangana Special Zonal Committee secretary Chandranna and Janasakhthi party’s regional secretary Bharat, asked the people of the region not to vote for the Congress in the next elections. "The state government is handing over 60 per cent of the land in Nalgonda, Medak, Ranga Reddy and Mahabubnagar districts to the landlords of the Coastal Andhra region. These acts of the government along with construction of Potireddy Padu and Pulichintala projects are bound to destroy the Telangana region," the leaders of the two naxalite groups said in the statement. The statement was also critical of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti for portraying the resignations of its MPs, MLAs and MLCs as acts of sacrifice. "The party which has given the struggle a go by for four years now wants to win the elections by showing the resignations as sacrifice," the statement said urging the party to wage a real struggle in association with progressive elements and people of the region. Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also given a call for bandh on the same day with the similar cause. The Congress president already cancelled a public meeting in Hyderabad on March 14 as that may force her to speak on the Telangana issue. ( Times of India 11/308)

17 Maoists killed in encounter (12) PAMEDU (Chhattisgarh): Dispelling the notion of impregnability of Bastar forests, security forces managed to inflict a stunning blow to Maoist rebels, when they carried out precision raids and shot dead as many as 17 rebels in one of the biggest counter-insurgency operations in recent times in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday morning. Police recovered weapons including an AK-47, three Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), landmines and many single shot weapons during two spells of the ambushes in Darelli forest of Pamedu police station falling in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. There were seven women among the slain Maoists. The fact that the security forces suffered no casualties spoke of the precision of the raids and perfect coordination among different police agencies of the two States, police officers said. A top Maoist leader from Andhra Pradesh and four squad commanders of Khammam district were believed to be among those slain. The fierce gun battle, in which the security forces apparently seized the initiative, took place about ten kilometres from Andhra Pradesh border and the Maoists believed to be attending a plenum meeting were obviously taken by surprise. The police said more than 500 shots were fired on both sides in two spells — one at 9 a.m. and another four hours later. Some 13 were killed in the first spell of gun battle while the other four fell to police bullets in the second assault. While firing ceased around 2 p.m., security forces were still combing the area, in the belief that more naxal squads could be found. Police contingents from Khammam in Andhra Pradesh and Bijapur in Chhattisgarh were inching their way to the scene of exchange of fire. Security has been further tightened on the A.P.-Chhattisgarh border and also in the villages on either side of the border. The Tuesday assault, stated as a turning point in counter-insurgency operations in Chhattisgarh, was taken up after the police conducted an aerial survey of the forests on the inter-State border last week following intelligence inputs about the Maoist gathering. More than 60 Maoists were reportedly attending the plenum while some militants were guarding the place, when police carried out the raid. Khammam Superintendent of Police D.S. Chauhan confirmed that those killed in the encounter were mostly from Khammam district. He said operations were on for retrieval of the bodies as well as the search for those who managed to escape. Incidentally, 16 policemen were ambushed and mowed down in automatic gunfire, after a police team on its way to Pamed police station literally walked into the deadly trap laid by the rebels in the same jungles on November 2, 2007. Only five policemen managed to escape from the rebels who used light machine guns and mortars in the ambush. (The Hindu 19/3/08)

For first time, three states team up to raid Naxali te stronghold (12) RAIPUR, MARCH 17: In the first such joint operation against Naxalites, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh dispatched some 1,000 police commandos to the Naxal stronghold of Bastar in Chhattisgarh where forest camps were destroyed in two separate

operations last week. In the first operation, policemen from Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra targeted Naxalites in the Abujhmad forests bordering Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. The second operation was carried out in the forests of south Bastar region by the Greyhounds, Andhra’s anti-Naxal force, and Chhattisgarh Police commandos. Confirming the joint action in the Bastar region, Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Vishwaranjan said the security forces destroyed three big Naxalite camps and about a dozen smaller camps inside the forests. “The two separate operations ended last week and were successful as the security forces, for the first time in several years, were able to make night halts inside these forests and initiate action against the adversary,” Vishwaranjan said. The entire action, he said, was planned and implemented by the police forces of these states and no help of the Centre was sought for the mission. He said the action was significant as this was the first time that any major offensive action had taken place inside the Abujhmad forests. Abujhmad (locals call it the unknown forests) is considered the strongest Naxal bastion and the CPI (Maoist), which claims it is a liberated zone, runs training camps there for its cadres. Sources said that before undertaking the operation, policemen carried out two surveys to familiarise themselves with the local terrain. In all, 200 commandos from Maharashtra, three companies of Greyhounds and some 500 Chhattisgarh policemen took part in the action which lasted for almost a week. While the Bastar operations were on, security was tightened in the districts of Rajnandgaon, Dhamtari, Mahasamund and Balaghat to prevent Naxal cadres from shifting base to these areas. Sources said Naxalite literature, daily provisions and weapons were seized in large numbers. There were no reports, however, of any casualties as the Naxalites retreated under police pressure. “Four Naxalite cadres have been arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police and are being interrogated,” Vishwaranjan said, adding that such operations will continue. “This will now become a regular feature. We will attack and consolidate in the territory which was so far being dominated by the extremists,” he said. (Indian Express 18/3/08)

Naxals growing on large-scale extortion (12) CHATRA (JHARKHAND): Extortion has become a major source of revenue generation for the naxals operating from the hilly terrains and dense forests of Jharkhand, one of the most natural resource-rich States of the country. Even though relentless police action has dealt a heavy blow to their expansion plans in the area, efforts to throttle their money supply lines have not succeeded so far. The naxals here have strategically targeted every source of wealth generation in the State such as government-contracted construction works, auctions, coal and mineral mining, and brick kiln business. The police have reason to believe that the naxals raise as much as Rs.350 crore per year, nearly double the annual budget of the Jharkhand police! The most important source of the naxals’ income is levy-collection from “tendu patta” (the leaf used for making beedis) and “kattha” contractors. The money generated through these two sources only is estimated at about Rs.57 crore per season. Lately the extremists have also started raising funds through cultivation of opium and by extorting money from opium growers. The police said such activities were going on in Chatra, Latehar, Giridih, Hazaribagh and areas along the Jharkhand-West Bengal border. Besides, the police have information that Government employees working in remote areas are also being forced to part with “protection money”. Intelligence inputs gathered by security forces have revealed that at least on paper, 70 per cent of the revenue collected by the naxals from various districts, which is done by zonal commanders, is forwarded to the higher level functionaries for the “party fund”. The rest is used for day-to-day expenses. “However, there are instances where zonal commanders have been found leading a lavish life and buying properties, whereas the lower-rungs live in pitiable condition. In many cases, top naxal leaders have vanished with the collection amounts running into crores,” said a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer. The officer said the lure of money was so strong within the cadres that the fight for retaining the levy amount had led to a rift among various groups and eventual parting of ways. Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee, which has emerged as a powerful outfit giving a tough fight to its parent group, and Jharkhand Liberation Tigers are two such examples. While the CRPF along with the police has managed to contain naxal activities to a great extent, the Administration has failed to put a check on the system of levy collection. “The government-contracted works are their main source of levy collection. We try our best to convince the contractors to lodge complaints against any threats from the naxals, but rarely do they come forward,” said a senior police officer. “It may sound weird but at times we feel that all the government-funded developmental works should be frozen to ensure that the money meant for infrastructural development does not get diverted to the naxals who use it for procurement of weapons,” said the officer. (The Hindu 23/3/08)

Centre allots Rs 500cr for areas hit by Naxalites ( 12) New Delhi, March 23: The Centre has decided to allocate Rs 500 crores during the 11th Five-Year Plan for development of infrastructure in Naxal-hit areas. This assumes significance in the backdrop of growing Left wing extremism in various states. The new scheme aims at providing critical mobility to the police by upgrading existing roads and tracks in inaccessible areas and securing camping grounds and helipads at strategic locations in remote and interior areas. Rehabilitation of surrendered Naxalites and need-based hiring of weapons, vehicles and communication equipment in emergency situation are also carried out under it. To meet the emerging challenges to internal security in the form of naxalism and terrorism, stress is being laid on rapid modernisation of the state police forces. The state police, being directly concerned with law and order, need to improve their functioning and be equipped with the latest technology so that they are able to successfully meet emerging challenges. Significantly, of late there have been several incidents of Naxals storming police stations in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa in which personnel have been attacked and arms looted. Through the plan, to be implemented by concerned state governments, the Centre intends to upgrade and strengthen approach roads to police stations and outposts where there is risk of attack by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines. According to Union home ministry sources, the scheme, which is fully funded by the Centre, seeks to provide security to police stations and outposts by strengthening those at risk of attack due to their dilapidated condition. Helicopters have been provided to affected states for rushing central para-military forces and evacuating injured people and security personnel, but in the absence of helipads state governments are unable to make right use of the machines. The scheme envisages provision for critical needs, specific to areas and districts where holistic anti-naxalite measures are being taken up in a focused manner. Financial assistance is also provided to affected states for combating naxalism under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE). Under this, reimbursement is provided by the home ministry to Naxal-affected states for security-related expenditure in respect of ex-gratia payment for civilians and security personnel killed. Funds are also provided for transportation, communication and other logistic support for central para-military forces deployed for anti-Naxalite operations. Cost of ammunition for anti-naxalite operations and training to the state police forces are met under the scheme, which also takes care of community policing and security-related infrastructure by village defence committees. The main objective of the police modernisation scheme is to reduce dependence of state governments on the Army and central para-military forces for internal security and law and order. Some of the major areas covered under the scheme include construction of secure police stations, outposts and police lines, and ensuring mobility, security, provision of modern weaponry to the police. Security, surveillance, communication, forensic equipment, upgradation of training infrastructure, police housing and computerisation are also taken up under the scheme. (Asian Age 24/3/08)

SSB roped in to protect volunteers of salwa judum ( 12) New Delhi, March 24: Close on the heels of the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) report which has said that the volunteers of salwa judum are leading "disturbed lives" in "fortified camps" for fear of being attacked by extremists, the Centre has decided to rope in the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for protecting these tribal volunteers. The ARC has described Salwa Judum as a process wherein poor tribals are caught between "the legitimate sovereign power of the state and the illegitimate coercive power of the extremist". The report has mentioned that these camps have been attacked by extremists leading to several deaths. "While one battalion has already gone, the other is undergoing induction and would be sent soon," director-general of SSB Gopal Sharma told reporters here. The SSB has said that the decision to rope in the force exclusively for protection of people involved in the movement, has been taken after various intelligence inputs suggesting that Naxalites were planning to hit them again. Last year, Naxalites mowed down 55 people which included some CRPF personnel. Salva Judum, is widely seen as a people’s movement especially those from the tribal belt, who are countering Naxalites in dense forest areas of Chattisgarh etc. The SSB, guarding India’s border with countries like Nepal and Bhutan, also raised concern of stepping up intelligence-gathering in border areas in the wake of reports suggesting that Maoists were having free run from the Indo-Nepal border and cadres of banned Ulfa were using the dense forests of the Indo-Bhutan border. The force has suggested the creation of an intelligence wing. Mr Sharma, who joined as the SSB chief after heading the J&K police for over three years, said the force has already started measures of having its own intelligence wing which would provide important inputs to it. The SSB is also preparing a "border management doctrine" to create "secure and friendly borders" with both it’s neighbours. (Asian Age 25/3/08)

Naxals take war to virtual world, police wary (12) It’s not merely the inaccessible forests or the remote areas in the middle of Red corridor where security forces are waging a war against the Naxalites. The virtual world, too, is fast becoming a battleground with extremist literature being posted on Internet browsers. Sources in the security agencies say the Chhattisgarh Police website was hacked thrice by pro-Maoists attackers. However, the state police — engaged as it is in a long and tough battle with the Naxalites — plans to concentrate on the ground level battle and doesn’t want to tackle its opponents in the virtual world as yet. In fact, the state police website has been taken off the Internet. “The police has decided to do away with the website and there are no future plans to reactivate it,” said a senior officer. Added Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Vishwaranjan, “We should first deal with Naxalites on the ground level and push them back from areas where they have established their dominance. Maintaining a website is not our priority right now.” Sources say the Internet is being used as a powerful tool by Maoist sympathisers to disseminate their viewpoint and seek support for their cause. “Several websites which are run by Naxalite sympathisers or with an open tilt towards Left wing extremism are on the watch list,” sources added. Intelligence sources say the security agencies have been monitoring the activities of Naxalite sympathisers, and other extremist groups, on the Internet, for many years now. However, action against these websites can be taken only after receiving a clearance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. “A website is blocked only if it is found to be indulging in anti-India rhetoric or professing separatism,” sources confirmed. But blocking a website isn’t a permanent solution as the Maoist content can be easily transferred onto another website. The exercise is termed as less than useful by intelligence sources. (Indian Express 27/3/08)

Probe slams officers, staff for largest Naxal jailb reak (12) RAIPUR, March 25: An administrative inquiry into Chhattisgarh’s Dantewara prison break on December 16, 2007 where 299 prisoners escaped — in one of the biggest ever jailbreaks enacted by suspected Maoists from inside the prison walls — has indicted senior police officials, exposed shocking lapses in prison security and revealed the callous attitude of district administration and local police.The report adds that inadequate number of prison guards, improper training — guards on duty that day didn’t even know how to fire — non-separation of Naxalite and other inmates and alleged collusion by the jail staff was collectively responsible for one of the biggest prison-breaks in the nation’s history. Over 105 of those who escaped were suspected Maoists. The report of the inquiry, conducted by Development Commissioner (Bastar) R S Vishwakarma, has been given to Chief Minister Raman Singh, Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, Chief Secretary Shivraj Singh and Principal Secretary (Home) N K Aswal. Confirming the report’s receipt, Netam told The Indian Express that the government would initiate action against officials indicted. “We have already initiated several steps to tighten security at all prison facilities housing Maoist extremists,” he added.It’s not going to be easy given the key findings of the report, a copy of which is with The Indian Express:•The jail’s capacity was 150 prisoners, at the time of the attack there were 377 inmates. •Naxalites were deliberately not shifted to the Central Prison in Jagdalpur as this would have reduced the inmate count which, in turn, would have cut down prison’s fund allocation for feeding inmates. This indicates a “corruption angle.” •Of the total sanctioned strength of 22 prison officials — including one assistant jailer, five head guards and 16 guards — only four “unarmed guards” were present on duty during the jailbreak. •The prison has two roof watchtowers manned by two guards during the night. When the jailbreak happened, no guard was present on these towers. A guard Hiranand Ajgale was on duty behind the prison and he wasn’t there when the alarm was raised.•The alleged mastermind of the incident, Sujeet Kumar, also known as “Commander” inside the jail, was allowed to move around in the prison freely even outside the main gate and the prison armoury. This has been authenticated by statements of several guards. Sujeet mobilised a mob and over-ran the jail in barely 15 minutes. He was able to break open the wooden door of the room where several weapons, including one Insas rifle, three muskets, three .303 rifles and 237 rounds of bullets were kept. These weapons should have been kept in a nearby armoury which had a steel door. “Weapons and ammunition were kept at such a place from where they could have been looted easily. This reinforces the suspicion of involvement of jailer with the fleeing inmates,” the report says. •The fleeing inmates tied up round-in-charge Sunil Kumar Pujari and head guard Jaiprakash Kannoje. Hearing gunfire, a frightened guard in-charge Shambhuram Sahu hid behind the wall. No one tried to stop the fleeing inmates, there was no provision of a reserve guard. •Just minutes before the incident, jailer B S Mankar left the premises, accompanied with his wife, without taking any prior permission from his superiors. • Sahu has deposed that although he headed the guards, he was not handed the charge of the armoury. He claimed he hasn’t even been trained to fire a rifle while

adding that rifles at the armoury weren’t even tested after last year’s monsoon season. Security guards on duty that day were not trained to fire weapons. •Assistant Jailer R R Rai said that when Mankar was on leave he was asked to prepare a list of suspected Naxal inmates so that they could be transferred to the Central jail. However, when Mankar returned from leave, he refused to forward the list.The report has indicted several top police and administration officers: •DIG (Prisons ) P D Verma: Did not follow guidelines with regard to transfer of Naxalite prisoners to the high-security Central jails. Besides he failed to act on numerous complaints against jailer B S Mankar. He also didn’t prepare a roster for inspection of state prisons, which included several inspections of Dantewara jail. •District Collector K R Pisda: Failed to inspect the jail every month as provided under Section 82 of the jail rules. Only one such inspection was carried out by him during the last one and a half years. He did recommend additional security for the jail but failed to ensure that the directive was complied with. •Superintendent of Police (Dantewara) Rahul Sharma: Failed to make available additional security as asked for by the Collector. Overlooked jail headquarters directive to provide one platoon of armed forces for prison security. Failed to inspect the jail even once. •Chief Medical Officer who was also Jail Superintendent G S Thakur: Did not inspect the jail, didn’t apprise authorities of complaints against jailer. •Jailer B S Mankar: Undue patronage to Sujeet; was absent from duty on the day of jail break. Failed to transfer Naxalite inmates to the high security Jagdalpur Central prison. (INDIAN EXPRESS 27/3/08)

Naxals loot explosives in Chhattisgarh (12) RAIPUR: More than 100 heavily armed Maoists raided an iron ore mine of Sail in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, 170 km from Raipur, and drove away with a truckload of explosives used in mine blasts. Police said the Naxals looted 1.75 tonne of explosives from the Mahamaya iron ore mine in Dalli-Rajhara. The Maoists also kidnapped eight officials of the Chhattisgarh government and Sail's Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) on Thursday, but later freed them. The kidnapped officials included Rajbir Singh, SDO (forest), Bhanupratapur, and BSP mines manager Srikant. Chhattisgarh police and personnel of paramilitary forces launched a search early Friday to recover the explosives. ''Many search parties have been deployed in Durg, Kanker and Bastar region,'' Durg SP told TOI. (Times of India 29/3/08)

Bihar cops get success against Naxals (12) BEGUSARAI/NAWADA: Following an encounter with the CPI(Maoist) near Karauna Soti under Birpur police station, Begusarai police arrested 10 rebels on Friday afternoon. Also on Friday, Nawada police destroyed a Maoist opium farm at Jamdaha village under Rajouli police station. The arrested persons included armed women members of the banned outfit. Besides, the police were successful in recovering a huge cache of arms from the Maoists that included four rifles, one of them a looted police rifle, two pistols of foreign make and a country-made pistol. Police also recovered uniforms used by the rebels during their armed operations. Begusarai SP Amit Lodha said two policemen were injured in the gunbattle that lasted for more than an hour. He said the police had gone to the place following a tip off that the Maoists were having a secret meeting near Karauna. In Nawada, police carried out the raid on the opium farm following a tip-off that the Naxals were growing opium at Jamdaha. When the raiding party reached the village, the Maoists fired on the security forces forcing the latter to retaliate. Police recovered a loaded rifle, some gunpowder and other explosive devices from the area. Police also came across a "katta" factory in the village which was later destroyed along with the illegal opium plants grown on a five-acre plot. Nawada SP Vinod Kumar said the Maoists cultivated the opium to generate funds. The SP said three persons have been arrested. "The arrested persons are directly or indirectly associated with the Maoists," he said. (Times of India 29/3/08)

Maoists damage electric towers, blackout in Bijapur (12) Raipur : Maoists damaged electric poles leading to a virtual blackout in more than 150 villages in the insurgency prone Bijapur of Bastar region, police said on Sunday. The Maoists damaged five poles of 33 KV line. This has resulted in a blackout in more than 150 villages of Bholapatnam and Usur blocks. "Maoists had put wooden logs on fire under the electric poles which caused the poles to bend", Baijapur Superintendent of Police Ankit Garg told The Pioneer. He said power supply would be restored by Tuesday. Meanwhile, police has intensified patrolling in the entire Maoist affected areas apprehending attacks by the militants in dark. Strict vigil is being maintained at the police stations, outpost and other important places including Government offices in areas currently under blackout. Maoists have reportedly called for a bandh on March 31 in protest against the killing of 17 of their cadres recently, in a gun battle with Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh. It is to be noted that last year in June, the Maoists had caused a major blackout

for almost a week in the entire Bastar region covering the five districts including Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kanker and Bastar, by blasting three high-tension transmission tower. (Pioneer 31/3/08)

SC flays Chhattisgarh for arming civilians to comba t Maoists (12) New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily against arming the civilians to combat Maoists in Chhattisgarh in the name of Salwa Judum movement. "It's a question of law and order. You (State) can't give arms to somebody and allow them to kill. Ultimately you will be an abettor under (IPC Section) 302," said a Bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice Aftab Alam. The court while mooting a proposal to order an independent investigation of the conditions in relief camps where atrocities against the local tribal population by the Salwa Judum members was reported, asked the petitioner to supply information about the worse-hit camps by April 15, the next date of hearing. The scathing remarks by the court came during hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Nandini Sundar, Ramachandra Guha and EAS Sarma who complained of inhuman conditions at the camp, besides a reign of terror unleashed by Salwa Judum members. Senior advocate Ashok Desai appearing for the petitioners pointed out the urgency of rehabilitating the tribals numbering almost 50,000 back to the forests, their natural habitat, since June is the season of sowing. Finding merit in the petitioners' arguments, the court said, "A neutral agency must enquire whether people are there in camps willingly." This was preceded by two independent reports cited by the petitioner that lend credence to its allegations. One related to a report prepared by former Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh who reported on the depraving conditions of children in the camp as part of a report prepared for the National Council for Protection of Children. In another report, M Veerappa Moily, Chairman, Administrative Reforms Commission proposed the disbanding of Salwa Judum. "From the allegations it appears the State is harming somebody. If you are giving arms to somebody State will be abetting the crime," the Bench said, adding, "You first admit that you are giving arms."…. (Pioneer 1/4/08)

Naxals kill 8 of family for being ‘traitors’ (12) Ranchi, April 8: Continuing their attacks on “traitors” in their area of influence, CPI (Maoist) cadres gunned down eight persons, including three women, and injured one on Tuesday morning in Gumla district. Sources in Gumla told The Indian Express that an armed squad led by Maoist leaders Sunil Bhuinyan and Manoj Nagesia intercepted a Bolero in which Bhado Singh along with his eight family members was travelling, at Semra village. The attackers, using automatic weapons, fired indiscriminately at the vehicle killing eight of the occupants, including Singh. One of his relatives, Renu Devi, escaped with injuries and is being treated at a local hospital. According to DIG R K Mallick, Singh returned the fire with his licensed weapon but was outnumbered. Singh, a farmer of neighbouring Gudma village, had been running a resistence movement under the banner of Shanti Sena against the Naxalites since 2001. “They were on the hit list of the Naxalites for quite some time. But they did not take enough precautions. Even the police did not bother to provide them security cover,” said Sudhir Singh, a relative of Bhado Singh. The police have launched a combing operation but no arrests have been made so far. On Monday, three persons, including a 65-year-old man, were killed by the Maoists in two separate incidents. The first incident took place in Tukudiri village in West Singhbhum district where the militants cadres beat up to death Rasika Bhuinya, a chowkidar, alleging that he was a police informer. In the other case, two persons were shot dead in Lohardaga district on the same charge. Tuesday’s was the third consecutive attack on those who are being perceived as working against Maoists. The Maoists have called a Jharkhand-Bihar bandh on April 16 to protest against what they allege as police zulm (highhandedness). .(Indian Express 9/4/08)

Maoists kill 6 in Rohtas forest (12) PATNA: Maoists killed six persons, said to be members of the Sashastra People’s Morcha, in the Tardih forest of Rohtas district on Thursday. The police claimed that they found naxalite pamphlets at the scene of crime. The Maoists charged that the slain persons “betrayed the parent organisation and served as police informers.” The police sealed Bihar’s borders with Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh and launched a combing operation. The deceased belonged to the Barachatti and Mohanpur blocks of Gaya district. (The Hindu 11/4/08)

Maoists move towards majority in Nepal (12) KATHMANDU: The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) has maintained its lead, bagging 75 of the 135 seats in the elections to the Constituent Assembly, and is moving towards a simple majority in the first-past-the-post system. The Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of

Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) are far behind. The NC has won just 21 seats and the UML 20. The Maoist party is leading in about 60 constituencies where vote counting is going on. The NC is leading in 20 and the UML in 15. If the Maoists maintain the lead, they can easily win a simple majority in the first-past-the-post system under which 240 seats are up for grabs. The Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), which spearheaded the Madhesi movement and is taking part in the election for the first time, is faring well. It has won in 9 seats and is leading in 10 more. More senior leaders of the NC and the UML have been swept aside in the pro-Maoist wave sweeping the country. Prominent members of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s family have been trounced. His daughter and Minister Sujata Koirala, his nephews Shekhar Koirala and Ashok Koirala and his cousin Sushil Koirala have lost. Senior NC leader and Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, the former Finance Minister, Mahesh Acharya, the former Minster, Govinda Raj Joshi, and senior UML leader and former Foreign Minister, K.P. Olim, have been defeated. A Standing Committee meeting of the UML has decided to withdraw from the government in the wake of the party’s defeat. The committee has, however, decided to work together with other parties to implement federal democratic republic and to draft a new Constitution. The committee also decided to present the resignation submitted by UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal at the party’s central committee for ratification. Senior leader Amrit Kumar Bohara has been appointed the party’s acting general secretary. (The Hindu 14/4/08)

(Maoist) kills five policemen (12) PATNA: The CPI(Maoist) on Sunday attacked the police station and the booking office of the Jhajha Railway Junction near here killing six people, including five police personnel, and looted a large number of weapons. The naxalites exploded several bombs as they attacked the police picket and the booking office. The SAP, STF and CRPF forces stationed in the district rushed in to counter the attack. In the encounter that followed, two SAP jawans, a Sub-Inspector and two jawans of the GRP and a parcel porter were killed. The communication linkwas snapped. Movement of trains was badly affected. (The Hindu 14/4/08)

Naxals target crowded railway station, six killed ( 12) PATNA, APRIL 13: Over 200 armed Naxalites stormed a crowded railway station on the New Delhi-Howrah line in Bihar, blew up the railway police station, looted a huge cache of arms and ammunition and killed five railway policemen and one porter. The attack on Jhajha railway station— an important station in Jamui district of Bihar—took place around 5 p.m. on Sunday. It brought rail traffic to a complete halt and several important trains including the Rajdhani Express were held up at different points. IG (Operations) S K Bhardwaj confirmed six deaths—two Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) men, two Government Railway Police (GRP) jawans, one RPF jawan and one railway porter. “A hunt has been launched to nab the Maoists,” he said. The attack came at a time when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was busy reshuffling and expanding his cabinet. He immediately directed IG (Operations) Bhardwaj to rush to the spot. According to reports, over 200 armed Maoists swooped down from the hills nearby around 5 pm. The Maoists immediately fanned out and surrounded all important points on the railway platform while urging passengers not to panic. The target of the attack was the GRP station on the platform. A large number of Maoists surrounded it and opened fire, killing and injuring the policemen, hardly prepared to face an attack of that magnitude. Then, they looted the arms and ammunition in the police station and used dynamites to blow up the police building. Though the police claimed that there was an encounter between the Naxals and the police, the Maoists managed to escape. Apart from blowing up the GRP station, the Naxals damaged an ATM counter, RPF booth and booking counter on the platform. Several long-distance trains were stranded due to the attack. Reports said that the Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express was about to cross the station at the time of the attack when it was stopped at a small station just before Jhajha. Though Naxals in the recent past had attacked isolated railway stations in the region, this was the first attack on a major station. The Naxals had once attacked a running train, killed two policemen and looted their arms near Jhajha, a junction. (Indian Express 14/4/08)

Dressed as commoners, Naxals deal a bloody blow (12 ) Jhajha, April 14: The attack on the Jhajha Railway Station on Sunday that claimed six lives was the most successful operation by the Naxalites in Bihar since the Jehanabad jailbreak over two-and-a-half years back. The attack was carried out in the typical style that the authorities have come to associate with Naxals: over 200 of them, a good number of them women, dressed as commoners, mixing with the crowd on the platform before launching the surprise attack. If in Jehanabad, the Naxals managed to free many of their imprisoned comrades, at Jhajha, they

walked away with a hefty booty of arms and ammunition -- 36 rifles, six SLRs, two carbines and 1,867 cartridges. “The Naxals were dressed like commoners, used mostly small firearms and had a large number of women at the forefront, which makes it very difficult for the police to open fire,” said IG (Operations) S K Bhardwaj, who is supervising the combing operations. Bhardwaj added that they had arrested two persons involved in the attack, including one woman, and got vital clues. Recounting the attack that began at around 6 pm, the officer-in-charge of the Government Railway Police (GRP) Station, Sati Kumar Verma, who was also injured, said: “The platform was crowded as a passenger train had just arrived. After my evening stroll, I was standing outside the police station when a person from the crowd suddenly attacked my head with a spade. I started bleeding profusely and even before I could realise what had happened, 20-30 men and women had entered the police station.” Only four-five jawans were present at the station at the time. However, they had plenty of arms and ammunition as train escort parties had returned, submitted their weapons and were relaxing in the barracks, away from the platform. The Naxals fired in the air and at GRP jawans who tried to stop them from looting the arms. Even as the core group carted away the weapons, other members took strategic positions in and outside the station. Landmines were laid just outside to stop any police reinforcements. Another group of Naxals took control of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Station, which had only three unarmed jawans. The fourth group took charge of the office that mans movement of trains. “They did not kill any of our unarmed jawans but damaged the office,” said RPF Station in-charge Arup Kumar. Police claims apart, Sunday's attack showed how badly prepared they were to face any such attack. (Indian Express 15/4/08)

Naxals blow up rail track, raid station in Jharkhan d (12) Ranchi/Aurangabad, April 16: Naxalites targeted the railway network during the 24-hour bandh called by them in Jharkhand and Bihar, blowing up a stretch of the railway track on Wednesday and holding employees of a station captive after a raid. Armed Naxalites blasted a two-metre stretch of railway track at Choudary-Baandh in Giridih district in Jharkhand in the early hours on Wednesday, disrupting train services in the Dhanbad division. The Naxalites had called the bandh to protest against the killing of eight of their associates in an encounter near Garwah earlier this month. The Maoists also set afire a truck at Tamar, about 50 km from Ranchi. According to reports, several long distances vehicles were off the roads due to the bandh, affecting loading and unloading at mineral sites. In Bihar’s Aurangabad district, over 200 heavily armed Maoists raided Fesar railway station and held its five employees captive on Tuesday night. Rail traffic on the Aurangabad-Mughalsarai section of the east central Railway was disrupted for more than two hours, police sources said. In the wake of the Maoist attack at Jhajha station, all railway stations in the state have been put on high alert and the government, the railway police and railway protection force personnel have been advised to move in groups during the physical search of all important trains, the sources said. (PTI) (Asian Age 17/4/08)

After central India, Naxals intensify operations in TN (12) CHENNAI: As operations to flush out Naxalites intensify in central India, the Maoists are moving to the Western Ghats in search of a haven. Intelligence sources have confirmed Naxalite movements in Theni, Dindigul and Kodaikanal, especially in the hill regions. Maoists from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh are moving into Tamil Nadu, which has not yet intensified operations against Naxalites. Maoists disguised as vendors sneaked into the state by road with weapons. Hindi and Telugu speaking Maoists get in touch with local members. Sources said, Police and paramilitary forces in Naxalite-prone states have killed 45 Naxalites in the last six months. So Naxalites come down south where they can campaign for their movements without running into trouble. Women cadre are now actively participating in Maoist campaigns in tribal areas. Women Naxalites lure the tribals by offering them free karate classes. They give them free weapons training sessions. As most tribals are poor, they fall prey to these offers, a senior intelligence officer said. The Naxalites are planning to recruit them for their movement. The recent arrest of Viswa alias Viswanathan from Pattiveeranpatti near Dindigul was an eye-opener for the police. Additional director general of police (law and order) K Vijaykumar, who led Operation Cocoon to kill forest brigand Veerappan, said, We have a separate team in the Special Task Force that conducts raids where Naxalite activity is suspected. According to intelligence sources, nearly 12 separate groups infiltrated Tamil Nadu and are in the Western Ghats. Each team comprises six men and four women. Four of them are well-versed orators, while the others are weapon handlers. While the northern border districts of Dharmapuri and Vellore have seen Naxalite activity, Dindigul and Theni are slowly becoming naxalite bases. The Q branch deputy superintendent of police post has been vacant for the past several months, a senior police officer said, citing this as a reason for the Naxalite activity in the area. (Times of

India 18/4/08) Maoists strike terror in Chhattisgarh (12) KHAMMAM: Naxalites of the CPI (Maoist) struck terror at Korandul in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh by setting fire to 47 vehicles of the Essar Steels on Thursday night. The vehicles burnt in the arson included 33 dumpers, four earth moving equipment, two diesel tankers and one bus. Some 400 naxalites stormed into the company premises at Kadampal locality in the town around 11.30 p.m, doused the vehicles with diesel and set them afire by keeping the guards and drivers away at gun point. Most of them were armed with automatic weapons and clad in olive green uniform and they were speaking Hindi and English. More than 100 women were among the naxalites who raided the company premises bringing its operations to a standstill. The Maoists, who fled the scene, left a pamphlet issued in the name of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal committee. It sounded a warning to both Essar Steels and another private company against continuing their operations in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. It claimed that the land, water and the forest belonged to Bastar tribes and they alone had the right to enjoy them. (The Hindu 26/4/08)

Maoists draft children into cadres (12) Bhubaneswar, April 28: Maoists have now turned to children to expand their base in Orissa. The Left-wing ultras have started drafting children, particularly school-going boys and girls in the tribal pockets of Malkangiri district in south Orissa, into their cadres with an objective of giving a fillip to their activities in the state, a senior police officer said on Monday. The ultras have recently formed "Bal Sangathan", the children wing of their organisation in south Orissa. The strength of children cadre has already reached over 300 in just a couple of months, the police officer said. "We have definite information about the formation of Bal Sangathan by the Maoists in Orissa. This is part of their strategy to strengthen their organisation and run their operations without arousing suspicion among the security personnel," said Malkangiri SP Satish Kumar Gajavayee. The Maoists target the children from the poverty-stricken families in the tribal pockets for the purpose. They indoctrinate these minors with their ideology and develop in them a feeling of hatred towards the administration and the government machinery, thus poisoning their minds. The children are initially imparted training on gathering information on movements of security personnel in their respective areas. They are also used as couriers to pass on letters to Maoist leaders without inviting the attention of the police. Subsequently, they are trained in militant warfare. These children are sometimes used as a shield during encounters with the police, the police officer said. The Maoists, who have considerable influence among the poor tribals in the inaccessible pockets, hardly get any resistance from the parents for luring their children into their cadres. At least four dalams (units), Kalimela, Motu, Kolkunda and Poplur, were already active under the Malkangiri Naxalite division. Members of all the dalams had been entrusted with the task of recruiting child cadres, official sources said. "This is a serious development. We are planning to launch a massive drive to dissuade the tribals from sending their children to the Maoists, besides conducting raids on their training camps in the forests," a senior police officer said. (Asian Age 29/4/08)

Nepal Maoist outfit still on India ban list (12) New Delhi, April 29: Even as Maoists have emerged victorious in Nepal, and India has promised all cooperation, one of their frontal organisations continues to be on the list of banned outfits, prepared by the ministry of home affairs. According to the official website of the home ministry, Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj (ABNES) stands at the end of the list of 34 organisation enlisted as "banned organisations" on the MHA website. The number one banned organisation is the United Liberation Front of Assam, followed by National Democratic Front of Bodoland, besides other international terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen etc. The banned organisations list also contains the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and all its formations and front organisations. The MHA website says that these organisations are declared as terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967. MHA sources revealed that ABNES was earlier banned at the request of earlier regimes in the Himalayan nation for having links with Maoist groups. There are no fresh instructions from the government so far for its removal from the list of terrorist organisation, declared under the

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, said MHA sources. This group, reportedly, had alleged links with Naxal groups, besides helping the Left-wing extremists in raising their cadre and providing arms training in the villages located along the porus Indo-Nepal border, sources said. (Asian Age 30/4/08)

Naxals target outsiders in Malkangiri district (12) BERHAMPUR: Naxals are killing unidentified persons from outside the State in naxal infested Malkangiri district of Orissa. The Maoists have also started massive propaganda drive to claim mark their presence in the district. The police force in this most naxal infested district of Orissa is yet to ascertain the real reason behind the two recent killings of unidentified persons from outside the State by the Maoists and their propaganda drive. But the Malkangiri Superintendent of Police, Satish Kumar Gajbhiye says one of the major reason behind it is the effort by the vagrants to increase their ransom collection. An unknown person was killed by naxals in the district on April 3. The papers found from his belongings hinted that he was one ‘Bhaskar’ from Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. In another incident naxals killed person near Telarai on April 24. He was again suspected to be from adjoining Chhattisgarh as writings in Devnagri script were found on his body. There are also suspicions that these persons were part of the Naxal outfit and were killed due to some tussle. Although Naxals claimed they were police informers, Mr. Gajbhiye reiterated they had no links with the police and were also not known to any localites. The bodies of these persons were surely used by the Maoists to terrorise people for increasing ransom claims from traders of remote areas, he said. Meanwhile, a CD with video clippings of ‘Bal Sangham’ or children’s wing of naxals has also started making rounds as part of Naxal propaganda. Investigations have proved that the footage in the CD were from different parts of the country especially from north India. But it was used by naxals to give an impression that Bal Sangham training was continuing in Malkangiri district also. The SP accepts that Bal sangham was active in low scale in remote areas of the district but the recent CD clips were only part of a naxal propaganda to create a panic situation. During past one year naxals have targeted four village headmen in Malkangiri district. They include a former naib-sarpanch Sunam Jagabandhu of Tandbai panchayat, Mukunda Madhi of Bandiguda, former chairman of Kalimela block, Jaga Madi and Madkami Kana of Petta village. As per tradition they were settling disputes at their villages and were involved in developmental activities at the villages. They were killed as they were opposed to ‘praja courts’ by naxals who have no links with their village affairs and are opposed to developmental works especially communication link up, said the SP. According to him naxals strongly oppose roads and telephone link to remote areas as it weakens their scope to collect ransom. In April naxals killed Satyam Lachha, who was involved in ferry business on a river near Jilengiguda. (The Hindu 4/5/08)

Manipur goes the Salwa Judum way (12) Imphal : The Manipur Government has decided to provide arms and ammunition to the people of the State to defend themselves from militants. Official sources said in Imphal on Saturday that the State Cabinet, presided over by Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, discussed the issue on Friday night at a meeting, which lasted for over three hours. In the first phase, the people of Heirok and Chajing would be provided security by opening special posts, to be commanded by Special Police Officers. The people of Heirok in Thoubal district had been demanding arms, following the killing of three people by militants on March 24. The State Government has been considering the possibility of providing arms and ammunition to the people since the past few days. About 300 youths at Heirok and 200 youths at Chajing, commanded by police forces, will be recruited to provide security to the people. Each youth would be provided with Rs 3,000. The modalities would be worked out by a police team, headed by a DIG, and the entire process was expected to start by next month, officials said. The recruitment would be done under the guidance of the deputy commissioners of the concerned districts. The Manipur Police Housing Corporation will construct barracks for the recruits and all of them would be provided with .303 rifles and motorcycles. The volunteers, however, would not be allowed to venture out of the specified villages. (Pioneer 4/5/08)

Naxal-hit states seek relaxation (12) New Delhi, May 4: As if the work pending under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna was not enough, the Union rural development ministry has floated a proposal seeking further ‘’relaxation’’ in the number of ‘’unconnected habitations eligible for assistance’’ under the scheme, taking the numbers down to 250 population in plain areas and 100 population in tribal areas. This fresh relaxation has been sought for the 33 districts identified as worst-hit by ‘’Naxal violence’’ spread across states of Chattishgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The revised

request by the rural development ministry has come at a time when the Public Accounts Committee, monitoring the release of funds for the scheme by the Centre, is irked by the fact that the data of ‘’habitations eligible for assistance’’ under the scheme is still changing ‘’frequently’’ even after eight years of the scheme being launched. The committee has voiced fears of ‘’corruption in PMGSY’’, calling for implementation of ‘’safeguards’’ and ‘’techniques to curb corruption’’ by the implementing agencies in its 72nd report tabled in Parliament recently. Notably, the rural development ministry has already got the approval for Central funding (for the current year 2008-09) for connecting those habitations in the 33 Naxal-hit districts where habitation stands at 500 population in plain areas and 250 in tribal areas, revealed home ministry sources. This was a departure made from the original form of the scheme, launched in 2000, which said that such habitation will be covered which has above 1000 population in plain areas and above 500 population in hilly and tribal areas. Responding to the fresh request made by the rural development ministry, the Union ministry of home affairs, which is coordinating developmental activities in Naxal-affected states, has asked the ministry to ‘’decide fast’’. "The rural development ministry, at the behest of state governments, has made a fresh appeal to give further relaxation to those districts which are worst hit by Naxal violence. The MHA has asked the ministry to take a decision as soon as possible," said a senior home ministry official. MHA sources revealed that the issue came up for discussion recently during the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) meeting on Naxalism convened by the MHA recently. The Public Accounts Committee has noted that as on May 2001, the number of ‘’unconnected habitations eligible for assistance’’ under the scheme was 1.41 lakhs. The figures swelled to 1.6 lakhs in December 2003 and subsequently 1.71 lakhs in December 2004. "Later, the figure went up to around 1.73 lakhs in March 2005. The committee has revealed in its report that in Chattishgarh, which is worst-hit by Naxal violence, "initially 12,561 eligible unconnected habitations were reported to the ministry; however the figure was again revised to 13,761 habitations in the tribal and hilly areas without survey or any other evidence in support of the revised estimation." The committee has expressed shock over ‘’reliable data ‘’missing under a scheme which involves such ‘’huge financial outlays’’. Further examination of records in the states by the committee has revealed a similar situation in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where the habitation-wise population against the roads proposed under the programme were not supported by any documents. The Committee has recommended that responsibility be fixed for ‘’past negligence’’ and a time-frame be fixed for preparation and implementation of district/state-wise plans in order to avoid ‘’duplication of expenditure on existing roads and enable proper utilisation of the scarce resources’’. (Asian Age 5/5/08)

Maoists plan to recruit Nepali labour in India (12) Dehradun : The arrest of Maoist leaders -- Gopal Bhatt, Prashant Sanglikar, Anil Kumar Chaurakoti, Niluballabh and Jeevanchandra Arya -- in recent months from Kumaon has rung alarm bells in the State administration and security agencies as Uttarakhand has a 240-km border with Nepal and a sizeable migrant labour force from that country. The presence of as many as 15,000 Nepali migrant labourers, who are mainly concentrated in Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts that border Nepal, presents a security threat to the State. Security forces fear that given the circumstances of this labour force they may well turn out to be recruiting bases for potential Maoist activists. Young, underpaid, with precious little going for them they could easily be swayed by the compulsive rhetoric of a veteran ideologue. As per the 1950 India-Nepal treaty, citizens of both countries are free to work anywhere. Given that the border regions in both the countries are poorly developed, residents in these areas lead an extremely impoverished and hard life. This could prove to be an ideal recruiting ground for the Maoists and also explain the reason for their increased activities in the State. Talking to The Pioneer, Superintendent of Police (Tehri) Mohan Singh, who has been transferred from Champawat just a few days ago, said the presence of Nepalese migrant labour had become a common phenomenon in the hill areas of the State. He also stated that till now they had been only involved in cases of theft but no political activism. The SP informed that the police was also conducting a verification drive in all Maoist-affected areas. According to a Maoist plan, called 3U, they want to develop a corridor in Uttari Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand which has put the State at high risk. The geographical location of Uttarakhand is such that it allows easy entry and exit into the country. Aware of the risk potential, the State Police has prepared a plan to identify the underground cadre and try and nab Maoists who are at large whereas members of overt organisations such as Progressive Students Front have been put under watch as they espouse CPI(Maoist) ideology. Talking to The Pioneer, IG (Law & Order) MA Ganapathy said, "At the moment, the spread of Maoist movement has been contained. However, to completely eliminate them certain socio-economic issues need to be addressed." A few weeks ago in a meeting with the Union Home Minister, Chief Minister Maj Gen BC Khanduri had asked the Centre for more

funds to deal with the spurt in Maoist activities in the State. However, in a chat with The Pioneer, Chief Development Officer of Champawat Balbir Singh Rawat said that Banwsa, Tanakpur and the stretch between Purnagiri and Brahmagiri were the most affected regions in the district. Therefore, to absorb the residents of these areas into the mainstream, the district administration was opening primary health centres, schools and implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Border Development Schemes to upgrade infrastructure in the region and to reduce the poverty faced by a sizeable majority of the people. (Pioneer 9/5/08)

Casting terror in Naxal hotbed (12) Sringeri, May 16: An uneasy peace exists in Sringeri these days. The temple town founded by Sankaracharya on the banks of the river Tunga in Karnataka’s Chikamagalur district now has a fortified police station to guard against armed Naxals. The holy town set against the backdrop of the Western Ghats and the Kudremukh national park is one of many places where Naxals had in recent days pasted posters calling for a boycott of the Karnataka assembly poll that was held on Friday. In the village of Naravi in Mangalore district, also bordering the national park, the Naxal call for boycott of the elections appeared on the walls of the gram panchayat office. In Sringeri, too, it appeared on government buildings. Both places have been witness to Naxal violence in recent times. As many as 10 alleged Naxals have been killed in police encounters while two civilians have been killed in the last five years. The Maoist movement in the region grew from the resistance to evacuation of nearly 15,000 forest people living in 36 revenue villages in the protected national park. The movement still has a democratic face in the form of the Kudremukh National Park Virudhi Horata, a conglomerate of different groups cutting across social strata who are fighting for the rights of the Kudremukh forest people. “An atmosphere of fear exists in these parts. If a tribal comes to town for the weekly market, he cannot be sure he will return home. There is the constant threat of police raids,” says Kalkuli Vittal Hegde, president of the Kudremukh National Park Virudhi Horata and a resident of Sringeri town. His movement has resulted in several government packages—amounting to nearly Rs 100 crore—for the forest community. But these packages haven’t translated into changes on the ground, says Vittal Hegde. According to gram panchayat officials at Naravi village in Belthangady taluk of the Dakshin Kannada district, where posters calling for an election boycott appeared this week, the forest people are well-informed about government schemes like the NREGA or the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. The region is among the few in Karnataka where pre-poll carrots— money, booze and other entrapments—hold little weight. While police officials say the Naxals visit homes in the villages and ask people to fight for their rights, the forest people deny it. “They come late at night when there are no policemen around. But they only ask for food or a place to rest. They don’t do any sermonising,” says 75-year-old Ramappa Poojary from Idu village at whose home two women, Hajima and Parvati, were gunned down by police and a third Yashodha was arrested in 2003. The Poojarys say they are not going to heed the Naxal call to boycott the elections. “People are caught between the police and the Naxals,” said a Naravi panchayat official. The Kudremukh National Park Virudhi Horata and allied groups decided on May 14 to ask the tribal people to exercise their franchise in favour of the Congress candidate and former Karnataka law minister D.B. Chandregowda. The BJP candidate, D.N. Jeevaraj, has reacted by calling the Congress Naxal sympathisers. “Four innocent adivasis were killed by the police of the JDS-BJP government last July at Menasinahadya. The Congress is willing to listen us,” says Vittal Hegde. (Indian Express 17/5/08)

Maoists’ latest target:Andhra-Orissa border (12) Hyderabad, May 22: The Naxal movement in Andhra Pradesh is diminishing slowly, but the Maoists are striking with a vengeance on the Andhra-Orissa border. These are not well-planned attacks on police stations or government machinery, but cold-blooded killings of former sympathisers or anyone they don’t like. The Maoists’ general refrain is that they were police informers and hence, the execution. However, anti-Naxal squads of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa claim that 95 per cent of the people killed by the Maoists, especially on the Andhra-Orissa border, were innocent. In the last four months, at least 12 such killings have been reported on the border. “They are neither police informers nor did they fall out with the Maoists. Their fault was someone didn’t like them. Most of them have no connection either with the Maoists or police. At times, they are simply picked up and shot dead for no reason at all,” an officer posted with anti-Maoist cell said. The murder of former cricketer Rajendra Sahu at Gothalpadar village in Rayagada district of Orissa on May 16 is one such instance. Police inspector Indramani Behera of Gunupur police station, where the case was registered, said Sahu’s only mistake could be that he was seen talking to some Congress party workers in the village. “It is a lie that he was a police informer. Police wouldn’t even think of using him as an informer, as his father was killed by Maoists in 2002

on the same pretext. From my investigation I conclude that he was seen with political workers; someone didn’t like that and he paid the price,” Behera said. Rayagada district Superintendent of Police Ashish Kumar Singh added: “In the last eight months there have been several such killings in border areas touching Visakhapatanam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh. Notes left behind by the killers claim that they were police informants, which is absolutely false. They were killed for other reasons. In two instances in Rayagada district, people were killed at random because the fear of Maoists was waning in that particular area.” The killings are occurring in the border areas spread over Khammam, Vizag, Vizianagaram and East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh and Malkangiri, Koratpat, Gajapati, Rayagada and Ganjam districts of Orissa. With very few areas left under their influence on the Andhra-Orissa border, the Maoists have started eliminating former sympathisers and their friends, suspecting them to be police informers. “They are killing their own people. Some of them don’t even hold any position in their organisational set-up, but because they are in the know of things, they are eliminated for fear that they might inform the police,” said an officer with AP police’s Special Intelligence Branch. While the Maoists’ tactics have created an atmosphere of terror and suspicion in the border areas, inside Andhra Pradesh, the Maoists have dug their own grave by resorting to such tactics. In 2003, after the Maoists killed 13 persons in a single day and nine the following day in Nizamabad district, accusing them of being police informers, the entire tribal and scheduled caste population on whom the Naxals depended for help, turned against them. “In fact, a few months after this incident, the Maoists were totally wiped out of the area because they didn’t have local support. That district is now off the Naxal map,” an official said. On the Andhra side, the Naxal movement is still present in Vizag, Vizianagaram, East Godavari and Khammam districts. Vizag and Khammam continue to witness violent attacks and random killings. Police officers said that the border area was more prone to random killings because of the contiguous hilly terrain on both sides of the border. (Indian Express 23/5/08)

Maoists protest encounter, call 3-day bandh in Malk angiri (12) Malkangiri : Maoists called a three-day dawn-to-dusk bandh in Malkangiri district under the South-Western Police Range of Orissa from Thursday in protest against the killing of their two leaders on May 16 by the Special Operation Group jawans. Roads in Motu, Kalimela, Beijingguda, MV-79, MV-99, Balimela, Chitrakonda, MV-70 and several other major locations of the districts wore deserted look with local people preferring to stay indoors fearing landmine blasts and grenade attacks by rebels. Maoists pasted posters and distributed leaflets asking the locals to support the bandh and remain indoors. "The May 16 police encounter was illegal and unconstitutional," said a poster pasted in the Motu area, according to highly placed police sources. The poster further slammed the police excesses on their cadre and the combing operations being jointly carried by the State police and CRPF jawans under the elite Special Operation Group. "The outlawed rebels have blocked roads to Kalimela, Chitrakonda, Orkel and several other block headquarters protesting killing of their two comrades," Malkangiri SP Satish K Gajbhiye told The Pioneer. It may be recalled that a joint team of the SOG jawans and district police raided a training camp of the ultras in the forest of Tamkelguda, about 110 km from Malkangiri districts headquarters town, and gunned down two rebels after an hour-long fierce gun battle while the rest managed to escape. Later two rifles, a grenade and a kit bag were recovered from the site. Meanwhile, the police have seized a landmine near MV-66 on Kakarkonda- Compakonda. The mine camourflaged ina tiffin box was attached to sic bamboos. SDPO Sanjjev Arora and RI Sarat Mishra hand led the police team that recovered the mine. Police parties have cleared the Malkangiri- Motu- Orkel road. However, Malakangiri- Chitrakonda road is yet to be cleared. (Pioneer 23/5/08)

Three shot dead by Maoists in Gumla district of Jha rkhand (12) Gumla: Three persons were shot dead on Wednesday and another was seriously wounded by armed Maoist rebels at Kotam village in Jharkhand’s Gumla district. Two brothers, identified as Nijamul Ansari (16) and Ajmul Ansari (25), were among the dead, according to Superintendent of Police Baljit. The third victim was Mahesh Mahto, he said and added that one Karampal Munda was injured. Munda had been to a shop, owned by the Ansaris, to purchase rice when six Maoists came and opened fire. Police suspect extortion could be the motive behind the shooting. In another incident, suspected Maoist rebels snatched Rs.5.5 crore in cash and gold of a bank during transport at Tamur, also in Jharkhand. — PTI (The Hindu 22/5/08)

State hardens stand on naxalites (12) BHUBANESWAR: Hardening its stand on naxalite-related violence, Orissa government did not

withdraw any case against naxalites although it had earlier announced not to press charges against 156 persons who were alleged to be involved in left wing extremists’ violence. Replying to an application through RTI, Home Department said no case had been withdrawn against naxalites. The department said the naxalites those wanted to return to mainstream could come through surrender scheme prepared by the State government. In September 2004, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared that after reviewing extremist related cases, it was decided to withdraw prosecution and not to press charges against 156 persons in 34 cases. The decision was part of State government’s effort to find a solution to extremist related problems by initiating a dialogue with the extremist groups without any pre-conditions. Human rights activist, Biswapriya Kanungo, who sought the information, said the State government exhibited discriminatory approach on treating criminal cases. “While State government showed a second thought on naxalite related case, it had promptly withdrawn seven petty criminal cases against sitting members of Legislative Assembly,” Mr. Kanungo said. (The Hindu 25/5/08)

Maoists gun down BJD leader (12) BERHAMPUR: A lawyer, Prabir Kumar Mohanty, who was also secretary of the district unit of the BJD, was shot dead by Maoists in Malkangiri district of south Orissa in the wee hours of Tuesday. The body was found near MPV-127 village in the morning. Four armed Maoists were involved in the killing of Mohanty who was a resident of MV-79 village, said Malkangiri Superintendent of Police, Satish Gajbhiye. The Maoists killed him after calling him out for a ‘discussion’ in the nearby forest. He was shot from close range. The extremists left the body near MPV-127 village, four km from MV-79. In letter left near the body, the Maoists said they killed him because he was a supporter of the Sangh Parivar and ‘exploiter’ of women and tribals. According to the Superintendent of Police, the slain lawyer was defence counsel for arrested Maoists in several cases. Although he was a member of the BJD, he was active in RSS. There were also allegations that he had relationship with a tribal girl although he was married. This apparently made it easy for the Maoists to brand him an exploiter. According to Mr. Gajbhiye, Mr. Mohanty was playing with fire due to his relationship with the Maoists as counsel. The Maoists seem to have thrown a challenge at the ruling alliance in the State through the murder of the BJD district secretary. Two party observers of the BJD -- Balakrushna Ratha and Ramesh Majhi -- were at Malkangiri town since Monday to monitor the planning for the coming panchayat polls. Following the killing, the inter-state border with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in Malkangiri has been sealed and combing has been intensified to nab the naxals involved in the killing. (the Hindu 28/5/08)

Maoist writ: Death for police informers (12) Dhanbad : Apparently shaken over the arrest of a series of top-level leaders in Bihar and Jharkhand, the backbone of the Maoist organisation --- the Krantikari Kisan Committee (KKC) has sounded the death sentence for police informers. Issuing direct orders of elimination of all such suspected police informers, the KKC leadership has begun to tighten its grip in the entire coal-belt and neighbouring region. It is now being adhered to all the more vehemently after the arrest of politburo member Pramod Mishra alias Ban Bihari in Dhanbad recently. It may be noted that the Lal Dasta (red Squad) of the CPI (Maoist) acts solely on the orders and requisitions placed by the KKC in all the areas of its control. And understanding well the fact that the KKC actually runs the Maoist diktat all over, it is only when the KKC rules that direct coercive action is required, that the armed Lal Dasta comes in to execute the particular task. The last week's killing at Nawadih in Bokaro district was the first step in this regard.Sources close to the organisation confirmed that efforts to identify all potential threats to the top level and active cadres have been initiated by the KKC. "The move is to pick out the police informers who can get the organisation's important cadres arrested or snared in ambushes," said reliable sources close to the core faction of KKC in Topchanchi area. "Even the suspected informers will have a fair chance to defend themselves as a Jan Adalat would be called for it and only then the death sentence would be announced and executed," added sources. Likewise, sources justified that the killing of Ramashankar Mahto at Gorga village under Barwadda police station was an execution of the decision taken by the leadership in the KKC. In the recent past, KKC had ordered the elimination of village chowkidars (rural policemen) as they were held directly responsible for the multiple police raids on Maoists bunkers besides identification of some top-level cadres and their hideouts. Similar has been the fate of those who chose to fall out of the Maoist set up and hobnobbed with the police. In the coal belt and Chhotanagpur region itself, more than 15 chowkidars have been killed till date and many have deserted their homes to take refuge in police stations simply out of fear. (Pioneer 28/5/08)

Patil calls for holistic development of infrastruct ure to counter Maoists (12) New Delhi : Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to

review the implementation of the development schemes in Maoist-affected areas and emphasised holistic development of critical infrastructure to counter the ultra-Left menace. During the in-depth analysis of development programmes in 33 districts in eight States affected by Maoist violence, Patil urged the implementing departments to identify area-specific solutions, keeping in view the problems of difficulty of terrain and accessibility of some locations in the areas affected by Maoists. The Minister also stressed upon the need for faster development in Maoist-hit districts as part of the holistic approach to take the fruits of development to the people. The two-hour meeting was attended by senior representatives of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Health and Family Welfare, Communications and Power. Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, Special Secretary (Internal Security) ML Kumawat and Joint Secretary (Maoist Management) Vinay Kumar were also present at the meeting, which felt that there should be a holistic approach to deal with the menace that poses the single greatest threat to internal security. As absence of better connectivity in the affected areas added to the problem, Patil emphasised on laying of rural roads and suggested that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna should be fully utilised. The monitoring of the rural road scheme should be done strictly, he said and added that the task should be done in a time-bound manner. Since housing was another major problem in the Maoist-hit areas, it was felt that the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) should be given more priority. For better telecommunication in areas prone to Maoist attacks, it was suggested that the premises used by Central para-military forces and police stations could be used for setting up communication towers. Identifying shortage of electricity as yet another problem, Patil said that non-conventional sources of energy, particularly bio-fuel, should be tapped to generate power. Concerned over the growing Left wing extremism, which claimed nearly 700 lives last year, the Centre has formulated a Rs 500 crore plan which envisages provision for critical needs, specific to areas and districts where holistic anti-Maoist measures are being taken up in a focused manner. Financial assistance is also provided to the affected States for combating Maoism under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE). Modernisation of the State police forces is also stressed upon under the scheme. The scheme also aims at providing critical mobility to the police by upgrading existing roads and tracks in inaccessible areas and securing camping grounds and helipads at strategic locations in remote and interior areas. (Pioneer 29/5/08)

Salwa Judum leader among 3 killed in Bastar (12) RAIPUR: : Suspected Maoist rebels killed a Salwa Judum leader and two elected panchayat members. The bodies were found on Monday near a village on the Amapalli-Ilmchi road in the Naxalite infested Bijapur district of the tribal Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. Bijapur zila panchayat member Burka Samaiyah—also the district Salwa Judum movement leader, Usur Janpad panchayat member B Gajendra and Musunda gram panchayat member Durgam Janardhan had left for Jagdalpur two days ago, but did not reach the district headquarters. A schoolteacher saw three bodies lying on the Amapalli-Ilmchi road, which were identified as those of the panchayat members, police said. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. A complaint has been lodged with the Amapalli police. Police suspect that the panchayat members, including the Salwa Judum leader, were abducted and killed by Maoist rebels, who had left the bodies near the village. Meanwhile, security forces and Naxalites had an encounter near village Belgaon—12 km from Bairamgarh in Bijapur—killing a Maoist rebel on the spot. Police said the security forces have seized 10 kg of tiffin bombs and four hand grenades from the encounter spot. (Indian Express 1/7/08)

Maoists blow up house of ‘informer’ (12) Gaya: Continuing their terror tactic, the underground CPI (Maoist) rebels have blown up house of a suspected police informer and kidnapped his brother in Bihar’s naxalite-hit Gaya district. Police said on Monday nearly 100 guerrillas of the banned organisation blew up the house of one Shivbachan Yadav at Pater Mangrama village with dynamites and kidnapped his brother Bindeshwar Yadav late on Sunday night. Shivbachan was not present there at the time of attack. The Maoists herded other members of the family out of the house before blasting it with dynamites, they said. (The Hindu 1/7/08)

40 Maoists attack village in Orissa (12) Bhubaneswar: July 1: As the police and soldiers search the remote ravines in south Orissa for dozens of elite anti-insurgency officers feared dead after suspected Maoists attacked and sank their boat in the Balimela reservoir, the rebels attacked Rebana village in Keonjhar district on Monday night. Around 40 heavily armed Maoists entered the village and attacked the house of Kumbha Mahanta. Two members of Kumbha’s family were seriously injured in the attack. They have been rushed to the district headquarter hospital. Before leaving the village, the Maoists

reportedly warned the villagers not to grab land of poor tribals. On June 10, at least 10 armed Maoists had swooped on the office of a non-governmental organisation at Anlapal village and completely destroyed the establishment. Sources said that although the attack was not severe, it was intended to serve as a warning to the local people and organisations not to help the police. Monday’s place of attack is the entry point of mineral rich Keonjhar district. This is the second time that the rebels displayed their existence on the eastern part of the district, which borders the country’s upcoming steel hub Kalinga Nagar. (Asian Age 2/7/08)

Naxals now active in 22 states: report (12) New Delhi, July 3: The growing strength of Naxal groups has emboldened them so much that they are harbouring ambitions of controlling more than a third of India's territories in the next two years, a latest intelligence report has said. Basing its information on literature and pamphlets seized by the security forces in anti-Naxal operations, and also on interrogation of arrested guerillas, the intelligence report says the Naxal groups are aiming to liberate and control 35 per cent of India's land by the end of 2009, Home Ministry sources said. In a fresh assessment of the Naxalite movement in the country, the report points out that ultra-Left groups having faith in Maoist ideologies have spread their activities to as many as 22 out of 28 states in the country, including states that were earlier not known to have any Naxal links like Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. As many as 39 Left-wing extremist groups are currently operating in the country with a combined membership of more than a lakh. Not all of them are violent though. CPI (Maoists) alone account for more than 90 per cent of violent incidents. Though separate outfits, most of these Naxalite groups have common modus operandi, especially when it comes to dealing with Government and security forces. They see police and security forces just as major suppliers of weapons, the report, which was recently presented to the Home Ministry, points out. Hence the high frequency of attacks on police stations and security camps to loot firearms. The security forces seized a number of pamphlets and booklets that urged the members to take up the cause of the local population and fight for them as endearing themselves to the local population was extremely vital for their own survival. Identifying under-development as the primary reason for the spread of Naxalism, the intelligence report also documents factors which led to Chhattisgarh becoming the nerve-centre of Naxal activities. The state lies low on a number of development indices. Nearly 40 per cent of the population lives below poverty line, infant mortality is as high as 86 per thousand, 68 per cent do not have access to electricity and nearly half the population is devoid of drinking water at home. No wonder then that Chhattisgarh has emerged as the breeding ground for Naxal groups, the report says. The report recommends more powers and facilities for police forces, and better coordination among security forces but goes on to say that military efforts alone would not be able to succeed against Naxalites. It has to be ably supplemented by developmental initiatives, it says. (Indian Express 4/7/08)

Salwa Judum forced into a huddle, Naxals consolidat e (12) Raipur: With an average of one killing a day in the tribal Bastar region over the past three years, sabotage of vital infrastructure and spread to urban areas, the Naxals are gradually turning Chhattisgarh into the epicentre of their agitation. Maoist rebels have their presence in 12 out of the state’s 18 districts and Naxalite cadres are active in Bastar region in the south, bordering Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, and Sarguja region in the north, neighbouring Jharkhand. Intelligence inputs indicate that there are about 8,000 to 10,000 active Naxal cadres in these districts, besides a large number of sympathisers. Official estimates indicate that around 1,000-odd people, including more than 350 security personnel, have lost their lives in Bastar alone — the hotbed of Naxal activities, since 2005, when a group of locals launched the Salwa Judum movement from a village here. Salwa Judum had the open support of the BJP Government and a section of the opposition Congress, led by tribal leader Mahendra Karma. The controversial campaign spread from one village to other and the Maoist rebels retaliated by unleashing violence, targeting security forces and killing locals for participating in rallies and public meetings. More than 50,000 people deserted villages and took shelter in 23 relief camps set up by the state Government in South Bastar. The rebels even targeted relief camps at many places. One of the biggest attacks was in Rani Bodli in South Bastar on March 16 last year, when the Maoist military wing, Peoples Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), killed 55 security personnel, including 39 local youths hired as Special Police Officers. Since then the Salwa Judum seems on the verge of petering out — nearly 800 villages still lie abandoned, with residents too scared to return back — while the Maoists are going from strength to strength. For the first time during the peak summer season last year, they targeted vital infrastructure in a change of strategy, blowing

up high-tension power transmission lines and plunging the entire tribal region into darkness for about 12 days. Following the spurt in the Naxalite violence, the state Government had formulated the controversial “Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005” and banned CPI (Maoist) and its five frontal organisations. Human rights organisations have termed this law as draconian, arguing that it has become a potential instrument to throttle right to free speech and legitimate dissent. (Indian Express 9/7/08)

JD(U) MLA, four others killed by Maoists in Jharkha nd (12) Ranchi, July 9: In a bloody attack, CPI(Maoist) guerrillas shot dead a JD(U) MLA and two of his bodyguards, as well as two students, on Wednesday afternoon near Bundu, located along the busy Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway. The incident took place inside the hall of the S S School, just two km from the Bundu police station. As the news spread, shops and market complexes downed shutters throughout the day. Ex-minister Ramesh Singh Munda, 54, and his three bodyguards — Shiv Nath Minz, Shesh Nath Singh and Khursheed Anwar — had gathered under a pandal along with students and teachers to participate in a function organised by the school to felicitate students who had recently secured first division marks. Incidentally, the school falls in the Tamar (ST) Reserve Assembly constituency, which Munda, who was the chief guest, had represented twice since 2000. Relating the sequence of events, the school’s principal Umesh Dangi said that due to rain, the programme was shifted inside, but before it could recommence, a shabbily dressed man with a flowing beard and hair started screaming in the hall and was eventually driven out. “Soon, two armed extremists entered the school from the main gate. After shooting down Anwar, who stood at the gate with a gun, they started firing indiscriminately. And as the bodyguards fell on the ground, the attackers collected the guns of the deceased men and walked off,” said Dangi. While Munda, Minz, Anwar and two students, who are yet to be identified, died on the spot, Shesh Nath Singh managed to flee the scene. Dangi who was with Munda when the Maoists opened fire told the police that he had watched the bullets hit the politician’s forehead, chest and ribs. The bodies were taken to the state Government-run RIMS hospital for post-mortem. In his confidential report to the DGP in 2006, additional DGP R C Kaithal as IG(CID) had revealed that Munda was on the hit list of the Maoists because he had not paid half of the amount he had promised them in lieu of securing their support during the Assembly polls in 2005. When asked, DIG R K Mallick told The Indian Express that investigations have started. “The combing operations have begun, but since Bundu and Tamar are surrounded by dense forests and hills across, the security forces were finding it difficult to scan the area,” he said. In addition, Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Avinash Kumar and SSP M S Bhatia were camping at the site and reportedly supervising the search operation. By Wednesday evening, a company of the security forces was ‘actively deployed’ at the school and the state Government’s chopper, Dhruv, was pressed into service to facilitate combing operations, said a highly placed source in the police. No arrests have been made so far. (Indian Express 10/7/08)

Maoists blast rail tracks in Bihar (12) Patna : Two days after the broad daylight killing of JD(U) MLA of Tamar in Jharkhand Ramesh Singh Munda, Maoists struck in bordering areas of Bihar in the wee hours of Friday and blew up railway tracks as well as the Block Development Office in Jamui district. Movement of nearly half-a-dozen trains were disrupted on the affected route. Protesting arrest of their leader Kamlesh alias Deepak, the Maoists blew the railway tracks between Narganjo and Ghorparan stations on the Patna-Howrah route under Eastern Railway. Besides, they also exploded the tracks near Ghoghi-Bariarpur village on Jamalpur-Kiul on Jamalpur-Kiul section in the neighbouring Munger district and disrupted the railway traffic for sometime. An explosive planted on the down track, however, could not explode and was later defused, said the railway officials. Nearly half-a-dozen trains, including Howrah-Delhi Lalquila Express and Gorakhpur-Hatia Maurya Express, were stranded at Jhajha and Jasidih stations due to the twin blasts. In a second incident, the Maoists blasted Block Development Office (BDO) in Lakshmipur of Jamui district. They also triggered dynamite explosions on the Lakshmipur police station and damaged a portion of the building. However, there was no human casualty as they were forced to make a retreat by the alert Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) and district police jawans, said the Jamui SP, Vinay Kumar. "Reinforcement has been made to the spot and a massive combing operation is on to nab the Maoists," said the SP. Recently, the Maoists had stepped up their activities in the affected areas of both Jharkhand and Bihar. Two days back they had gunned down JD(U) MLA Ramesh Singh Munda along with three others in Bundu in Jharkhand. Earlier, they killed a DSP in the same area in a landmine blast. The killing of JD(U) MLA had been condemned by one and all as he was one of the most popular leaders of the area. The Maoists had called a 12-hour bandh in five districts

of eastern Bihar-- Jamui, Munger, Bhagalpur, Lakhisarai and Banka to protest the arrest and alleged custodial torture of their leader and area commander Kamlesh alias Deepak. The alleged Maoists leader was arrested on July 6. (Pioneer 12/7/08)

C’garh plans ‘credit shops’ in Naxal strongholds (1 2) Raipur, July 23: The Chhattisgarh Government is contemplating opening ‘credit shops’ in the Naxalite-infested areas of Dantewada and Bijapur in South Bastar so that the tribals there can get a month’s credit on purchase of food grains and other items from fair price shops. The issue came up during the Salwa Judum review meeting, held at Bastar divisional headquarters at Jagdalpur on Wednesday evening. This was the first review meeting of the anti-Naxalite movement which started in June 2005. Salwa Judum leaders who attended the meeting expressed serious concern over security arrangements, pointing out that incidents of Maoist attack on anti-Naxalite campaign activists had increased. They also aired their grievances about the inadequate health facilities in the 23 relief camps, where more than 56,000 people have taken shelter following the spurt in Naxalite violence in South Bastar, stating that a large number of people in these camps were suffering from various ailments. Moreover, there were also complaints that the state Government was not making any arrangements to provide employment to the people in the area. Sources said it was brought to the notice of the administration that fair price shops under the Public Distribution System (PDS) have proved ineffective in the strife-torn areas of Dantewada and Bijapur as local tribals did not have money to buy food grains and other items from these shops. An official spokesman said it has now been decided to conduct similar district-level review meetings on a regular basis to regularly monitor and find solutions to the problems being faced by the people in the affected areas. Besides, it was also decided to conduct regular health camps at all the relief camps. Sources said Wednesday’s review meeting was organised following a directive from Chief Minister Raman Singh. Minister of State for Public Health Engineering (PHE) Kedar Kashyap, who is the minister in charge of Dantewada, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) and other senior officials were among those who attended the meeting. (Indian Express 24/7/08)

EC survey on to include Salwa Judum camp inmates in electoral rolls (12) Raipur, July 15: Election authorities in Chhattisgarh are carrying out a detailed survey of the tribal population taking shelter in Salwa Judum relief camps in Naxalite-infested Dantewada and Bijapur districts of Bastar region in the state. "We have asked the district collectors of Dantewada and Bijapur to carry out a detailed survey and find out which village the tribals belong to and whether their names figure in the electoral rolls in their respective areas," the state chief electoral officer Alok Shukla said. He told The Indian Express that once the basic data about the voters in the 23 relief camps spread over both the districts are available, a decision can be taken about the arrangements to be made to enable them to exercise their franchise in the Assembly elections scheduled to be held by the year end. "The options are open. As usual, polling stations can be set up in their respective villages or additional polling booths can be established at the relief camps," he said, adding that all would depend upon the "wish" of the voters in the relief camps. Shukla said the preparations of photo electoral rolls are in full swing throughout the state and its final publication would be done by August 30. He said, at present, the state has about 15 million voters and the average annual increase in the number of voters is about two per cent. According to official figures, as many as 56,675 people belonging to 459 villages in Maoist-infested south Bastar region have taken shelter in 23 relief camps set up by the state Government in Dantewada and Bijapur districts. All these relief camps are heavily guarded by the police and paramilitary forces in view of the incidents of Maoist attack on these camps. These tribals had deserted their native villages following the threat from Naxalites who had stepped up violence in the region following the launch of "Salwa Judum", an anti-Naxalite movement in the area in June 2005. Besides, a large number of people from these areas have also fled to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh over the past three years of armed conflict and bloodshed in south Bastar. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ajit Jogi said it would be better if the state's Assembly polls were held in phases, one separately in the Naxalite areas in view of the prevailing situation.(Indian Express 16/7/08)

Maoists kill 20 policemen (12) BHUBANESWAR: Left-wing extremists struck again in Orissa’s Malkangiri district on Wednesday evening killing at least 20 policemen. They triggerred a powerful landmine blast. “Nearly 20 policemen have been killed in the attack,” Director-General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda told The Hindu over the phone. This was the second major Maoist strike in the district in less than 20

days. As many as 38 people were killed when a boat carrying Greyhound personnel from Andhra Pradesh was ambushed in the Chitrakonda reservoir on June 29. The landmine blast occurred at 4 p.m. in the MV-126 area when an anti-landmine van carrying the police team was returning to the district headquarters town of Malkangiri. They had gone to MPV-41 village, where a contractor’s house was attacked by Maoists on Tuesday night. According to sources, 29 policemen were in the party that visited MPV-41 village. While a majority of them were in the vehicle, the remaining were on motorcycles. Soon after causing the blast, the Maoists, hiding in the nearby forest, fired at the policemen. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condemned the Maoist attack and condoled the death of the policemen. The government announced a compassionate grant of Rs.4 lakh and insurance cover of Rs.10 lakh each to the families of the victims. (The Hindu 17/7/08)

HRW report critical of salwa judum (12) New Delhi: July 15: A report released by an international human rights organisation has held the Maoists as well as the security forces responsible for widespread human rights violations in Chhattisgarh, which, it says, is virtually under siege due to the clashes. "Neither the government nor the Naxalites leave any room for civilian neutrality. Seeking protection from one side leaves an area’s inhabitants at the risk of attack by the other," says the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report titled "Being neutral is our biggest crime: Government, vigilante and Naxalite abuses in India’s Chhattishgarh".The report says that the Centre as well as the Chhattisgarh government should hold security forces and state-backed vigilantes accountable for attacking, killing and forcibly displacing thousands of people in armed operations against the Maoist rebels. Describing salwa judum as a state-supported vigilante group meant to counter the Naxalites, the report says that its members have, with the active support of security forces, conducted violent raids on hundreds of villages suspected of being pro-Naxalite, killed and raped villagers, burnt down huts, forcibly recruited civilians for its vigilante activities and relocated tens of thousands of people to government-run camps. "They attacked villagers who refused to participate or left the camps," it said, explaining that the Naxalites have only retaliated against this aggressive government-supported campaign by attacking residents of these camps and abducting and executing individuals they identified as salwa judum leaders or supporters, police informers or camp residents appointed as auxiliary police, it said. "The HRW calls for an end to all government support for unlawful activities by the salwa judum vigilantes, and urges the affected state governments to take measures to protect the tens of thousands of displaced people," it said. Reacting to the report, the Union home ministry said that India is a thriving democracy and has adequate institutional mechanism to ensure that human rights of its citizens are protected. "It has an independent judiciary, free media and commissions at the national and state levels to promote and protect human rights," an MHA spokesman said. (Asian Age 16/7/08)

Maoists shifting bases from Chhattisgarh to Orissa (12) RAIPUR: Maoists are shifting their bases from the forests of Chhattisgarh to neighbouring Orissa, officials said. "Due to heavy police build up in Chhattisgarh, Maoists who had been hiding in the Bastar region since early 1980s are relocating their bases to Orissa's Malkangiri forest," a police official said on condition of anonymity. Police officials posted in Dantewada and Bijapur districts of Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bastar region said latest intelligence reports indicated that many Maoist leaders had fled to Malkangiri. "The rebels' decision to look for a new forested haven seems to be to avoid surprise raids on their bases in the Abujhmad forest by security forces," an official said. Maoists have set up training centres, a research and development (R&D) unit, and several explosives manufacturing units in Abujhmad forest, spread across about 4,000 sq km in Bastar. The rebels run a de facto administration in Abujhmad forest, where many tribals reside, and government officials have never dared to enter the area in the past. However, in the last six months security forces backed by reinforcements in a 24-seater helicopter have stormed into the forest several times. "Since the Maoists are running away to other areas, the police and the government feel it is the right time to carry out more attacks against the rebels," a source in the police headquarters said. Chhattisgarh has not witnessed any major attack by Maoists in the past three months while the rebels killed 17 policemen in Malkangiri district of Orissa on Wednesday. (Times of India 19/7/08)

Orissa cops say they are being sacrificed in war ag ainst Naxals (12) Bhubaneswar, July 18: Two days after 17 Orissa policemen were ambushed and killed in Malkangiri district of Orissa, ground-level policemen in Malkangiri have raised the banner of revolt

against their seniors for making them “sacrificial lambs” in the hands of rebels. On Thursday, the jawans did not allow Deputy Inspector General of Police (south-western range) Sanjib Panda and District Superintendent of Police Satish Gajbhiye to pay homage to the killed policemen. As Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday spoke of strengthening intelligence and training for the policemen, large sections of the cops say the government is only mouthing platitudes. Secretary of Orissa Havildar and Constable Mahasangh Sawarmal Sharma said after the Malkangiri attack that a feeling is slowly growing among the jawans that they are the ones who will die in the war with Maoists. “Our morale is surely low. Why is the government not sending an IG-level police officer to Malkangiri permanently for overseeing the battle against the Maoists? Why should the SOG unit not be transferred to Malkangiri from Bhubaneswar,” he asked. Sharma said the current procedure of transferring a police official to a non-Maoist posting after three years of service in a Maoist area was not being followed properly. “Reserve inspector Sarat Mishra, who was killed in the landmine blast, was due for transfer to Bhubaneswar as head of the Special Operation Group unit. But he could not be relieved for three months as nobody was ready to come here. Similarly, in 2006, Motu police station in-charge Durga Madhab Mishra was shot dead by the Maoists. He was also transferred, but could not be relieved as no one was ready to come in his place,” he said. The junior policemen said that the special intelligence wing of the State police, formed to keep track of Maoist activities, has failed completely, which was leading to large-scale casualties in the lower-level police force. “Without any intelligence inputs, police are being deployed, making them sitting ducks,” he said. Another problem faced by the lower-level policemen is the constant apprehension of danger to the lives of their near and dear ones. “The police stations may have been fortified, but what about the residential quarters,” he asked. “The Government guideline that a cop posted in a Maoist area can retain Government accommodation in Bhubaneswar or Cuttack to keep his family is not being followed. How can a cop fight with the Maoists in these circumstances?” (Indian Express 19/7/08)

Remote Bastar Judum relief camp hit by ailments (12 ) Raipur I July 20: Diseases have struck an anti-Naxal Salwa Judum relief camp at the south Bastar region of Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh. A large number of tribals are suffering from viral fever, malaria, diarrhoea and skin ailments at the remote Jagargunda camp — the only one among 23 such camps where even food supplies have to be airlifted owing to security reasons. Security personnel who returned from duty at the camp informed the authorities about the health ailments being faced by the 2,700 inmates living there. “Some 400 children are the worst-affected. Almost all of them are suffering from skin diseases such as itching, fungal infections and lesions. There is a shortage of common medicines and even soaps,” said sources in the police, adding that “MBBS doctors seldom visit this camp apparently due to security concerns”. Dantewada district collector S P Sori, too, admitted, “Jagargunda is different from other camps in the sense that it is not easily accessible. Sori told The Indian Express that an ayurvedic doctor regularly visited the camp and two trained health workers were also available there. “Adequate stock of medicines and essentials such as soaps and oil are supplied whenever a helicopter is available,” he said, adding, “Despite problems, steps are being taken to provide necessary healthcare facilities at the camp.” Tribals belonging to the nearby villages have been given shelter at the camp in Jagargunda sub-tehsil, which is around 130 km from the Dantewada district headquarters. Road access to the area has been a challenge in view of the possibility of Maoist ambushes and landmine explosions. On many occasions in the past three years, food stocks exhausted at the camp. Three months ago, 10 truckloads of food stock that were sent to Jagargunda from Dornapal, under heavy escort of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), took almost two days to cover a distance of 70 km safely. According to official figures, as many as 56,675 people belonging to 459 villages are living in the 23 relief camps set up in Naxalite-infested Dantewada and Bijapur districts in Bastar ever since they deserted their native villages following threats from Maoists three years ago. The trouble began in June 2005 when locals launched Salwa Judum, a movement against the Naxalites, aimed at urging people to stay away from Maoists and also to isolate the rebels in the villages. The Naxalites retaliated by unleashing violence against those participating in Judum meetings, forcing them to seek shelter in these camps. (Indian Express 21/7/08)

Naxal group attacks Nabard offices in Kerala (12) Thiruvananthapuram:: Nabard offices were attacked in Kannur and Kalpetta in north Kerala by CPI (ML) Naxalbari, a fringe outfit, on Friday morning. A group of Naxalbari activists trooped into the office-cum-residence of Nabard assistant general manager V Marshal in Kalpetta. They threatened him at knife point and damaged office property. They also set several documents on fire before fleeing the scene. Police have recovered a pamphlet, which asks Nabard to stop

harassment of farmers. A similar attack was carried out in Kannur. Assailants stormed into the office-cum-residence of assistant general manager Premkumar shouting slogans against Nabard and vandalized the office. Lately, Nabard has come under fire after several farmers were left out of the debt relief scheme announced by the Centre. (Indian Express 26/7/08)

Maoists observe ‘martyrs week’, Orissa on alert (12 ) Bhubaneswar, July 28: With Maoists observing “martyrs’ week” starting Monday, personnel of the Special Operations Group aided by the Central Reserve Police Force and state Police have intensified combing operations, particularly in Malkangiri in the south and Sundargarh in the north. Senior police officials said adequate security measures have been taken to thwart any Maoist attack. “We are using two-wheelers for combing operations and trying to be tactical,” said a senior intelligence official. The last Maoist attack on July 16 killed 17 policemen in a powerful blast that ripped apart the Mine Protected Vehicle in Malkangiri. Combing has been intensified in Motu, Chitrakonda, Balimela, Kalimela, MV-79, MV-126, MV-99 and several other areas of Malkangiri. Police stations in districts bordering Chhatisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand too are on high alert.The Maoists, who are on a high after two back-to-back successful attacks against the security forces, are said to have distributed leaflets in Malkangiri alleging fake police encounter while highlighting contribution of their cadres killed by the securitymen. Meanwhile, the Orissa Government has decided to recruit 2,000 tribal youths as Special Police Officers (SPOs) to combat the prolonged insurgency. The SPOs, with a monthly remuneration of Rs 4,500, would assist security forces in South-Western (Sunabeda), Southern (Berhampur), Western (Rourkela), Northern (Sambalpur) and North-Central (Talcher) police ranges of Orissa. Though the local police are likely to train the youths, it is not decided whether they would be armed like their Chhatisgarh counterparts. A senior police official said that since the state forces often lacked knowledge of roads and villages in the area, the SPOs from the tribal villages would be big help in conducting combing operations. Around 1,500 retired defence service personnel and 5,000 constables, too, would be recruited to fill vacancies in the state police force. (Indian Express 29/7/08)

Naxalite movement has nothing to do with Mao’s tene ts: CM (12) KOLKATA, July 29 : The Communist Party of China doesn't approve of the Naxalite movement and what goes on in the name of Maoist struggle is not even remotely connected with the tenets of Mao Zedong, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI-M state secretary Mr Biman Bose insisted here today. They were speaking at an exhibition of photographs titled “Maoism ~ a new chapter in anarchy” being organised by Ganashakti, the CPI-M party organ. The chief minister said the CPC had initially hailed the Naxalite movement in the 1960s, but later Chou-En-Lai told some of the Naxalite leaders who met him that their path was totally wrong and had nothing to do with what Mao had taught. Mr Bose said he was privy to discussions during party-to-party contact between the CPI-M and the CPC, when Chinese leaders asked the former to “forgive and forget” the CPC's initial support of the Naxalite movement. “Even the Maoists of Nepal have eschewed the path of armed struggle and taken a positive decision to join democratic, parliamentary politics. But the Maoists of India are carrying out murders of individuals and police men in the name of Mao though they are devoid of political programmes, ideology and economic uplift of the poor,” Mr Bhattacharjee said. Some young journalists of the electronic media, the chief minister regretted, often go overboard in their reportage of Maoists activities because “they find adventure in it.” “But if they carefully examine facts they would realise there's no adventure in it. Even the print media often report killings of our party men by Maoists too casually. This is wrong,” he said. (Statesman 31/7/08)

Chhattisgarh Cong can't make up its mind on Salwar Judum (12) Raipur : Even as the People's movement known as Salwa Judum against the Maoists involves lakhs of people of insurgency hit Bastar region the Chhattisgarh Congress, the main opposition in the State Assembly, has failed to reach a consensus over its role on the issue. Differences once again cropped up over the issue between two leaders during a high level party meeting. Salwa Judum (peace march) prevailed at the coordination committee meeting of Congress called in Raipur to discus electoral strategy for coming State Assembly election due in November this year. Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and leader of opposition in the State Assembly Manhendra Karma party sources said got embroiled over the party's role in the said movement. Party insiders said Jogi felt that Congress should clear its stand on the issue and keep away from it Karma believed that the party should continue its support as Salwa Judum was against Maoists. Other Congress leaders owing allegiance to Jogi and Karma were also learnt to have joined the issue. (Pioneer

7/8/08)

Four Maoists killed in encounter (12) Raipur: The Chhattisgarh police have busted a naxalite camp and killed four Maoists in two incidents in Dantewada district, police said on Tuesday. One Maoist was killed on Tuesday near the Jagargunda area, about 550 km from here, in an encounter, anti-naxal operation chief Giridhari Nayak said. Police also raided a camp of Maoists in the Arlampalli area in Dornapal district on Monday evening and killed three naxalites, Mr. Nayak said. Police recovered rifles, detonators, uniforms and explosive materials from the camp, Mr. Nayak said. — PTI (The Hindu 13/8/08)

Maoists kill tribal (12) VISAKHAPATNAM: A Girijan was reportedly killed by CPI (Maoist) members at his native village Kondilovagondi in G. K. Veedhi mandal, bordering Koyyuru mandal at midnight on Thursday. The incident, which was yet to be confirmed by the police, coincided with the “black day” being observed by the Maoists on Friday. The victim was said to be P. Subba Rao and he was shot dead by a group of Maoists at around 12.30 a.m. (The Hindu 16/8/08)

Concern over branding of innocent as naxalites (12) BHUBANESWAR: Social activists, journalists and writers have raised concern that police are indiscriminately picking up people and branding them as naxalites. They assembled here on Sunday to lodge their protest against a statement made by Jagtsinghpur district superintendent of police who said at a press conference that ‘Nishan’, a literary magazine, was a publication of outlawed CPI (Maoist). The protest came close on the heels of recent arrest of some activists By the State police who said that they belonged to left wing extremist groups. “What was baffling was that police presented them as naxalite without conducting any investigation. (The Hindu 18/8/08)

Maoist fear keeps cops away from Bastar (12) Raipur : Despite transfer orders issued by the Police Establishment Board more than a month back, dozens of police officers have not joined their new posting in insurgency-hit Bastar due to fear of Maoists even as the Board itself cancelled transfers of some officers on 'merits'. Instead, the officers who were till recently posted in plain areas began using their political clout to get their transfers cancelled. "Basically those who have enjoyed postings in the plain and unaffected areas are trying all in their capacity to get their transfer cancelled," a top level officer said. As a result, many officers who have been working for very long period in the Bastar region are gradually losing patience, he added. Some 400 officers of all rank up to Deputy Superintendent level were transferred recently but the ones who were sent to Maoist-hit areas went on leave and began exerting all kinds of pressure for cancellation of their transfer. Interestingly while long-stay in the affected region is leading to "demotivation" among the officers, the police department is also helpless to post young officers by replacing the aged ones in anti-Maoist operation areas. "This is very bad that young officers at the lower rank are developing cold feet in moving to the Bastar region though most of the Superintendents of Police in the affected districts are young and performing very well," said another officer at police headquarter. It may noted that it was for the first time that the Police Establishment Board had effected the transfer order even ignoring the advices of the Home Department and politicians. Notably, the Board was established on the Apex Court directive. (Pioneer 19/8/08)

Encounter with Maoists: 8 killed (12) Gaya (Bihar), Aug. 21: Eight persons, including five special auxiliary police (SAP) personnel and an ASI, were killed and three others seriously injured in a heavy exchange of fire between the police and banned CPI (Maoist) activists at Raniganj here on Thursday. A police team rushed to the Raniganj branch of the Punjab National Bank in Gaya district after receiving information about armed men encircling the bank, deputy inspector-general (Magadh Range) Praveen Basistha said. When they reached the spot, the activists of the ultra-Left outfit started firing indiscriminately at the policemen, leading to the encounter, he said. While four SAP personnel died on the spot, another who sustained gunshot injuries was declared brought dead at the A.N. Medical College And Hospital here, Mr Basistha said. An assistant sub-inspector, a bank customer and a Naxalite were also killed in the heavy exchange of fire, he said. —PTI (Asian Age 22/6/08)

Orissa plans survey among tribals to tackle Maoist menace (12) Bhubaneswar (PTI): Worried over a large number of tribals in Orissa embracing left-wing

extremism which has helped Maoists to consolidate their ground, the Orissa government is contemplating a house-to-house survey to assess unemployment among tribal families. The tribal-dominated districts of the state like Sundergarh, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kandhamal have witnessed a spurt in Maoist activity which can be attributed to lack of employment among the youth leading to their feeling of isolation in society. The state's Chief Secretary, Ajit Kumar Tripathy, said that end of isolation among the tribal youth would bring down Maoist problems. Noting that of the state's 80 lakh families, a little over 22 per cent were tribals who remained a strong support base for the Maoists, he said the government had realised, though belatedly, that to tackle the spread of the Maoists, it had to take care of the 'misguided' youth. That the tribals gave support to the extremists was evident from the police's failure in nabbing a single Maoist involved in attack on Nayagarh on February 15. Though more than 500 Maoists executed the killing, loot and terror in Nayagarh, the police could not make a single arrest obviously because of the protection given by the tribals. However, it remained unclear why primary school teachers in the tribal-dominated districts had pro-Maoist leaning, even to the point of sympathising with them. (The Hindu 25/8/08)

Naxal violence claims 128 lives since 2004 (12) BHUBANESWAR: As many as 84 policemen lost their lives and 44 civilians were killed by left wing extremists on Orissa soil since Naveen Patnaik-led Government came to power for the second time in 2004. Presenting a year-wise figure on murder committed by naxalites in the State Assembly on Monday, Mr. Patnaik, who also held the Home Minister’s portfolio, said while only 12 policemen were killed from 2004 to 2007, this year saw the figure going up by astronomical 72. While CPI (Maoist) militants shot down 15 State policemen in Nayagarh on February 15, 36 greyhound personnel from Andhra Pradesh were ambushed in Balimela reservoir and 17 State policemen lost their lives as a landmine went off in Malkanagiri district during last 60 days. During the same period 44 civilians were also made target, of them eight were killed in western Orissa district of Sambalpur in 2005. Malkanagiri again emerged as the most naxal violence-hit district as far as reported deaths were concerned. Besides, five other government officials were also killed during last five year. While the violence was deteriorating with passing days, the State government remained silent as to how much money it had spent on security in view of naxal violence. Since 2000 the State government has received more than Rs. 251 crore towards modernization of its police force. In the meantime, the State, which had five districts identified to be naxalite-infested area in 2000, has now 10 districts where left wing extremists were active. Since 2001 different courts have convicted corrupt persons in only 10 out of 2143 cases registered by vigilance wing of State police. In a written reply, Mr. Patnaik told the Assembly that 12 persons were convicted while 19 were acquitted from January 2001 to March 2008. On an average, Vigilance wing has registered more than 250 cases every year leading up to total case of 2143. (The Hindu 26/8/08)

Top Naxal leaders surrender (12) NAGPUR:: A divisional committee member of the CPI (Maoist), Suresh Harami, surrendered before the Gadchiroli police along with a dalam commander, a deputy dalam commander and two dalam members on Tuesday. Suresh alias Jairam Harami, 42, joined the Naxal movement in the early ‘90s. Additional Director General of Police Pankaj Gupta pointed out that the surrender of such high-ranking Naxalites is a very significant developement. The surrendered cadres have reportedly told the police that they were tired of injustice by their higher-ups, who were imposing on them cadres from outside the state. “We will present their case for surrender benefits before the District Collector’s panel after due verification of further details,” said Gupta. He added that the surrendered cadres spoke of widespread resentment amongst local cadres against “unfair treatment”. “We are expecting more surrenders in future,” he said. With these, 298 Naxal cadres have so far surrendered in Gadchiroli (287) and Gondia (11) districts. Of these, three are dalam commanders. (Indian Express 27/8/08)

Cobra force will combat Naxalism (12) New Delhi: Aug. 28: The Centre has given its nod for raising a 10,000-strong special anti-Naxal force to combat the Maoist menace in the country. The nod to the Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (Cobra), which will be under the command and control of the CRPF, was given on Wednesday evening by the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Mr K. Durga Prasad, a 1981 batch IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh, who is credited with the success of the Andhra Greyhounds in carrying out anti-naxal operations, will take charge of the central force. Mr Prasad took over charge as inspector general, Special Armed Force at CRPF in Delhi in May this year. He was serving as ADG, Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh before

his posting at the CRPF headquarters in Delhi. CRPF officials said that Mr Prasad will use his expertise in handling anti-naxal operations and the Cobra personnel would be imparted special training in terrain and topography of their area of operation. The Cobra will be headquartered in the national capital region and will have battalion headquarters in every Naxal-affected state. "The home ministry has to decide where the SAF will be based and has to provide the necessary funds. It could be headquartered in Gurgaon, Noida or Ghaziabad," said a CRPF official. The force will in the meantime comprise of CRPF personnel already trained in anti-naxal operations till the process of recruitment and training of the fresh 10 battalions is completed. (Asian Age 29/8/08)

Election staff airlifted to remote Salwa Judum reli ef camp (12) Raipur, August 29: Even as the state is getting ready for Assembly polls, the staff involved in preparing photo identity cards has been airlifted to the anti-Naxal ‘Salwa Judum’ relief camp at Jagargunda, the most remote Maoist-infested village in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh. “A helicopter has been pressed into service to ferry the staff to Jagargunda to prepare photo identity cards for all eligible voters staying in the relief camp. The process is to be completed by tomorrow,” a spokesman of the state electoral office said. 23 other ‘Salwa Judum’ relief camps are spread over in Dantewada and Bijapur districts, where 56,675 tribals have taken shelter following threats from Maoist rebels. The Jagargunda relief camp, unlike the other ‘Salwa Judum’ camps, is a Maoist hotbed and not easily accessible. It is the only camp where even food supplies have to be airlifted by helicopters due to security reasons. This year, the administration also had to make a helicopter available to airlift school children, taking them to their public examination centres. Photo identity cards of people staying in other relief camps are also being prepared in full swing. Once this process is completed, election authorities will consider locations - depending on security issues- — where polling stations can be set up so that the inmates of 23 relief camps can exercise their franchise. (Indian Express 30/8/08)

Maoists shut down Dabur factory in Nepal (12) Kathmandu: Even as Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal sought more foreign investment and assured full security to industries, Maoists on Tuesday forced the closure of Indian ayurvedic giant Dabur’s subsidiary in Nepal. After stopping the Dabur-sponsored annual beauty pageant a few weeks ago, the Maoists-affiliated All Nepal Trade Union Federation Revolutionary on Monday forced shut, indefinitely, Dabur’s main factory in Bara district, 250 km south of Kathmandu. The union is demanding 10 per cent bonus for the workers and other benefits. The closure has jeopardised employment of over 700 people. The management’s approach to Labour Minister and Maoist leader Lekhraj Bhatta and ANTUFR’s president and lawmaker Shalikram Jamarkattel failed to yield any result. Addressing a meeting in Kathmandu, senior Maoist leader Khim Lal Devkota on Tuesday said: “It is futile to talk about industrial security until the workers’ rights and welfare are guaranteed.” — PTI (the Hindu 3/9/08)

Naxalites kill 5 securitymen in Chhattisgarh (12) Raipur, September 4: Five security personnel, including three CRPF jawans, were killed and five were injured on Thursday in a Naxalite attack in the forests near village Chunchuna Pundagh, close to the inter-state border with Jharkhand, in Sarguja district of North Chhattisgarh. The incident took place in the afternoon when Inspector General of Police (Sarguja Range) B S Maravi was on his way to a village, where the Maoists had killed a former rebel who had surrendered recently. Initial reports suggest that the Naxals triggered a landmine blast, targeting the senior police officer but it hit his escort vehicle. However, Director General of Police Vishwaranjan said the rebels ambushed the police and CRPF personnel, who were patrolling the area and started firing indiscriminately at the security personnel. Police patrol was intensified in the area following information that Naxalites had been moving around in the region. "In fact the security personnel had defused a powerful landmine just before the firing began. The encounter continued for about two and a half hours," said the DGP. As the incident took place in a remote location where communication facilities were not available and just two kilometers away from Jharkhand border, the police are yet to ascertain the exact number of casualties and the identity of the victims. Police spokesman Raj Kumar Dewangan said IG B S Maravi and other officials were camping at Samri police station area and a helicopter has been sent to airlift injured security personnel to the district headquarters at Sarguja. (Indian Express 5/9/08)

SC expresses concern over 'excesses' by Salwa Judum (12) New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Friday voiced its concerns about `excesses' committed by Salwa Judum or people's army set up by the Chattisgarh Government to counter Naxalism in the

tribal regions of Bastar and Dantewada. Backing a report submitted by a fact-finding committed constituted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) the Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan expressed his apprehensions about the consequences of arming locals with unbridled power and weapons. "You (State) can deploy as many police personnel or armed forces to tackle the menace. But, if private persons so armed by the state government kill other persons then the state is also liable to be prosecuted as abettor of the murder," the Bench said, also comprising Justices P Sathasivam and JM Panchal. Referring to the 100-page report of NHRC, filed in a sealed cover, it said, "The Commission has given meticulous details about the situation there - huts and houses being burnt, FIRs not being registered. There is a serious problem." Reading from the first part of the report, a copy of which was ordered by the Court to be given to the counsels appearing for Centre, Chattisgarh government and the petitioners, the Court found that the people are still living in fear of the atrocities inflicted by Salwa Judum. "When somebody is given arms, he will commit crime. Who will claim responsibility?" it questioned. (Pioneer 22/9/08)

4 CRPF personnel killed in Bastar landmine blast (1 2) RAIPUR: Four personnel of the CRPF, including a Deputy Commandant, were killed and three others injured in a landmine blast suspected to have been triggered by Maoists in the interior of Bastar district on Monday. Senior police officers said the ultras blew up a CRPF road opening party vehicle as it reached Mardoom, killing Deputy Commandant Diwakar Mahapatra, his driver L. Kore Singh and jawans N.K. Jha and S.D. Burman. “The road opening party was on its way to Chitrakoot, where President Pratibha Patil was to pay a visit,” a CRPF spokesman in Delhi said.— PTI (The Hindu 30/9/08)

Anti-Naxalite force to start ops from Jan. (12) New Delhi: Oct. 2: The proposed COBRA force to counter left-wing extremism in the country will become operational in January. Sources disclosed that the first two battalions of the special anti-Naxal force will be deployed in Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh and Koratpur in Orissa. The process of recruitment for the force has already begun with sources disclosing that IG K. Durga Prasad, commanding the force, is visiting CRPF battalions stationed in various states to choose personnel already trained in anti-Naxal operations. Two battalions of the Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA), under the control and command of the CRPF, are being raised from within the force. "A large number of CRPF personnel are coming forward to join COBRA since the allowances being given to personnel of the special anti-Naxal force will be more," sources said. The two battalions being raised in the current financial year will undergo a month-long training at the Andhra Greyhound Centre in Hyderabad in December. "While two battalions of the force are being raised in the current financial year, four battalions will be raised in the financial year 2009-10 whereas the remaining four battalions will be raised in 2010-11," said an MHA official. "The training for two battalions of COBRA should be completed in November and December and the force will be ready for its first deployment in January next year," said a senior home ministry official. "Chhattisgarh, worst hit by Naxal violence will get one battalion while Orissa, which has seen repeated Naxal attacks this year will be given the second COBRA battalion," he said. The headquarters of the force will be in Delhi with the home ministry giving clearance for a new building for the force headquarters in the capital. IG (headquarters) K. Durga Prasad will thus command the force from Delhi besides paying regular visits to the COBRA battalion headquarters in every Naxal-affected state. (Asian Age 3/10/08)

Blame Naxals, not Salwa Judum: NHRC (12) The Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has given a clean chit to anti-Naxal movement Salwa Judum, accused of extra-judicial killings in tribal areas of Chhattisgarh, and held Naxals responsible for forcing it to take up arms. In a report to the Supreme Court, the rights panel justified the anti-Naxal movement, saying, “The tribals cannot be denied the right to defend themselves against the atrocities perpetrated by the Naxalites, especially when the law enforcers are themselves ineffective or not present”. A three-member NHRC team —which investigated the alleged rights violations by Salwa Judum highlighted in a PIL filed by activists, including historian Ramchandra Guha — found the charges to be mostly based on hearsay. Taking a dig at the petitioners, it said: “Surely, the petitioners wouldn’t support the subjugation and killings of tribals by Naxalites for years before Salwa Judum.” Earlier, the court had taken a stern view of the state government allegedly supplying arms to Salwa Judum. “Why give arms to anybody? This way you’ll take on the role of an abettor.” However, the NHRC probe has held the Naxals responsible for the movement turning violent. “Selective killings by Naxalites of Salwa Judum leaders and activists and attacks by Naxalites on Salwa Judum rallies were responsible to a large extent for

changing the complexion of the movement from a non-violent one to an armed resistance,” it said, holding the state responsible for Naxalites having a free run in the Bastar region. After inquiring into 168 of the 547 allegations, the NHRC said: “Many of the villagers whose names figure in the list of those allegedly killed by Salwa Judum or security forces were actually killed by the Naxalites.” FIRs were registered in most cases and the kin compensated. Some of the villagers on the list died of natural causes while a few others were alive and still many were Naxalites. The NHRC team — led by DIG Sudhir Chowdhary was attacked thrice by Naxals and one such incident left a police officer injured — didn’t come across any complaints of Salwa Judum collecting “taxes” from vehicle owners. The team found just one case where Salwa Judum had killed an alleged Naxalite and no case was registered. However, it said, the possibility of other such instances couldn’t be ruled out. It has called for an independent probe into last year’s encounters in Santoshpur and Hirapuram in which nine people were killed. In another case, no FIR was lodged after security forces killed a Naxalite. Terming these as “more serious”, the NHRC reminded “the state must act within the four corners of the law even in the face of grave provocation.” Terming the petitioners’ stand as a “narrow view”, the NHRC said the complicated problem had its roots in socio-economic deprivation, including lack of job opportunities. The team said a “security-centric approach” may not be the solution and called for a “multi-pronged strategy”. (Hindustan Times 5/10/08)

Maoists claim they killed VHP activist (12) BHUBANESWAR: Oct. 5: The Maoists have claimed responsibility for the death of octogenarian VHP leader Swami Laxmananand Saraswati whose murder sparked widespread communal violence in Orissa, killing at least 35 people so far, mostly Christians. A top Maoist leader, while interacting with a select group of reporters from his hideout in a deep jungle in Orissa, on Saturday admitted to "ordering the killing of the VHP leader".Laxmananand Saraswati was gunned down along with four of his disciples at Jalesapata ashram in Kandhamal district on August 23. "We ordered the death penalty for him," Sabyasachi Panda, the Maoist leader, who is heading the Vamsadhara Dalam of the banned outfit, said. The Maoist leader has been eluding the police for the last three decades and is believed to have masterminded the sensational rebel attacks on the Nayagarh police establishments in February 2008, in which 13 policemen were killed. Panda said his group had left letters at the site of the killing, owning responsibility but the Orissa government did hide the evidence. "The state government made it look like the Christian groups are responsible for the attack," he said. "The VHP leader was instigating violence against minorities, particularly Christians, in the area. Hence, we decided to eliminate him," Mr Panda said. "Hindu organisations such as VHP are targeting minorities, particularly Christians, attacking them, killing them and burning their homes. They are playing riot politics. Swami Laxmananand was an important leader of VHP. We ordered his killing," he said. The Maoist leader said "his organisation is giving all kinds of support, including arms and manpower to the minority Christian members at some places in Kandhamal district to put up resistance against attack on them by Hindu fundamentalists".But VHP on Sunday rejected the claim by the Maoist, saying the murder of Laxmananand Saraswati did not serve the Maoist agenda. "Have the Maoists started fighting in the name of God now," asked national convenor of VHP Subash Chouhan and added, "Laxmanand Saraswati opposed conversion to Christianity and his elimination can only benefit the Christian missionaries active in the area." (Asian Age 6/10/08)

8 kidnapped by Maoists (12) KHAMMAM: Eight persons, including seven tribal youths, were kidnapped by naxalites of the CPI (Maoist) from four forest-villages of Khammam -- all located close to the inter-State border with Chhattisgarh, according to reports. The police at Chintur station made a general diary entry of the kidnapping cases on information furnished by the village revenue officials on Thursday. A large tribal group comprising mainly the kin of the kidnapped persons from the villages of Dongala Jaggaram, Narsingapeta, Alliguidem and Bandigumpu embarked upon a massive search in the Bastar forests in the neighbouring Bijapur district. The group was reportedly prevented by militants from entering some villages in Gollapalli police station limits -- a pocket considered to be the Maoist heartland. Members of sanghams – village-level committees floated by the Maoists had assured them of the safe return of all those kidnapped. The tribal group that drew a blank in their search came back to Chintur in the day. They, however, declined to take the help of police fearing a Maoist backlash. (The Hindu 10/10/08)

Rs. 100cr aid for Naxal-hit states (12) NEW DELHI: Oct. 14: The Centre is expected to release Rs 100 crores in the next few days under the newly envisaged special scheme aiming to enhance critical infrastructure for security

forces in eight worst Naxal-affected districts in five states. With states like Orissa and Punjab demanding Central assistance, to shore up the security apparatus currently lying uncovered in the existing Central schemes, at the National Integration Council meet held on Monday, the home ministry on Tuesday said that the first phase of the Rs 500 crores special scheme will see the light of the day in the current fiscal while Rs 400 crores would be spent in the remaining period of the 11th Plan. The Project Clearance Committee for the scheme under the chairmanship of special secretary (Naxal management) in MHA Vinay Kumar met here on Tuesday to discuss the plans for the current year for the first eight districts. The eight districts are Aurangabad, Gaya (Jharkhand), Malkangiri, Raigad (Orissa), Bijapur, Dantewada(Chhattisgarh), Khammam (Andhra Pradesh) and Balaghat (MP). Representatives from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, MP, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, Planning Commission, fina-nce ministry, ministry of surface transport, CRPF and SSB were present. (Asian Age 15/10/08)

Maoists killed Lakshmanananda, say Orissa Police (1 2) BHUBANESWAR: The Crime Branch of Orissa police on Thursday confirmed that Maoists had killed Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Lakshmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal district by involving some local armed groups. The decision to eliminate the VHP leader was taken by the Central Committee of Communist Party of India(Maoist) about seven months ago, and a group of about six hardcore extremists killed the VHP leader at the Jalespata ashram in Kandhamal on August 23 evening. The extremists who committed the crime were armed with automatic weapons, including AK-47 rifles. The local youths also took part in the crime and stood guard around the ashram when the Maoists executed their plan. The youths belonged to about four different groups from nearby villages, according to sources. The conspiracy to kill the VHP leader was hatched in the aftermath of the communal violence that took place in Kandhamal following an attack on the slain VHP leader on the eve of Christmas last year, sources said. The three persons who had been arrested in the case so far belonged to the local groups, sources said. The three were produced on Thursday before a court at Baliguda in Kandhamal. The court remanded them to judicial custody. Crime Branch Inspector General Arun Ray told The Hindu over phone that efforts were now on to arrest the other accused who were involved in the killing. It may be recalled that soon after the killing of the Swami, the police had said they suspected involvement of Maoists in the crime. CPI (Maoist) leader Sabyasachi Panda had also told journalists recently that they killed the Swami because he was allegedly converting both Christians and tribals in Kandhamal into Hinduism. His party wanted to protect the minorities, he had said. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), a Bangalore-based organisation, has urged the National Human Rights Commission to inquire into the attacks on Christians in the Kandhamal and other parts of the State. President of the Council Sajan K. George told reporters here that they had also submitted a memorandum to Orissa Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare requesting him to intervene in the matter by exercising his constitutional powers to ensure action against the rioters and safety and rehabilitation of the Christian families affected in the violence. (The Hindu 17/10/08)

12 CRPF men killed in Chhattisgarh ambush (12) KHAMMAM: Twelve men of the Central Reserve Police Force were killed and six others injured in an ambush laid by naxalites of CPI(Maoist) near Kongupalli on the Bijapur-Bhupalapatnam highway in Chhattisgarh around 2 p.m. on Monday. One extremist was also killed in retaliatory fire by the police. The Maoists snatched away eight weapons including a light machine gun, SLR and five INSAS rifles. According to reports reaching here, heavy firing continued in the stretch of forest alongside National Highway 16 till late in the evening. The Maoists triggered a blast targeting a road-opening party that included some 70 CRPF men who were deployed in the place for providing security the staff of the Border Roads Organisation monitoring the highway works. The explosion left 12 CRPF men dead on the spot. The rest of the force engaged in a gun battle and reportedly shot dead one naxalite. The slain CRPF jawans belonged to the 170 battalion. They were identified as Sailendra Kumar Bharadwaj, Kamlesh Kumar, Pappu Kumar, Suman Singh, A. Kumar, M. Rehman, Niraj Sarma, Dhirendra Deka, Arun Kumar Singh, G.E., Surya. P. Oram and B.C. Setty. Police intensified combing operations along the inter-State border of Andhra Pradesh and Chhatisgarh. The Khammam police put on alert all the police stations of Charla, Dummugudem Benkatapuram and Wajeedu – which are close to the Maoist-affected Pamedu area in Bijapura district of Chhatisgarh. (The Hindu 21/10/08)

Govt's plan to clamp down on Naxals coming unstuck (12) NEW DELHI: The Centre's plan to crack down on Naxals in eight worst-affected districts in four

states seems to have boomeranged with the red ultras successfully targeting security forces one after the other in five of these eight districts in the last three weeks. In the latest such attack, the Naxals ambushed a CRPF contingent in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, killing 12 jawans. The ambush, incidentally, came on the opening day of filing of nominations for the first phase of two- stage assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, which is soon going to have additional forces in view of polls. Besides Bijapur, the other four districts where attacks were carried out are Dantewada (Chhattisgarh), Gaya in Bihar and Palamu and Chatra in Jharkhand. The Maoists killed 17 security personnel and burnt public property in these places since September 28. These five districts are in the list of eight which the home ministry recently identified for strong anti-Naxalite action. Aurangabad in Bihar and Malkangiri and Rayagada in Orissa are the other three districts. Though these eight districts witnessed relatively higher number of incidents earlier as well, the level of violence has increased with the government’s announcement of tough action. Maoists had, in fact, vowed to launch a bigger offensive to counter the Centre's move. Three weeks before the Bijapur incident, four CRPF personnel, including a deputy commandant, were killed in a landmine blast carried out by Maoists near Marikoder village in Dantewada district on September 29. On October 2, the Maoists blew up a school building in Chatra. The ultras had targeted the school as security personnel involved in combing operations were occupying it. Earlier, the Naxals had blown up a school building in Chak village in Palamu district for the same reason on September 28. Another incident was reported from Gaya on October 19 when one Ashok Kumar Jha, an ex-army officer recruited for the special police force created to combat Maoist menace, was killed in an encounter with the rebels near Jhatpahri village in Gaya district. (Times of India 21/10/08)

Naxals set up small workshops for arms (12) New Delhi: Oct. 21: The Maoists, who were relying on snatching of arms from the security forces, have now started setting up small workshops to make weapons. The Naxal hotbed of Chhattisgarh is providing a safe haven to Maoists who have set up small weapon factories in dense jungle areas to manufacture arms and ammunition. Recently, the Narainpur police officials in Chhattisgarh raided a Maoist weapon factory, located deep inside the jungles of Bastar area. Sources in the state police force said that the raid showed the growing prowess of Maoists who are striking at will. It was also informed the Maoists were now recruiting even five-year-olds children to act as informers. Speaking to this newspaper, Chhattisgarh DGP Vishwa Ranjan argued that such incidents were "not limited to Chhattisgarh alone, but are happening all across the country". With the Centre planning to dispatch the first battalion of the special anti-Naxal force, Cobra, to Chhattisgarh by January next year, the state witnessed the first major attack by Maoists on Monday after they declared a boycott of the coming Assembly elections in the state, killing at least 12 CRPF jawans in a powerful landmine blast. Mr Ranjan denied that the attack was a result of "intelligence failure" on part of the state intelligence unit, stating that the Maoists had used the routine exercise of laying an "ambush" and firing at police personnel. He said that armed Maoists laid an ambush when the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which was given cover by security forces, was carrying out its work. (Asian Age 22/10/08)

Maoists reviving their activity in Adilabad (12) ADILABAD: After lying low for about two years, the Communist Party of India (Maoists) naxalites appear to have restarted their activities in Adilabad district as is evident by reports of their activities in the Chennur-Sirpur, Mangi and Vaipet forest areas. Going by instances in the past, there is likelihood of the extremists resurfacing now because of the fast approaching elections and the added advantage of the thick greenery in the forests here providing for safety of movement. There are some 15 naxalites who were known to be hibernating in the district following the ‘tactical withdrawal’ of the CPI(M) sometime in 2005. Recruitment of cadres, especially from within the tribals, had also not taken place during the period. Officials maintain that the main reason for extremists to lie low during the last three years was increased threat of exposure as villagers stopped providing shelter and food. This was the result of rapid development of roads and better livelihood opportunities available in villages, the officials point out. In the first week of October, extremists were reported to have visited some villages in Chennur mandal on the district’s border with Karimnagar. They are reported to have sung songs and held meetings with villagers. This was followed with reports of movement of naxalites from the Mangi forests between Asifabad Sirpur (U) and Vaipet forests in Indervelli mandal. The dalam reportedly consists of 13 men and six women cadres, according to reports. There is however, no information about these extremists places of origin. Some reports say that the cadres belong to

Nizamabad district and have come here to give a boost to the local extremists. “We have never ignored the Maoists though there has been hardly any activity from their side during the last two years. “As elections are coming nearer, it is only to be anticipated that the extremists will revive their activities. We are alerting the people concerned so that they do not become easy targets for the naxals,” disclosed a police official. (The Hindu 6/11/08)

VHP worker shot dead in Kandhamal (12) BHUBANESWAR: Tension prevailed in riot-hit Kandhamal district of the Orissa on Wednesday following the killing of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad worker by suspected Maoists. Assailants fired 18 rounds at the VHP worker Dhanurjay Pradhani (36) at Kumbharigaon village around 1 p.m., police sources said. Pradhani, who worked as a small-time contractor, was inspecting the construction of a school building at the time. He hailed from the nearby Jhinjirigaon village. Maoists, who are active in Brahmanigaon and adjoining Tumudibandha, had recently put up banners threatening to eliminate Pradhani and several other local leaders of the Sangh Parivar. District Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar reached Kumbharigaon with additional forces. One company of the Central Reserve Police Force also reached the area. Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Raphael Cheenath told reporters here that the Catholic nun, who was raped at K. Nuagaon during the communal violence on August 25, was willing to cooperate with the Orissa police. (The Hindu 6/11/08)

Ban on Maoists: Police propose, CPM disposes (12) Kolkata, November 18: : While the Maoists have made significant inroads in various districts of West Bengal and the state home department has demanded a ban on the outfit, the CPM has rejected the ban. CPM state secretary Biman Bose said: “I am not in favour of banning the Maoists. A ban will provide extra authority to the police, which will be misused, turning people against the party and the government.” The party fears that the ban will further enhance the popularity of Maoists, denting the CPM’s prospects in rural and tribal belt. “Police highhandedness has created trouble in many places, not only in Lalgarh,” said Bose. Party sources said some top bureaucrats in the state home department have strongly advocated for an immediate ban on the Maoists. But the ruling Left Front government, under the pressure of the CPM, has set aside the proposal. Ads By GoogleThe demand for a ban became louder after the recent incidents in Lalgarh, when police had arrested some villagers but were forced to release them after the growing protests by tribals. “If the Maoists are banned, then the police will be in a better position to tackle them. They are taking advantage of the situation and are moving at large. The police cannot take effective action against them,” said a senior official of the home department. Bose, however, said: “I do not think the ban will do any good. The Maoists should be tackled politically.” His views, however, are not likely to find many takers even in his own party, as CPM leaders in the Maoist-affected districts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura are living under the constant fear of Maoist attacks. Many of them have even employed armed guards for personal security in these districts. (Indian Express 18/11/08)

Maoists kill three in Bihar village for refusing to pay 'levy' (12) MUNGER: Maoists on Saturday night descended on a prosperous Rajput-dominated village in Bihar's Jamui district, kidnapped three villagers to the nearby jungle and killed them. The incident took place at Kharik Maheshwari village under the Sono police station. Police said the 50-odd extremists, equipped with firearms, entered the houses of Madan Singh(32), Chhote Lal Singh (35) and Mahesh Singh (32), woke them up and took them away towards the forest area. Though the Maoists left, scared members of the three families and other villagers did not raise an alarm. "We remained indoors for the Naxalites had threatened us with dire consequences if we reported the matter to police before sunrise," one family member was quoted as having told police. Early Sunday morning, bodies of the three villagers were found from Charka Patthal Bazar, some 300 metres from Kharik Maheshwari. Their throats were slit. Handwritten leaflets found at the spot said others who do not comply with the demand of Reds would meet the same fate. The victims were contractors and worked for execution of different village development schemes of the government. The extremists had demanded "rangdari" from them three months ago, but the trio had refused to oblige them. As the village is dominated by well-off Rajputs, the villagers had decided to take on the extremists if they again made a demand for "rangdari", villagers recalled. The Maoists kept silent for months and the villagers became relaxed thinking the extremists had "accepted defeat". Munger range DIG Bhrigu Srinivasan said raids are on to nab the assailants. Jamui SP Vinay Kumar and DSP Vinod Kumar have rushed to the village with reinforcements

(TOI 17/11/08)

Maoists kill village head in Orissa (12) MAKLANGIRI (ORISSA): After a gap of almost three months, Maoists struck on Monday gunning down a village head in Orissa’s Malkangiri district and looting the house of another person, police said. The incident took place at Binaykpur under Motu police station area, about 100 km from here in the early hours. The victim, Panda Reddy, 40, was asked to come out of the house and taken to a jungle where he was shot dead, police said. Panda was involved in a land dispute between two groups of villagers and the Maoists suspected that he was a police informer. – PTI (The Hindu 18/11/08)

Maoists leading tribal stir in West Midnapore (12) Jhargram: The tribal rebellion, against alleged police atrocities and lack of development in West Midnapore district, is taking an ugly turn. More so, with political parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, rushing in to fish in the troubled waters. Queering the pitch, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Congress leaders on Tuesday sponsored road blockades in the district and gheraoed the SP office at Midnapore town. Though District Magistrate MS Nigam would not throw much light on the ground reality — or perhaps he was not in a position to do so as the administration has been shut out from the interior forest areas — sources said more than 500 sqkm area (including strategic Jhargram subdivision) has gone under Maoist control. The tribal population has been adding new demands by the day leaving the administration baffled. "Clearly the Maoists holed up in forest areas are pulling the strings from behind," said a senior police official. The Government is at a loss to find the real negotiator to talk to various tribal groups. Already assurances given by Munshi Ram Murmu, a top Bharat Jakat Majhi Marwa Gaonta Sangathan leader, umbrella body of tribal groups on a time bound lifting of blockades, have proven ineffective. The Maoists have already hoisted a Committee Against Police Atrocities. They have raised outlandish demands like asking the Superintendent of Police to do sit-ups publicly and getting his subordinates to crawl through the villages begging pardon for raiding the villages. Other parties like the Jharkhand Disam Party or for that matter Jharkhand Party have limited control on the masses. The Communists have almost nil presence here. Hence, a Marwa leader concedes, "The Government would do good to talk to the Maoists as our leaders are being regularly heckled and threatened by them." There is a word that Sasadhar Mahato, a Maoist leader and prime suspect in the November 2 landmine explosion targeting Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, is hiding either at Lalgarh. However, the administration can't afford to reach the area, as all roads have been blocked by felling trees. (Pioneer 19/11/08)

Maoists on the back foot: Police (12) Bermo: Bokaro police claimed that Maoists organisations in the district have suffered a tremendous setback at the hands of the police. Giving details of the ongoing drive, Bokaro Superintendent of Police Priya Dubey said the massive combing operations is going on in the surrounding area of the Bermo sub-division specially in Nawadih block. The movement of the police comes under the special operation programme aimed at intensifying 72-hour-long patrolling in Maoist-infested block in forest area so that it helps police setup a good relations with locals. Despite the massive combing operation going on in the Upparghat in Nawadih block, sources said that on Tuesday -Wednesday night a band of about 60-70 Maoists who appeared to be in 20s had entered Galobar village in Nawadih block and organised the ‘Jan-Adalat”. Sources said around 2 am more 60 armed Maoists dragged Basudeo Saw and his son Janki Saw out of their house and took them to the “Jan-Adalat” and beaten-up 11 sticks before a huge crowd at Galobar forest. Tension mounted at Upparghat area and nearby area after the incident as cadres also asked them not to repeat their mistake in future. Sources informed that cadre of CPI (Maoist) are again having a free run in their stronghold villages in the Nawadih block. According to reports, Maoists are now freely recruiting cadres regrouping themselves and resorting to collection of huge amounts of money from coal mafias as well as contractors and trading the weapons in sharp contrast to their strength. However, police said the rural people have begun to understand that it has been an anti-people and anti-farmer move of the Maoists. It is not as if the Maoists have shed caution to allow its cadre to visit villages freely, the party continues to maintain utmost secrecy in contacting villagers in their strongholds.(Pioneer 21/11/08)

Manmohan, Patil differ on Naxal threat (12) NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister Shivraj Patil seem to have

vastly different perceptions of the threat posed by Left-wing extremism in the country and also on the desirability of the police sharing details of investigations with the media. While the PM on Sunday termed Naxalism as the "most serious internal security threat", Patil had pointed out on Saturday that the Naxal situation had been blown out of proportion. Similarly, while Singh insisted that media should be taken along and information shared on investigations, the home minister had asked the police to draw an iron curtain while dealing with the press. Addressing the country's top police officers during a conference of DGPs on Sunday, Singh said, "The threat posed by Left-wing extremism is perhaps the most serious internal security threat that we face. It is evident that despite the efforts made, the measures taken so far have not yielded the desired results. The inability of intelligence agencies and the police to obtain pinpoint and actionable intelligence on time has enabled these outfits to carry out some high-profile attacks." Patil had, however, told the same gathering on Saturday that the threat of Naxalism had been greatly exaggerated. "On occasions, it is said that ten states in India, nearly 180 districts, are affected. It means that one-third of the country is affected. If one village in a district is affected, it is treated that one district is affected. If one or two districts of a state are affected, it does not mean that all districts in the state are affected," he had said. Although Patil had pitched for "extraordinary attention" to deal with Naxalites, he said they should not be presented in such a manner that they create a fear psychosis in society. Even on the police handling the media during probes, there was apparent difference in the advice handed out by Singh and Patil. "Your work is with, and amongst, people, and you require their support, understanding and help. You need to win the trust of civil society. You need understanding from and rapport with the media," Singh said on the concluding day of a two-day conference. To the police, he said, "An appropriate media policy which could assist the police in gaining public confidence through informing it about what it needs to know and avoiding random or baseless speculation is very important." However, Patil had favoured shutting the doors on the media while investigations were on. "The easiest solution is not to speak to the media until you complete investigations. In enthusiasm, we show that we have done something and it creates problems," the home minister had said after Maharashtra police chief A N Roy had pointed out that mediapersons were "intrusive" during the ATS's probe into the Malegaon case. "They (media) may ask a thousand questions. If police keeps quiet, the severity of the problem can be reduced," Patil had said. (Times of India 24/11/08)

Naxals to have own ‘PDS’ (12) New Delhi: Nov. 25: Recent intelligence inputs have indicated that Naxals have decided to introduce their own public distribution system in the "Red Corridor" zone for rural population. Initially, they are planning to introduce it in northern region, especially areas around the Ganga and Son rivers. In a recent meeting held in Rohtash district in Bihar, top Naxal leaders also decided to form "Krantikari Kisan Committees", which will help farmers launch an agitation against landlords in Bindh region of Uttar Pradesh. Later, the agitation will be spread in other Naxal-dominated areas. According to intelligence sources, the meeting was attended by Naxal leaders of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and West Bengal. The motive behind introducing the PDS system is to win the confidence of the rural population, said sources. In the first phase, this system will be launched in Varanasi, Chandauli, Sonbhadra and Mirzapur districts of Uttar Pradesh and in the second phase it will be started in the Naxal-dominated areas of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. In the last phase, Naxals are planning to introduce it in the remaining areas of the Red Corridor zone, said sources. This was revealed by some of the arrested Left-wing extremists during interrogation. In the last two months, Central security forces arrested 18 Naxals from Sonbhadra, Chandauli and Varanasi. The arrested Naxals revealed this, sources said, adding that they have even started their ground work. Besides, a decision has been taken to form Krantikari Kisan Committees at the district level to help poor farmers to fight against landlords in certain areas of UP, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Recently, they organised a meeting regarding formation of the committee near Karmnasa river. They may provide financial assistance to the farmers in certain cases, said sources. During interrogation, they revealed that top Naxal leaders are also preparing jail manuals for their own prisoners languishing in various prisons in the country. It will soon be distributed among the cadres. They further revealed that through the jail manuals, they are planning to inform the cadre to hide in safe places so that they can not be easily caught by the security forces, sources said, adding that they basically want to spread the message that Naxals languishing in jails are treated badly. The presence of security forces engaged in anti-Naxal operations has been increased in the area, said sources. The state police has also intensified its vigil in these areas. (Asian Age 26/11/08)

7 policemen killed in Chhattisgarh blast (12) HYDERABAD: Seven policemen were killed on Tuesday when suspected Maoists guerrillas blasted a bridge near Mardapal, about a hundred kilometers from Jagdalpur district headquarters in southern Chhattisgarh. A contingent of over 150 policemen carrying the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were trekking their way back to the district headquarters in Jagdalpur when the rebels blasted a 30 metre-long bridge. The policemen were walking in a single file maintaining safe distance from each other. “That was the reason why there were fewer casualties,” Additional DGP Giridhari Nayak, coordinating the security arrangements, said over phone from Raipur. (The Hindu 26/11/08)

Maoists give gun salute to Mumbai victims (12) NEW DELHI: In a defining departure from their abhorrence of the Indian state and the police, Maoists on Tuesday showed solidarity with the Mumbai terror victims and securitymen with a gun-salute to them in the dense forests of Latehar in Jharkhand. If this stunning development was not enough, the mainstream Left has maintained strict silence on the presence of the "imperialist axis" of US-Britain-Israel in the terror probe. 26/11 seems to be effecting a defining shift in the political discourse on terrorism, with the Mumbai attacks blurring ideological distinctions to bring them closer in treating terror as terror sans caveats. Be it the gun-salute to Mumbai victims by naxalites or the silence of Left to the presence of FBI and Israeli sleuths in investigations or the Congress bid to raise the ante without the considerations of votebank, the Mumbai attacks have struck a change which observers feel could be a watershed. The eye-opener in the otherwise polarised debate has come from Maoists. Themselves no stranger to wanton violence, the Red raiders stunned the world by giving a gun-salute to the Mumbai victims in Latehar. What seems to have forced Maoists -- for whom power does flow from the barrel of the gun and who have struck fear across the country -- to salute victims is a bid to show that their violence was different from that of jihadis. A Maoist functionary explained from Ranchi, "Unlike terrorists, we are not ranged against innocent citizens of the country. We have specific targets and work according to a plan." This is a sharp departure from their traditional stand where they treated the Indian state as people's enemy, while openly sympathising with the jihadis on the ground that they were victims of exploitatiion. The fact that Maoists felt the need to hammer home their divergence from jihadis after a terror attack directed at luxury hotels and tourists from the US, UK and Israel is testimony to the groundswell of anger against terrorism. If reports of last week's Congress Working Committee meeting is any indication, even the grand old party has moved away from its middle path and wants the government to act. In normal course it is unimaginable that Maoists, waging a war against the state, would salute security men or the Left, that withdrew support from UPA government on Indo-US nuclear deal, would keep mum over the collaboration of Indian police with cops from US, Israel and UK. What has changed since Mumbai attack? A senior Left leader put it down to the desire to be on the right side of the middle-classes which have a disproportionate say in shaping political tastes. "No political party would like to antagonise them further by articulating ideological positions at this hour," he said. (Times of India 4/12/08)

Chhattisgarh Govt retrenches 1200 SPOs (12) Raipur: More than 1,200 special police officers (SPO) involved in anti-Maoist operations have been removed from their services in Maoist-affected South Bastar in the last six months. The SPOs were drawn from Salwa Judum, an organisation set up by tribals to fight against Maoist atrocities. SPOs, police sources said, were involved in intelligence collection; guarding Government-maintained relief camps and assist security forces in operation in remote forested hilly regions, infested by rebels. The SPOs are given a stipend of Rs 1,500 per month while the State Government has so far absorbed over hundred of them in the regular police force. A separate SPO battalion is also to be raised. However, voice began to be raised by certain human rights groups against arming local youth against the Maoists. "While some of the SPOs were removed on the charges of indiscipline, many left their jobs as they got employment as shiksha karmis," said Rahul Sharma, SP, Dantewada. Only those who volunteer their services will be taken, he added. (Pioneer 4/12/08)

Maoists step up campaign to strengthen cadre base ( 12) BHADRACHALAM: The CPI (Maoist) is out to extend its Chhattisgarh model of success to the forest villages of Khammam. The Maoist cadre have taken up an intensive campaign in their erstwhile strongholds along the interstate border for motivating militant supporters and sympathisers as part of the Peoples Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) formation week (December

2-8) celebrations. In a bid to regain their lost hold, they are busy floating Sanghams -- habitation-level committees -- thus establishing a parallel system in the village administration. More than half a dozen villages in Charla mandal have the new committees functioning under the stewardship of the Venkatapuram area committee. The dalams are frequenting the tribal villages, holding grama sabhas and publicly announcing the names of tribal leaders and activists thus inducted into the panels. Many of the members listed in the sanghams were beneficiaries of government-sponsored programmes and they have been strongly opposing their identification with the Maoists. The Sarpancah of Pusugupa village and a few other youths were whisked away by the Maoists to Pamedu forests in Chhattisgarh for a sort of counseling as they had strongly resisted the move to involve them in the Sanghams. It had been the same experience with residents in Kurnavelli village where from some people were kidnapped and let off as their cooperation was assured. The tribal communities were under pressure to stay away from the local authorities. They were banned from using mobile phones. People stopped plying autos in the forest routes thus leaving the tribal communities virtually cut off from rest of the district. The village sanghams, which were floated have been entrusted with the task of monitoring the functioning of the village schools, the public distribution system besides keeping a watch on the activities and movements of the police and officials. (The Hindu 7/12/08)

Maoists on child soldier recruitment drive (12) VISAKHAPATNAM: Tribal youth and children are on the run. While Maoists have let loose a wave of terror in tribal villages as part of the ongoing People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) week celebrations, parents are worried as Maoists have come out with a recruitment scheme forcing villagers to give one child --either boy or girl --in the family to join them. Though increasing use of child soldiers has been reported from Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand in the past, this is for the first time that Maoists are recruiting tribals in the age group of 10-18 years along the Andhra-Orissa Border. "With Tamil Tigers successfully using this strategy in their war against the Sri Lankan government, the Maoists have also started banking on children heavily,'' an analyst said. Sources said the Maoists have specifically targeted Pappuluru, Kappatotti, Naguluru, Tarigetta, Chintagunnal, Kuntawada, Sanyasiguda, Nimmalapadu, Doraguda, Gassiguda and Allurukota villages located on the other side of Sileru river and near to G K Veedhi mandal for their recruitment drive. Worried over the depleting cadre strength, the party's Malkangiri division has decided to fill up the vacant slots in the platoons and area committees. The Maoists have threaten villagers and ask them to send a minimum of 10 children from each panchayat to join them. "If the parents ignore their call, the Maoists swoop on the villages in the night and take away kids,'' sources said. "If we refuse to join the rebels, they will beat us. No place is safe for us,'' a teenager said. Nearly 100 children fled to neighbouring villages of Sileru, Koraput, Jaipore and Viskhapatnam. "Some parents have sent their wards to remote places to safeguard them against the Maoist move,'' the sources said. The sources said the Maoists gave training to kids to collect information on cops, handle sophisticated weapons and plant mines. "The young recruits are also engaged to collect intelligence inputs on police stations, deliver messages and procure food,'' a police officer involved in anti-Naxal operations said. Stating that 90% of the members of the cultural outfits of Maoist wings are below 16 years, a senior cop in anti-insurgency operations said: "Maoists use kids in their propaganda war against the government and security forces.'' (Times of India 8/12/08)

Beware of Maoists, tribal leaders tell villagers (1 2) KOLKATA: Leaders of a section of tribals at Belpahari in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district on Tuesday cautioned locals against attempts by Maoists to induce them to take to militancy. The region was hit by an agitation, lasting more than four weeks, against alleged police excesses before it was called off on Sunday. Addressing a rally at Belpahari, leaders of the Bharat Jagat Majhi Marwa condemned the Maoists’ attempts to extend their sphere of influence by making political capital out of locals’ grievances against authorities and their protests against alleged police atrocities last month in the adjoining Lalgarh area. “They [the leaders of the organisation] warned the gathering against being used by the Maoists, we are told,” District Magistrate N.S. Nigam told The Hindu over telephone from Medinipur. The ultras had tried to take control of the month-long agitation resulting from the protests, the leaders at the rally said. The agitation led to parts of the district remaining cut off. Now, the process of restoring normality in the areas that had remained virtually inaccessible has begun. The Hindu 10/12/08)

Apex court asks Chhattisgarh to file ATR on NHRC re port (12)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Chhattisgarh government to file an action taken report (ATR) on the findings of the National Human Rights Commission on the allegations of atrocities committed by ‘Salwa Judum’ against innocent people. A Bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam asked the State government to file an affidavit by the end of January next and directed listing of the petition filed by Nandini Sundar and others for final hearing on February 3, 2009. On the directions of the apex court, the NHRC had probed the allegations and submitted its report making various recommendations to the State government. In its response the Chhattisgarh government said that it ordered payment of compensation and had undertaken rehabilitation measures and that residents of camps would be given rations and health protection. Appearing for the petitioners, senior counsel Ashok Desai on Tuesday submitted that the NHRC report mentioned about the complicity of the State in extra judicial killings of innocent villagers. Though the Chhattisgarh government passed orders about compensation and relief measures, nothing was put on record. He said the NHRC had recommended registration of First Information Reports against certain members of the Salwa judum and special police officers (SPO) but no FIRs were registered. Senior counsel K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the State denied this and said the FIRs would be registered wherever recommended. He said the FIRs had been registered in the killings and magisterial enquiry was conducted. He said the government had acted upon whatever the NHRC had stated. He said the State would file an ATR by the end of January next. Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanian appeared for the Centre. In their response to NHRC report, the petitioners said that the SPOs had become an unaccountable force, and should be disbanded and replaced by well-trained police officers with a credible track record of acting as per the law of the land. The SPOs should not be used in paramilitary operations. The government was free to recruit regular police from the area, who would be bound by proper procedure and given proper training. (The Hindu 17/12/08)

The child soldiers in Indian Maoist ranks(12) Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal told the Rajya Sabha on December 11 that the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has set up a special squad of minors in Chhattisgarh. These child soldiers are forcibly recruited into Maoist ranks. But this is not a new phenomenon. For many years, child combatants have been used by Naxalites in many ways in their fight against the Indian state. In Orissa, the children are known as 'Baal Sangam'. In Chhattisgarh they are constituted under the 'Krantikari Adivasi Balak Sang'. The governments in both the states have outlawed these groups. According to a scholar on the Naxalite movement: "At least 300 children are being trained in the dense forests of Dhanbad and Giridih in Jharkhand under a crash course in the use of small arms." In Andhra Pradesh, the Maoists, in their earlier avatar, the People's War Group (PWG), maintained for some years their own children's corps, known as 'Bala Sangham'. RS Praveen Kumar, the then superintendent of police in Karimnagar district, told this author in December 2003 that at one point there were some 800 children with the Naxalites in the state. Available reports indicate that the 'Bala Sangham' has been disbanded. Similar reports of recruitment of children emanated from Chhattisgarh way back in 2002, if not earlier. At that time, parents in the vicinity of Tanda and Bagh rivers had sent away their children to far-off places when the Naxalites ordered each family to contribute at least one child to their ranks. Further, in the same year, media reports said the Naxalites trained boys and young women in the jungles in Palamau district, Jharkhand. Two years later, the security forces rescued a group of girls from a camp of the erstwhile Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI) in the same area. Soon thereafter, they were admitted to a vocational training institute run by missionaries…. (DNA 18/12/08)

Govt disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers like Salwa Judum (12) Delhi, December 17, 2008: In a virtual disapproval of anti-Naxalite group 'Salwa Judum' in Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the Centre was not in favour of "non-state" actors taking the job of law enforcement in their hands. "We are not in favour of non-state actors taking law enforcement in their hands," he said replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha. Chidambaram was asked by D Raja of CPI if the Centre would consider asking the Chhattisgarh government to disband Salwa Judum, a counter-Naxalite vigilante group launched in Dantewada district in 2005. "Law and order and law enforcement is the responsibility of the state government... We do not approve of non-state actors taking over the responsibility," he said. He, however, refused to go into legality of the group saying the matter was before the Supreme Court. Chidambaram said Salwa Judum was an organisation which

apparently had the support of the state government and Centre had nothing to do with it. On the continued detention of human rights activist and doctor Binayak Sen in Chhattisgarh since May 2007, he said the matter was under his consideration. (Hindustan Times 18/12/08)

Maoists, democracy in sublime merger in Tamar (12) Ranchi: The Maoists boycott elections and call them a sham of democracy, but for political parties it is a potent antidote to counter Maoist menace. But here, in Tamar the red sanctuary of Maoist-democracy and Maoists are in sublime merger as candidates contesting by-elections have no qualm to sign a short term ideological pact with Maoist group to win their favour. The latest series of exchange of allegations in and out of the Assembly with Opposition raising rant over the alleged soft love notes of Chief Minister Shibu Soren indicate this. The Opposition blamed Soren for justifying their unlawful activities. Candid Soren on many occasions has used fraternity sort of language whenever he spoke about Maoists. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janta Dal(United) in Jharkhand are most forthcoming in their protest to it and directly blamed Soren for hobnobbing with Maoists to win Tamar by-election where he is contesting as the UPA candidate. "The day Soren was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Maoist related violence spiralled. What else he (Soren) has to say on this when even Maoists now accept their relationship with him," said Pashupati Nath Singh, State president of the BJP. The latest in this series is the release of two suspected Maoists under dubious circumstances about two days back. The temperature in the State capital, however, registered a sudden dip but it was hot inside the house when the Opposition raked up this matter on the last day of the Winter Session of the Jharkhand Assembly. The Opposition was not satisfied with the explanation given by Soren or for that matter by the Director General of Jharkhand Police Vishnu Dayal Ram, who during his meeting with deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi termed it a case of mistaken identity. "The people of the State have the right to know the truth - who was pulling the string from behind the curtain to remove them from the police custody. The role and complicity of two suspected Maoists are very much in question behind the murder of JD(U) MLA from Tamar Ramesh Singh Munda," Singh gave a fine riposte. But for some the comradeship of politicians with Maoists is more than mere electoral necessity; it is meditated political strategy. It is evident from elections from the date of undivided Bihar when the rural populace did not turn out in large number for the polling or in some of the cases did not turn out at all after Maoists posted notes of red terror to boycott the poll. Not overtly, but the call benefited the ruling party where it won despite anti-incumbency factor working against it. "Can you run your campaign in the interior of Tamar and Bundu if Maoists do not want… please go ahead if you can," a senior leader gave this sophisticated explanation who has been campaigning for Soren in Tamar. Perhaps nowhere is this engrossing alchemy of Maoists and political campaigning more tactile than in Tamar in the recent days. But it pains those who lost their kith and kin in Maoist mayhem that includes Vasundhara Munda, the JD(U) candidate and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. For Marandi political parties lost a golden opportunity to defeat Maoists through ballot while the top leaders of the UPA and the NDA, who recently visited Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and even campaigned in the deep red Maoist zone, including Dantewara and Bastar, to make their political friends to win the election should have taken a leaf out of their political book. It is despite their umbilical disagreement refused to sing in praise of Maoists- at least on the public face. (Pioneer 24/12/08)

Maoists torch houses of CPM leaders (12) Midnapore: More than one hundred suspected Maoists onThursday torched the houses of two CPI(M) leaders at Madhupur under Shalboni police station in West Midnapore district, police said. The armed Maoists raided the village and forced many villagers to walk along with them in a procession before attacking the houses of the CPI(M) leaders Niranjan Debsinha and Kamal Debsinha, police said. The rebels first ransacked the houses and then set them on fire, they said adding the buildings were vacant as the residents have left the place sensing trouble. (Pioneer 26/12/08)

Maoists attack train in Bihar (12) Patna: Suspected Maoists on Thursday attacked an express train at Munger in Bihar, killing a policeman and injuring two others and escaping with arms stolen from them. Some train passengers have also been reportedly injured in the attack. According to officials, the Maoists who had boarded the Bhagalpur-Muzaffarpur Intercity Express all of a sudden attacked the GRP team in the train at around 4 pm as soon as the train reached near Ghoghi-Bariyarpur near Abhaypur railway station in Munger on the Bhagalpur-Keul of Eastern Railway division. In the

attack one GRP personnel Ganesh Prasad Singh was killed while two others were injured. Some passengers, including a woman, were also injured in the attack. All the injured passengers have been admitted to a hospital for treatment. However, Sunil Nayak, SP, Munger, has confirmed the incident and said that over two dozen Maoists had attacked the escorting GRP team in the train and killed one of them while injuring one other. “The injured policeman has been sent to the nearby Lakhisarai hospital,” said the SP. The Maoists looted four rifles and 100 cartridges from the GRP men and alighted near Bariayarpur. According to passengers, the Maoists soon vanished in the hills of the area. The train which was on way to Bhagalpur from Muzaffarpur got stranded at the place for over two hours and only after the reinforcement with top police officials reached there the train moved on. Earlier on January 2' 2005 the Maoists had attacked the Kajra railway station in the same Munger-Jamalpur rail division and had killed two GRP personnel and looted huge cache of arms and ammunition from them while blowing up a portion of the station. (Pioneer 26/12/08)

Maoists kill four in Jharkhand (12) Gimla (Jharkhand), Dec. 25: Suspected Maoists gunned down four persons, including a retired Army personnel and his nephew, in separate incidents in Jharkhand’s Gumla district, police said on Thursday. The former Army personnel, Augstine Ekka and his nephew James, were shot dead at Srinagar late last night, police inspector of Dumri police station, Kanhaiya Upadhyaya, told PTI here. This incident comes two days after Maoists killed five persons in the state. A note recovered from the spot alleged that the duo was killed for spying on the Maoists, Mr Upadhyaya said. In a separate incident, suspected Maoists killed two other persons at Gobindpur village of the district. —PTI (Asian Age 26/12/08)