17-09-13
Maoist admission: Movement ‘critical’ countrywide, ‘setback’ in Maharashtra
* Brutal killings, dwindling mass base, discomforting behaviour of
cadres, and effective police action in recent times have led to curbing
the activities of the outlaws
By Kartik Lokhande
The banned outfit Communist Party of India
(Maoist) has received several setbacks across the country in general and
Maharashtra in particular. In fact, this ‘setback’ has been
acknowledged in the latest internal assessment report of the Maoists.
“The countrywide revolutionary condition is critical,” reads the
assessment report of CPI (Maoist) presented during the fourth meeting of
its Central Committee. The assessment part of the report dubs the
condition of the Maoist outlaws as ‘critical’ in Gondia Division of
Vidarbha region. It states further, the ‘movement is facing setback’ in
Maharashtra. The details of the Central Committee meeting have been
revealed during interrogation of the Maoist cadres arrested recently and
from some of the documents seized some time back.
Intelligence agencies are treating this as a valuable input. According
to police sources familiar with the investigations, situation is quite
encouraging as far as restoration of law and order is concerned. The
sources said that the Maoists had held responsible several factors
including their resort to brutal killings of civilians, dwindling mass
base specially in Dandakaranya area, and effective police action for the
‘setback’. Besides, CPI (Maoist) has mentioned the number of people
leaving ‘the party’ as well as ‘Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army’
(PLGA) for various reasons. But, the most important reason has been
frustration among cadres, added the sources.
In the said document, the Maoists have admitted to increasing
‘non-proletarian trends in the party’. The Central Committee had
discussed this matter elaborately and several examples of party cadres
‘having wrong relations’ with women cadres, pilferage of funds,
attempting to settle personal scores etc were quoted. “This has been
happening in various parts of the country. There are many women cadres
of the Left Wing Extremists who have surrendered, being fed up of
exploitation by party leaders. Besides, there were incidents of looting
and killing of innocent civilians by cadres wantonly,” said a source.
Dwindling strength of the Maoists is a result of resolute police action
and tribals feeling fed up with the reign of terror unleashed by the
outlaws through brutal killings. However, added an Intelligence source,
the document of Central Committee meeting also points out something to
be alert about. The document mentions ‘some progress’ in North Telangana
and Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) area. This means, the source said, the
Maoist ultras are reviving their network in these areas. Besides,
admission to ‘setback’ suggests that the outlaws may attempt some major
action in Dandakaranya area or Maharashtra, felt an official familiar
with the anti-Maoist operations. This highlights the need for security
forces to be more alert, he added.
‘Target-oriented kidnappings’
The
Central Committee meeting report of the CPI (Maoist) hints at plan of
the banned outfit to step up kidnapping of ‘important targets’ as a tool
to negotiate with the Government and get their cadres freed from
prisons across the country.
Kidnapping has always been a strategy of the erstwhile Naxalites and now
the Maoists. In their own admission, ‘kidnapping is an important form
of struggle’. Previously also, there were instances of kidnapping
effected by the Naxalites. These included the kidnapping of the then MLA
Dharmaraobaba Atram from Gadchiroli district more than 20 years ago.
After formation of CPI (Maoist) in September 2004, the new violent
outfit also effected some kidnappings.
Recently, there were kidnappings of the then Malkangiri Collector Vineel
Krishna (February 2011), Sukma Collector Alex Paul Menon (April-May
2012), MLA Jhina Hikaka (March-April 2012), and two Italian nationals
namely Paulo Boscusco and Claudio Colangelo from Kandhamal-Ganjam region
of Odisha (March 2012). There were negotiations with the Government.
However, according to the Maoists, they ‘did not achieve much’ with
these kidnappings.
Henceforth, warns the latest internal report of the CPI (Maoist),
kidnappings should be ‘target-oriented’. Exposing their evil designs of
not valuing human life, the Maoists have asked cadres to ‘annihilate the
target’ if the Government ‘dilly-dallied’ negotiations. The focus of
the outlaws appears to be more on killing than on extracting ransom as
they have mentioned about not involving ‘liberal mediators’. This
indicates a shift from strategy of engaging in talks with the Government
to adopting a hardline and continue with the killings to create a reign
of terror.
(This report was first published in The Hitavada CityLine and the next day it appeared in The Indian Express)
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