VISAKHAPATAM: CPI (Maoist ), the banned Naxalite outfit, is quietly working on a strategy to regain lost ground and resurrect the movement in Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts. Top Maoist leaders are learnt to be seriously chalking out plans to reclaim control over the AOB (Andhra Odisha Border) that acts as a bridge for Maoists moving from Chhattisgarh to Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh.
Once a safe haven for Naxals, AOB has in the past three years become hostile terrain due to heavy combing by security forces that has resulted in their hideouts, arms dumps and medical centres being unearthed and shut down.
With hundreds of surrenders and arrests of cadres, mostly from the militia network (the backbone of the banned outfit), posing a threat to their survival, Maoist leaders are trying to revive old squads to counter the growing police clout in the region.
Sources said, initially they plan to revive old squads with five to six members and beef them up gradually with cadres from the other side of AOB to show their presence in every nook and corner of the East Division and counter government claims that the movement is flagging.
"Instead of carrying big weapons, the squads will be equipped with small arms and will try to divert the attention of security forces with small strikes to aid hassle-free movement of rebels," said a source from the Agency area.
These revived squads would also take up a 'war campaign' against security forces and their 'atrocities' against tribals. Maoists are also planning to revive bauxite area committees by giving active militia commanders charge of educating tribals and sparking off agitations against the proposed bauxite mining and for rights of tribals on coffee plantations, which are under the control of State Forest Development Corporation (APFDC).
According to reliable sources, though they have not been too visible in Visakhapatnam district for the past six months, the Reds have already started sending out messages to active members of the Revolutionary Peoples Committees (RPCs) in villages, militia network and sympathizers in the area to join their rank and file and have been quietly conducting meetings in several villages for the past three weeks.
They also held a meeting at Rachakota in the Visakha agency about five days ago to utilize their militia network to gather information about the present conditions in the tribal belt.
In the early 80's, Maoists, then the People's War Group, had entered East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts with small squads of five members led by the present Central Military Commission (CMC) chief Namballa Kesava Rao alias Ganganna alias Basava Raju and went on to build strong squads like Yallavaram, Tandava, Nagulakonda, Sabari, Maredmilli, and Gurtedu, before area committees were set up in early 2000.
But, after 2005, these squads vanished due to strong action by security forces, lack of proper recruitment from among the educated classes and a change in the mindset of the younger generation.
However, police authorities said though they had heard about the move, nothing concrete had happened so far. "We have no information about the revival of squads. They have drastically lost ground in Visakhapatnam and are operating with only one area committee in Korukonda.
With surrenders and arrests of hundreds of militia members, they have almost lost ground in Galikonda. People are now coming to police stations without fear. Even if they try to revive old squads, they will not get the expected results because of the lack of cadres and leaders," said Visakha Rural SP and anti-insurgency expert G Srinivas.
Cops have lately intensified efforts to penetrate Maoist strongholds and establish their intelligence network in interiors like Gunukurai, Budaralla, Gorrelametta, Annavaram and Kannavaram and have also embarked on a 'Sadhbavana Yatra' to reach out to people in the interiors and coax the families of underground cadres to give up arms even as the government has enhanced cash rewards for underground (UG) cadres.
Maoists plan to resurrect movement in Andhra Odisha Border
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Maoists plan to resurrect movement in Andhra Odisha Border
