The Hindu : Naidu for arming village defence squads

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 16, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu for arming village defence squads

By N. Rahul

MEDAK, FEB. 15. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has recognised the need for arming civilians to meet the naxalite threat and has said he will put the issue before people.

If the proposal found favour with the public, the Government would have no objection to implementing the scheme, he told reporters here, before boarding the helicopter after the `janda panduga' campaign of the Telugu Desam Party on Sunday.

Mr. Naidu said the Government would examine the question of giving weapons to `gram rakshak dalams' (village defence squads) on a priority. Since the arms were expensive, Government would consider giving them at cheaper rates to commoners on demand. Overall, the Chief Minister was convinced that people required weapons to face naxalites in villages. But, the modalities would have to be worked out.

The Chief Minister was replying to questions from presspersons in the wake of demands from villagers of Rayapolu in Ibrahimpatnam mandal of Rangareddy district, where a TDP leader, Kishanji was killed by naxalites on Friday. Mr. Naidu, who visited the village, said Kishanji's residence was located in the midst of a cluster of houses, but none of the locals dared to confront the extremists.

When Mr. Naidu questioned them as to why they did not go to Kishanji's rescue, the villagers said they could not do so as they did not have weapons. The village has a population of 4,000 and the naxalites struck at broad daylight.

Our Staff Reporter writes from Hyderabad:

The Commercial Taxes Minister, K. Vijayarama Rao, said Mr. Naidu's proposal was sound as the People's War, of late, had been targeting TDP leaders.

He told a press conference that arms could be given as per the Arms Act. "They may be given free of cost." Weapons would enable people to exercise their right to protect themselves.

Mr. Rao, a retired IPS officer who served the State police and the CBI, cited the arming of people in Jammu and Kashmir and north-eastern States when they faced threat from terrorists, under the concept of village defence forces, while defending the proposal made by Mr. Naidu in Nizamabad district on Saturday.

He said: "The TDP is the target. There is no level-playing field before the elections, as the party has been targeted.''

He wanted killings of TDP leaders condemned by other parties, particularly the Congress.

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