The Hindu : Unexpected setback hits PW in Nizamabad dt.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 28, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Unexpected setback hits PW in Nizamabad dt.

By Ravi Reddy

NIZAMABAD MARCH 27. The People's War movement in Nizamabad division has virtually taken a beating in recent months and the encounter killing of Polam Sudarshan Reddy alias Ramakrishna has only compounded its woes with the party facing an uphill task to find a successor and revive its activities.

A major crisis has gripped the party in the division if the events of the last few months are any indication. It started with the death of the then Nizamabad division committee member, Ilanna, in January last followed by the killing of the Nizamabad division committee secretary, Padmakka, in the Nerel encounter last year. The killing of Padmakka came as a bolt from the blue for the party. Even before the party could cope with the unexpected setback, it received another blow.

In January this year, three naxals were killed in an encounter with the police in the Manala forest area, which included a district committee member, Bhaskar, in charge of the Karimnagar West area. If this was not enough, the party was forced to make the announcement about the desertion of one of its senior cadre from the party. The Bheemgal, Sirnapalli, Kamareddy LGS commander, Ganganna, and his wife Laxmi, abandoned the party and their whereabouts are not known.

These far-reaching developments in the division have brought the PW movement to a standstill. The death of RK has caused the biggest setback in the division. The PW, already facing one of its worst crisis in the division, would take months to recoup its resources and set the party on the right course.

The death of Ramakrishna, Bhaskar and desertion of Ganganna, has left the party with only one Division committee member, Swamy. Barring Swamy, there is no notable senior cadre, who could win the hearts of the party cadres and strengthen it. What is even worse is the decision to wind up the 9th platoon and merge the same with other armed squads in the division. Only division action teams are active at present.

Largescale surrenders, fewer recruitment and open opposition to the armed squads in the villages and frustration among the underground cadres is causing concern among the PW leaders in the division. The party tried all means to encourage more youth to join the PW but to no avail and it faced further trouble when the experienced cadres bid goodbye to the movement and surrendered. The statistics of the last three years presents a pathetic picture of the party in the division.

In 2001, in all 58 cadres including one district committee member, Bestha Ramulu alias Dayanand, besides four dalam commanders and one deputy commander surrendered in the district. In 2002, the figure stood at 53 with two squad commanders coming out of the underground movement. Two People's Guerrilla Army platoon members and 18 dalam members quit the movement. This year so far, 11 extremists have given up the armed struggle. The situation is so pathetic in Nizamabad district that there are only seven underground cadres hailing from the district, while others have been drafted from the nearby districts to strengthen the movement.

If the party is faced with internal trouble, the district police has taken maximum advantage of the situation. Police officials have started moving in the most affected areas and are provoking people to oppose the naxals. Some of the villages have even passed resolutions asking the naxals not to enter the villages. The police took up several welfare and development measures in the worst naxal affected villages thereby winning the confidence of the rural people.

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