Date:28/11/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/11/28/stories/2002112806680400.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Anti-naxal operations will continue, NSA to be invoked

By V.S. Palaniappan

COIMBATORE Nov. 27. Anti-naxalite operations in Dharmapuri have been intensified and the police will invoke the National Security Act against the 25 persons who were nabbed during the last three days, Narinder Pal Singh, Inspector-General, Western Zone, said today.

Talking to The Hindu, here, he said the areas under the Uthangkarai, Kalavi and Mattur police limits, in the Harur sub-division, which had become vulnerable to naxalite activities, were under heightened vigil.

Going by the weapons and literature seized, a group of nearly 30 naxalites had been using these forest pockets as a training ground ("Dalam'').

The police cracked down on this group during the training itself, ``thanks to timely intelligence and action, averting major untoward incidents and sabotage. Without ruling out the possibility of the presence of more groups, the IGP said intelligence gathering had been stepped up''.

The hunt continued for a handful of naxalites down the line. But all key leaders had fallen in the police net.

Efforts were on to establish the links these naxalites had with other outfits, especially the Peoples' War of Andhra Pradesh, from whom they were suspected to have drawn "inspiration''.

The seized literature, in Tamil, Telugu and English, largely pertained to guerilla warfare. It included a manual on manufacture and use of explosives, hand grenades and assembly and use of sophisticated firearms and other weapons.

The police were also trying to ascertain the source of two seized ``High Explosive 36 Hand Grenades'', known as HE 36, supposed to be available only with the Army, and single and double-barrel guns.

The literature largely campaigned in favour of landless peasants and workers declaring landlords, industrialists and bureaucrats ``class enemies of the people''. It expressed a lack of faith in democracy and reposed confidence only in armed revolution.

Mr. Singh said the Anti-Naxal Operation Special Cell at Dharmapuri was being fine-tuned. As an ad-hoc measure, a company of the Tamil Nadu Special Police Battalion was kept as standby in the Harur sub-division.

The focus would now be on increasing visible policing to curb naxalite activities, by filling up vacancies in the district, once the present batch of recruits completed its training. The police would also think of deploying a special company in Dharmapuri permanently.