Date:08/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/08/stories/2007090854860600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Attack on Janardhan Reddy follows series of setbacks

W. Chandrakanth

HYDERABAD: Friday’s naxalite attack on former Chief Minister and Visakhapatnam MP N. Janardhan Reddy, comes after a series of setbacks suffered by Maoists in the State, particularly in the year 2007.

Though there are clear indicators to show that Maoist cadres are regrouping in Telangana and north coastal Andhra Pradesh, the naxalites, senior police officials believe, were desperately in need of some ‘sensational action to enthuse their cadres’.

It is now believed that cadres recruited in neighbouring States are being “transferred” to Andhra Pradesh. There is also an apprehension among the police that inflow of funds to the Maoists has increased from Telangana region where the “right political ambience” has come into existence in the recent times. Whether some Maoists have penetrated the ranks of a political party is also being examined.

There was also the apprehension that with its top leadership moving over to shelter zones in other States, the Maoists were only waiting to strike at key targets at an unexpected location like Nellore which has been relatively free from extremist activity.

The argument that the Maoists were desperate to strike could well be attributed to the fact that the anti-naxalite drive has yielded significant results in the form of arrest of several important leaders, including some Central Committee members of CPI (Maoist) this year alone. Besides, 27 extremists, including one Central Committee member and State Committee secretary of Karnataka, Sande Rajamouli, were killed in 32 exchanges of fire in the last nine months.

On the day that Rajamouli was killed (June 22) , Somanna, a State Committee member, was felled in an encounter in Warangal.

Among the 428 extremists arrested this year were three State Committee members and two district committee secretaries. Eight Central Technical Committee members, including Mohan Reddy, were arrested from Rourkela on January 12. An arms manufacturing unit in Bhopal was busted with inputs from the A.P. police. Among the 138 surrendered were important leaders like Naganna.