Date:30/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/30/stories/2007123057250600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Police gear up to face the naxal challenge

Staff Reporter

Hopes that fresh recruitments would help in gaining greater control over Maoists

SP says most naxals are from other districts
Focus on Andhra-Orissa border

Kakinada: The district police are gearing up to face future challenges from the Maoists, having checked the menace to a large extent in the year that passed by. They (police) have arrested 29 hardcore militants and 130 sympathizers of the CPI (Maoist) and seized huge quantities of weapons and ammunition.

But, their task is only partly accomplished as the Maoists will obviously keep the battle going for a long time to come.

Optimistic lot

The police are optimistic that the New Year will be better due to the measures being taken to strengthen Andhra Pradesh Special Police and make fresh recruitment in the Police Department. These will help the police in gaining greater control over the Maoists.

According to the Superintendent of Police B Sreenivasulu, most of the Maoists currently operating in East Godavari district belong to other places like Visakhapatnam district. Few Maoists who are native of E.G district remain in the Agency areas as many of them surrendered having been fed up with the party ideology, oppression within the organization and for health reasons.

Most of the Maoists activities are taking place along Andhra-Orissa border and it is where the focus is laid. The SP said one police constable of Visakhapatnam died in an exchange of fire with the Maoists at Singanakota in March 2007. The number of Maoists who died in the year was five. The Maoists have killed two persons whom they branded police informers. The number of Maoists that surrendered has gone up from six in 2006 to 13 this year.

Maoist surrenders

Kakinada: R Manga alias Swarna, a member of Galikonda platoon of CPI (Maoist), surrendered before Superintendent of Police B Sreenivasulu on Friday citing ill-health as reason. She is a native of Dalipadu village of Y.Ramavaram mandal.

Manga had joined the proscribed outfit as a member of Konalova dalam in 2003 impressed with the party’s ideology enunciated by the Konalova area committee leaders Vikram and Anil. She also worked in the Gurthedu dalam and for a brief while under CPI (Maoist) east division secretary Jagadeesh.

Superintendent of Police B Sreenivasulu said that Manga was involved in 15 major incidents including the killing of one Gorle Ramesh at Pathakota on the charge that he was a police informer.

She also played an active role in the attacks on police at Singanakota, Gudlavada and Eedulabandha. The SP said Manga had worked in the party along with top leaders Ramakrishna, Bhaskar, Ganesh, Sudhakar, Chalapathi, Ranadev and `Tech Sankar’.