Maoists put Telangana on powder keg

Hyderabad: If the din and bustle in otherwise sleepy forest fringe villages on either side of the Godavari River abutting Dandakaranya (DK) stretched over four districts of Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar and Adilabad in the last few days are any indication, the people living here are just sitting on a powder keg.

While maintaining six ruling TRS leaders of Bhadrachalam Agency in Khammam district in their captive, the CPI-Maoists allegedly put up posters and pamphlets on Friday urging the people to commemorate the 15th People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) week from December 2 to 8. They also urged the people to support their red path by sending at least one person from each family.

Though the abduction of TRS leaders took place on Wednesday, neither the locals nor the police reportedly took it seriously initially as such detentions were very common here. The locals were used to meet the outlawed outfit members whenever the latter called them up.

It’s learnt that Maoists detained the TRS leaders to question about the allotment of sand ramps in Venkatapuram, Wajedu and Cherla mandals, which have become lucrative after the high-level bridge across the River Godavari between Mullakatta in Warangal district and Pusuru in Khammam district came into operation.

Meanwhile, the unconfirmed reports say that administration didn’t intensify the combing operations in the Agency for two reasons. Firstly, the police are still taking it as a routine incident. Secondly, there is a possibility that intensification of combing may induce the ultras to kill the detainees.

Elsewhere in Adilabad district, after an exchange of fire in Pembi police station limits on Wednesday night, the police have launched a massive search operation in Khanapur, Indravelli and Ichoda forests for Maoists. Though the police deny, it’s speculated that Bakkanna and another Maoist were in their custody.

According to reports, the police are suspecting resurgence of Maoist activity in the region after the recent killing of tribal youth Kursenga Ballar Sha at Keriguda village under Tiryani mandal by the ultras. It’s said that the ‘first encounter’ in Telangana after its formation, in which M Tech student Sruthi and Vidyasagar Reddy were killed in Warangal district a few months ago was a major step taken by the government to deter the youths joining from the outlawed outfit.

This was in the wake of intelligence inputs that Maoist functionaries were on a mission mode to cash in on the growing discontent among the youth against the government. Though the government appears to be nonchalant over the abduction of TRS leaders at this point of time, it is likely to go hard against the Maoists once the polling for the Warangal Lok Sabha by-election is over on Saturday, according to sources.

The higher-ups of Khammam police were not reachable when The Hans India tried to know about the developments with regard to the abducted TRS leaders. Meanwhile, the family members of abducted leaders made a fervent appeal to the Maoist leaders to free their breadwinners on humanitarian ground. They are also exploring options to convey their plea to the Maoists through sympathisers, it’s learnt. TRS Khammam district president Budan Baig Shaik consoled the families.

By:Adepu Mahender