Reds infusing young blood into their ranks

Visakhapatnam: The CPI Maoists have again proved their strong sway in the Visakhapatnam agency. Contrary to claims of police that youth are not evincing any interest in joining the extremists, the young blood played a key role in latest Maoist operation in which Araku MLA K Sarveswara Rao and former MLA S Soma were gunned down. 

Over 50 armed Maoists, with several women aged between 18 and 21 years, were said to have participated in the operation. The dastardly act comes after a lull of nearly five years in Maoist activities in the Agency area. It is believed that the area is being used as a shelter zone by the Maoists to escape the heat of anti-Maoist operations in Odisha and Chhattisgarh states. 

In the wake of several youth welfare programmes taken up to wean the tribal youth away from Left extremists, cops have claimed marked fall in Maoist activities. As if lending credence to their claims, there have been many surrenders by the Maoists during the lull period. Encounters too did wipe away some presence of the party.

The fact that a woman commanded the Maoist dalam that shot dead the people’s representatives has jolted the Maoists. They are taken aback by the presence of a strong contingent of relatively young force behind abduction and killings on Sunday. 

According to eyewitnesses, the Maoists charged the MLA and the former MLA with acting against the interests of Maoists. “Yes. It is a big jolt to the police department. Over 50 armed Maoists at 11 am entered the village and carried out the killings, thus proving their strong existence. 

The reported presence of many youth in the dalam is a cause of major concern. However, they do not belong to Visakhapatnam agency. Most of them belong to Odisha and Telangana State,” an inspector who engaged in anti-Maoist operations told The Hans India.