Southern States
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Andhra Pradesh
Naxals at the receiving end again
By Our Staff Reporter
NIZAMABAD, DEC. 11. In yet another sign of severe resentment against the activities of armed extremists of the People's Guerrilla Army (PGA), the residents of Lodepalli village in interior and highly affected Bejjur mandal of Adilabad district forced them to retreat from the village after they tried to burn the standing crop of a landlord.
Seven PGA members went to the highly naxal-infested village located in thick Bejjur forest last night and asked the villagers to provide them food. The villagers flatly refused to heed to the naxal diktat and instead asked them to leave the place immediately. The villagers told them in clear terms that because of their activities, the village had suffered a lot. The naxals tried to convince the villagers to provide them food but the latter were in no mood to listen to their plea.
The naxals then proceeded to the house of a local landlord, Narsing, and told the villagers, who had gathered there that they would burn his paddy crop. The villagers revolted asking them as to how they could target the landlord who had lost his property because of their actions. They also pointed out that the brother of Narsing Rao had been killed by the naxals for no fault of his. The villagers then proceeded to the paddy field of Narsing Rao and kept watch throughout the night.
Narsing Rao has been bearing the brunt of naxalite attack for the past few years. He was forced to leave the village and stays in a nearby town due to naxal threat. His house in Lodepalli was burnt two years ago by the naxals.
The naxals, sensing the mood of the villagers, simply went to a handpump and took some water in the plastic bottles they were carrying and went away.
The Kagaznagar DSP, Mr. Ch.Ramchander, confirmed the incident stating that the villagers had revolted against the activities of the naxals. He said the fact that people in an interior village like Lodepalli has resisted the naxals attempt to cause destruction was an indication that the PWG was losing sympathy among villagers.
Incidentally, the Bejjur police station is located in highly affected naxal area and the villages in the mandal are far away. The contact with the mandal headquarters is also less. Even the information about naxal movement comes very late. The Lodepalli police station is situated about 25 km from the Bejjur police station.
The DSP said a similar incident had occurred in Movad village under Asifabad police station limits when the local villagers took an oath to resist any attempt of the naxals to enter their village.
Mr. Ramchander said the village adoption programme taken up by the district police had evoked good response and the people were also distancing themselves from the naxalites. The PWG cadre were now facing the heat because of the change in the attitude of people.
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