Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

PW forms two more squads in Khammam

By Our Staff Reporter

KHAMMAM July 16. The People's War has formed two more guerrilla squads (LGS) in the Khammam as per fresh reports received by the police. One has been operating from the Wajeedu-Venkatapuram and the other from Charla. There is a marked difference in the composition of the new guerrilla squads.

Unlike the squads that have been operating in Gundala and Kothagudem areas, the new LGS units have a predominant presence of people inducted from outside the district. Nine Gothikoyas (Moria tribals) from Bastar region of Chhatisgarh have been deputed by the Peoples War to reinforce its cadres in the district- particularly its newly floated Venkatapuram area committee.

Though the proliferation of numbers of the People War would mean, success of its efforts to consolidate its strength in the district, the official machinery stands to score a point in the tactical game. The efforts made in the direction of providing `tribal friendly' administration during the past four years paid off. The Peoples War recruitment plans were thwarted with vigorous pursuit development plans.

The Peoples War has a real ground strength of about 60 activists in the district. The hardcore elements of it would be less than half the number and those picked up from the agencies of the district would not be more than five to six. The check on the recruitment of the PWG is considered to be a major success of the `tribal-friendly administration'.

The new approach was the brainchild of A. Giridhar, who completed four years as Collector. He incurred the displeasure of the People's War for his consistent efforts to distance the tribals from the extremist groups. A major share of the employment generation funds were utilised targeting the tribal youths both educated and uneducated. Over 1000 tribal youths from the district were inducted into the army by organising special recruitment rallies.

The district administration focused its attention mainly for opening up the interior villages for the development. A cluster of villages in the core area of he Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary which remained cut of from the rest of the district had been the haven for the naxalite groups. The villages in mandals of Gundala, Pinapaka, Palvancha, Kothagudem, Tekulapalli and Aswapuram mandals touching the sanctuary area had turned to be the heartland of the People's War.

The administration had taken up implementation of schemes costing over Rs. 10 crores providing basic amenities- such as electrification, water, housing and roads to the affected villages. A road network opening up the tribal pocket from all ends- Gundala, Yellandu, Kothagudem, Palvancha and Karakagudem was sanctioned and its implementation was half way through.

A bridge was constructed across the Kinnerasani river providing the vital road link between the Gundala and Allapalli areas. The implementation of the welfare schemes in affected villages such as Damaratogu and Adaviramaram were personally monitored by the Collector and he visited them quite often daring the threats of the naxalites. The presence of the official machinery in the remote mandals was improved during the past two years by forcing the revenue and medical personnel at their headquarters.

A major bridge was proposed over Godavari river connecting Manuguru and Eturunagaram area with the remote Wajeedu and Venkatapuram mandals. The PWG attack on the Bodu and Karepalli police stations followed fortification of all the remote area police stations in a big way. The PWG leaders launched a tirade against the collector when the police stepped up pressure on the villages, which continued under the influence of the PWG by threatening to suspend the public distribution system.

The tribal agitation for land rocked the scheduled area villages in Dammapet and Aswaraopet in the initial year of Mr. Giridhar tenure as Collector. His approach to the problem, which became familiar `Khammam model' helped in distributing 4000 acres of land to the tribals. Though the administration was yet to go a long way in giving a final solution to the problem, the issue was effectively handled thus avoiding violence even at the height of tensions between the tribes and non-tribes.

The extremist groups including the CPI(ML Janashakti) tried to involve in the land issue. But timely response from the administration prevented the tribals from depending on the naxalite groups for leadership.

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