Activists have questioned the veracity of the banners that have surfaced in a village near Sringeri and raised doubts on whether they have been indeed put by the Maoists.
Activist Shivasundar of the Citizens for Peace Initiative, who had earlier negotiated the rehabilitation of two former Maoists into the mainstream last year, said such banners, if issued by the CPI (Maoist) would also be signed by a Maoist leader with the name of the committee he or she heads.
“The Maoist movement in the State is still holding firm on its stand of boycotting elected representatives and violence. The banners seem to be fake, put up by aggrieved villagers and environmentalists,” he said. He added that the banner about the dumping of waste generated during functions at Raita Bhavan in a lake and forest was about a very local issue and seemed to be the handiwork of a concerned activist from the area.
Senior journalist Gowri Lankesh, member of the State-level committee overseeing rehabilitation policy for Left-wing extremists, said the banners looked like not the ones put up by the CPI (Maoist). “I remember a gram panchayat in the area had got a letter from ‘naxals’ in the late 2000 threatening to burn the vehicle and office of the GP if a particular road was not laid. The panchayat swung into action and did the work. Somebody seems to be emulating it again,” she said. However, she added that if it was indeed a changed stance by the CPI (Maoist), it was welcome.
Investigation under way
The police are trying to ascertain as to who put up these banners. “Only investigation can tell us if it was the CPI (Maoist) which indeed put up those banners,” a senior police official said.
T. Sunil Kumar, Additional Director-General of Police (Internal Security Division), said the tone and tenor of the banners, allegedly put up by CPI (Maoist), were very different and conciliatory when compared with the several previous posters put up by them.
“They had always boycotted elected representatives. But these posters are appealing to the recently elected panchayat members to work for the tribal rights cutting across party lines. While earlier posters issued threats, the tone here is very conciliatory. If this is true, it may be a change in their strategy to garner more support and regain losing ground. We are probing as to who put up the banners. However, there was no recent Maoist activity in the area,” he said.
The tone and tenor of the banners, allegedly put up by CPI (Maoist), are very different and conciliatory compared with the previous banners put up by them.
T. Sunil Kumar,ADGP (Internal Security Division)
These banners do not look like the ones put up by CPI (Maoist) activists.
Gowri Lankesh,journalist and member of the State-level committee for overseeing rehabilitation policy for Left-wing extremists
