Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Police counter PW efforts to run parallel Govt.

By K.M. Dayashankar

KARIMNAGAR APRIL 2. In a bid to tackle nihilism being propagated by naxalites belonging to the People's War, the Karimnagar district police have turned champions of democracy.

If the naxalites ideology was to run a parallel government through the grama rajya committees (GRC) in villages, the police have countered it around by constituting the grama rakshana committees (GRC) by involving the people in policing.

If the naxalites' idea of constituting grama rajya committees was to develop informant network, shelter zones and involve militants in conducting small offences and also bringing youth into party fold, the police grama rakshana committees were designed to protect public and private properties from the wrath of naxalites, prevent property offences and also to nab the culprits.

On an experimental basis, the police GRCs were formed in Karimnagar liberated division to wean away the youth from joining naxalites by involving them in policing as also help them play a proactive role in the development of villages. They were also aimed at bridging the gap between the police and the public in the rural areas.

It may be recalled that the district police had announced liberation of entire Karimnagar sub-division from the extremist activities the last year by removing the names of the all militants from police records. By organising the `Parivarthana' sadassus (transformation conventions) in Huzurabad, Husnabad and Jammikunta last year, the police had removed the militant sheets against 1,165 militants.

After the liberation, the former militants and rural youth played a responsible role in villages by catching hold of fake naxalite gang members and handing them over to the police in Papakkapalli of Jammikunta mandal, Manikyapur in Saidapur mandal and Mallampalli in Huzurabad mandal.

Encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by the rural youth, the district police constituted grama rakshana committees with the youth involving all sections of people in villages. The police GRC members were imparted training in combating dacoits and laying ambush against the culprits and also patrolling in villages to protect their properties. The police were also planning to impart training in martial arts to the committee members so that they could take on unarmed combat.

According to the Karimnagar DSP, K. Buchiram Reddy, initially they constituted GRCs in three to five villages under each police station limits and later extend them to all major villages.

He also said that they were imparting training on how to identify notorious criminals and robber gangs.

The Superintendent of Police, R.S. Praveen Kumar, told The Hindu that the main purpose of the GRCs was to enable the people do policing in their respective villages and prevent major property offences. Patrolling of 30 to 35 villages with a force of 15 and odd in each police station was impossible, he said adding that in the face of the prevailing drought conditions, they were anticipating more property offences in the rural areas.

Accordingly, they had decided to involve the rural youth in patrolling of villages during the nights by forming the GRCs and involve them in policing, he pointed out.

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