‘Tri-junction’ meeting on naxal menace held

An inter-State meeting of senior police officers from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, along with forest officials, was held in Mysore on Saturday to chalk out steps to combat the menace of naxalites, who are reportedly active in the border areas of the three States, with focus on their sightings in Kodagu and Sakleshpur regions in the State in the recent times.

Inspector-General of Police (Southern Range), K. Ramachandra Rao, who was instrumental in organising the “tri-junction” meeting, told The Hindu on Sunday that a database of the naxals operating in the forests in the three States was exchanged on the occasion.

`A number of power point presentations were made by officers on their experiences from the three States, including difficulties associated with the combing operations, Mr. Rao said.

The officers came up with the profiles and

the modus operandi of the naxals. The three States were dealing with the menace independently so far and the meeting had paved the way for a close coordination among them. Nodal officers had been appointed for the purpose and common information would be shared about the naxals in future, Mr. Rao said.

Naxal menace is only a recent phenomenon (since 2003) to the Karnataka police unlike Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which have been grappling with the problem since the late 60s.

‘Red corridor’

Mr. Rao confirmed that naxals were planning to create a ‘red corridor’ from Jharkhand to Wayanad in Kerala. Naxal elements functioned based on certain ideologies. They were sighted more in the Kodagu region in the recent times though their movement could not be ruled out in Mysore and Chamarajanagar forests.

More than 150 officers from the three States participated in the meeting. There were three officers of the rank of Inspector General (IG) of Police from Tamil Nadu, several Superintendents of Police, two IGs from Kerala, apart from SPs and DySPs, three IGs from Karnataka, including himself, in the meeting.

The issue of border check-posts in coordination with the neighbouring States particularly in view of the Karnataka elections too came up for discussion, he said.

The officers from the forest department in the ranks of Chief Conservators of Forests, Deputy Conservators of Forests, officers from the anti-naxal force, law and order, internal security, Central intelligence, participated.