Contrary to the claims of some rights’ organisations and people’s associations that they were being falsely linked with the outlawed CPI (Maoist) party, the Telangana police claim their actions are not without basis.
Recently, the State witnessed a spree of arrests of persons belonging to different organisations like Telangana Praja Front, Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika and Chaitanya Mahila Sangham. The common link in all the cases was the charge that arrested persons had connections with the proscribed CPI (Maoist).
Cases were registered against them by the police of Gadwal-Jogulamba district, Bhadradri-Kothagudem district and Rachakonda commissionerate. While the lawyers of the arrested persons contend that ‘links with Maoist charges’ were baseless, the investigators are confident that they have ‘irrefutable’ evidence against the persons.
“After the government banned the CPI (Maoist) party and six of its affiliate organisations like Radical Students Union, LWE organisers began floating new organisations. Through such entities, they are trying to execute their agenda,” says a senior police officer unwilling to be named. The new outfits are not banned by the government but surveillance on the clandestine activities of some key operatives was on, the officer said.
Investigators stumbled upon many documents (meant for internal circulation of Maoists) which suggest that the new entities operate with the guidance of top Maoist bodies like Central Regional Bureau (CRB). This CRB controls all committees of Maoists of Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Odisha. In some circulars, the CRB appealed to its cadre to make use of people’s associations to build support for the Maoist movement.
After the government banned the Maoists in 1992 (then People’s War Group of Naxalites) and other outfits associated with it, it persuaded its cadre to form ‘cover’ organisations and ‘legal and democratic’ entities to ‘carry forward their struggle’. “Though they claim that they are fighting for people’s rights and deny links with banned organisations, some of them have direct connections with Maoists,” say the police officials.
They cite Narla Sri Devi, wife of Maoist leader Thakkallapally Vasudeva Rao alias Ashanna, as an example. Ashanna, said to be the mastermind behind the killing of Home Minister late A. Madhava Reddy, and his wife both are Maoist leaders. They are believed to be operating from Dandakarnya presently. “We have evidence that Sri Devi actively worked with one such rights’ organisation,” say the police officials.
“We have clinching evidence connecting some activists of such organisations with the banned Maoists,” say the police officials observing that they would reveal the same at appropriate time.
