Cop cover to counter Maoists

By SNV Sudhir


Visakhapatnam, June 27: Exactly a year ago in the month of June the
outlawed CPI Maoists gunned down Zilla Parishad vice chairman, Sammidi
Ravishankar, belonging to Congres party in open in Hukumpeta which is
known as the one of the strongholds of the extremists in the Andhra Orissa
Border (AOB). Police never dared to enter those places due to the strong
network the extremists have with the local tribals. But now things have
changed. In April this year the district superintendent of police Dr Akun
Sabharwal went to the house of the Maoist Vizag division committee
secretary and one of the important leader of AOB Special Zonal Committee
(AOBSZC), Ganesh house, in uniform, in one of the interior villages
under the same Hukumpeta Agency mandal, interacted with Ganesh family
members. The local tribals received the SP with warmth.
The police extended help to the family. They provided a home guard job to
Ganesh’s younger brother and gave some supporting material to run a cycle
repair shop to another brother. Thanks to the superintendent of police
Akun Sabharwal who took an initiative to launch various welfare measures
and friendly gestures which brought a considerable change in the attitude
and the mindsets of the villagers and due to which the police were able to
move free in the villages.
For years the police were seen as enemies in the Agency villages, which
are the strongholds of naxals. The situation has changed now. The police
have distributed SSC study materials to the tribal students, organized
computer classes, and distributed cricket and volleyball kits to the youth
for recreation, sewing machines to the women. For entertainment police
also distributed more than 20 Television Sets with DTH connections. Police
felt that the tribals were ignorant of certain issues happening around the
world and were in dark all these days.
To awaken them and to provide a bit of entertainment they have distributed
these TVs with DTH connections. Earlier the special combing parties used
to face mild resistance from the natives while entering the tribal hamlets
as part of their combing operations. But now the parties are welcomed with
a smile on the faces of the native tribals. The special combing parties
are carrying some general medicines for pains, fevers and other minor
ailments. They distribute the medicines to all the villagers when they
visit them during their combing operations. Until now since a year the
combing parties have distributed about Rs 4 lakhs worth medicines.
“There’s an absolute change in the attitude of the natives. Earlier our
men used to have a tough time to take up combing operations. Forget the
extremists it used to become a major challenge for the parties to face the
native tribals in the first. Now the situation is entirely different. I my
self went to some strongholds of Maoists to meet their parents. The
natives welcomed me with a warm reception. Which shows it all. With the
TVs we distributed now the tribals are able to see the real outside world
and what’s happening around them. They are slowly realizing why they were
lagging behind the development and who are hindering it. Till now they
were in their own world. They never came out and some vested interests
never allowed them to see the outside world, ” said district
superintendent of police Dr Akun Sabharwal. Police also launched a bus
service from Bangarumetta to Paderu for the benefit of the tribals. The SP
also traveled in the bus when he launched the service. These welfare
measures and friendly gestures have also proved to be helping the police
in other two aspects also. On one hand they could develop and build strong
information network, gained an entry to the naxal bastions. And on the
other with the police coming close to the tribals more insiders of the
Maoists are coming forward to give up and surrender. A recent encounter at
Gunukurai in GK Veedhi Agency mandal where four extremists including three
women members and one important leader Ranadev, who was the master mind
behind the Koraput and some more major attacks in Orissa and Chattisgarh
recently was the result of the strong information network police developed
through the recent initiatives of welfare measures. “Now we feel more
safe. We were sandwiched between both naxals and police until recent
times. Police used to harass us branding everyone as naxal sympathizers,”
said Pangi Sorri, belonging Hukumpeta. Police also formed youth groups in
most of the villages. “We are extending our help for the welfare of the
tribals. Besides providing all the possible entertainment
and recreation which they lack,” Sabharwal added. The surrenders also
increased in the recent times. In a period of just 11 months 53 extremists
surrendered before the superintendent of police, who included a commander
cadre man, 4 deputy commanders, 18 members and 30 militia members. However
skeptics felt that these are just dubious PRexercises by the police to
turn the natives towards them. “These are just PR exercises taken up by
the police for the benefit of themselves. They are not at all committed
towards the welfare of the villagers,” said a rights activist. However the
Maoists have gunned down at least 4 persons in recent months saying that
they were helping police by leaking key information about their movements.