KHAMMAM: Tribal hamlets along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border in Khammam district have been gripped by fear after a spike in Maoist activity in the region of late — particularly in the form of recruitments. The Reds are known to become more active during the monsoon season when the forests become thick and roads get damaged by the rains, restricting the movement of security forces.
However, this year, senior police officials have noticed that the Maoists have started actively recruiting new members, possibly due to the losses suffered by the cadre in the series of a gunbattles with security forces over the past year.
Police in Telangana tell Express that they are focusing on youngsters belonging to the Gothi Koya tribe, who are otherwise being neglected by the Chhattisgarh state government. “But, this monsoon season, we have information that Maoists are taking up recruitment drives in Cherla forest area near Chhattisgarh border, quite aggressively.
There is sudden surge in Maoist activity in the agency areas. They are trying to attract unemployed tribal youth in Telangana, who live along the border areas,” a senior police officer told Express. According to him, a lack of monitoring and negligence by the government of the neighbouring Chhattisgarh is responsible for the sudden rise in activity.
After a series of recent encounters in which Maoists were gunned down by security forces, the Reds have reportedly become cautious. “We are aware of fresh recruitment of the cadre. Greyhound and CRPF are trying to find the recruitment camps,” a police officer in Dummagudem told Express. According to him, additional Greyhounds and CRPF forces have been deployed in Agency and border areas.