RAIPUR: Officials at Dantewada, one of the worst Maoist-affected districts in Chhattisgarh, has embarked upon a unique plan to publicly identify the Red cadres.
The names of CPI (Maoist) cadres, their address, crimes they had committed, the cases (if any) registered against them and the rewards they carry will be put up in lists at police stations, panchayat bhavans and public places.
The copies of these posters will be provided to each sarpanch of the gram sabha.
The initiative is intended to let the masses know about the Maoists and their supporters living in their region.
If any villager finds his or her name wrongfully listed, they can approach to the police directly along with the sarpanch to get it cleared So far, the lists have been prepared from 120 villages.
There have been several instances when even after the warrant been issued by the courts, the locals alleged that the person was wrongly identified as a Maoist.
Now, with the names out in public, the police expect the Red cadres have no option but to surrender. Also, this step is expected to check the allegations against security forces that they have killed innocent villagers during operations.
“There is nothing worse than facing unfounded charges that innocents were killed by security forces. We have prepared four types profile of the Maoists. First, those against whom there is a warrant issued by the courts. Second, cadres carrying rewards. Next are the supporters or jan-militia living in the tribal hamlets.
"And the last is of the Maoists who originally belong to Dantewada but the banned organisation has deployed them at other districts,” Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said.
The tribals usually return to their roots to meet the family, their community, their agriculture land, he said. “We will take measure to convince the family and the local tribal community to pressurise Maoists to quit the left-wing extremism,” the SP added.