PALAKKAD: It was in 1980 a group of four Naxalites from Andhra Pradesh entered the southern tip of Maharashtra, which is now part of the Dandakarnya region, to spread the Karimnagar/Adilabad Movement in those areas.
It has been almost four decades since they had started their sustained and well-orchestrated squad work. Now the Maoists there have become a powerful force and they have the support of thousands of people.
This tip of information is enough to alert Kerala Police because there are enough indications that Maoists in Kerala have been trying to copy what they had done in other places.
The information that the Maoists have been conducting regular classes in Attappadi and receiving food and other commodities from the tribal households for money sends a chill down the spine of Kerala Police.
Going by the words of one of the tribal promoters in Attappadi over a 100 Maoists
are there in the group and they often visit adivasi settlements in groups of six or eight. It was also learned that a group of Maoists had taken a class for adivasi people at Edavani two weeks ago demanding them to join them in the fight against the government. “In the meeting, they said that the government has not provided us with any basic amenities despite being ruled for years. They also asked us to go with them to show us the right way for a better future,” said one of the tribals.
“In the meeting we were also directed not to inform about this to anyone. We are in between devil and deep sea. On one side the Maoists and on the other side the torture of police,” he added.
The adivasi people said that women aged between 20 and 25 are among the Maoists and the male members are aged between 20 and 35 years except their leader who is over 45.
“These people stay at Edavani, Anavayi, Kenattukara and Thadikundu and they won’t come down to Thazhethudukki. They won’t stay in one place all the times but keep on shifting their locations,” said another tribal member.
An intelligence report warns that the chances are very high that the terror groups, Maoists and other anti-social elements exploit the pathetic living standards of the adivasi and other SC/ST population in the state by offering money, liquor and better lifestyle in to find a safe haven to expand their anti-social activities.
Most of the colonies lack basic infrastructure and the inhabitants do not get proper food, drinking water, shelter, healthcare etc.
“There is strong presence of Maoists in the tribal colonies and forests of various districts across the state for the last one year. Besides, the poor living standards in the tribal belt demand serious consideration. Chances are high that the miscreants exploit this,” said a top police official. He stressed the role of district administration in improving the living conditions of the tribal people and thus prevent the miscreants from exploiting them.