STF trains revenue staff to detect extremist infiltration in villages

This awareness is essential for the revenue officers working among the people in reserve and remote villages.
Image used for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations)
Image used for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations)

COIMBATORE: Following an intelligence alert about preventing extremist infiltration in Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu Special Task Force (STF) has launched an awareness drive for revenue field officers, including Revenue Inspectors (RI), Tahsildars and Village Administrative Officers (VAOs), working in the remote villages.

As per official sources, around 40 organizations which were identified as being ideologically affiliated with the extremists, including Naxals, have been kept under watch, and the drive will cover 20 districts located along the Western Ghats, including Nilgiris and Kanyakumari.

A senior official from STF said, “The officers are being briefed on the history of the Maoist and Naxal movements, how they operate, their mission and their infiltration among the masses in the remote villages. This awareness is essential for the revenue officers working among the people in reserve and remote villages. By creating awareness, field officers can easily detect any infiltration of banned movements among the people. Once they identify their movements, they will alert us and we will take further action.”

The officer went on to describe the functioning of the outfits and said, “The outfits operate in four hierarchies. They survey the people first (Area survey), then politicise them (Political stage), then inspire the people to join their movement and finally make them fight against the government (liberated stage).”

“They are more active in the borders of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka states along the Western Ghats. Due to continuous surveillance in TN, they are unable to carry out their operation and are trying to meet people through other organizations which are ideologically associated with them. That is why we are concentrating on creating awareness about them among the field staff,” the officer said.

“They had active bases in Siruvani, Bhavani, Nadukani, Banasura and Kabini hills in the Western Ghats, and as we have curtailed their activities in TN, they are currently active in Banasura and Kabini bases. Based on the alert given by intelligence, we have started awareness drive in rural areas to prevent such movements. In border areas, we have to work with the support of neighbouring state police,” he added.

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