Insurgent & Secessionist movements in India

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Maoists set ablaze four tractors in Maharashtra

The cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) set ablaze four tractors and three trolleys in Keshori tehsil of Gondia District on April 12. Around 50 Maoists intercepted four tractors and three trolleys in the forest patch between Rajoli and Keshori and set them afire. The vehicles belonged to some residents of Tadgaon and Junewani of Arjuni-Morgaon tehsil and Navegaon Bandh.

 

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NCP leader shot dead by Maoists in Maharashtra:

A 43-year-old NCP leader was shot dead allegedly by five armed Maoists in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, police said on Saturday.

Kewal Atkamwar, a former Zilla Parishad member in the district was attacked last night when he was sitting with a friend in front of his brother's shop at main square in Etapalli taluka, they said.

The Maoists pumped five bullets from almost close range and fled from the scene.

Two others — Prashant Kukulwar and Laxminarayan Parvatlawar — who were sitting along with the deceased, sustained bullet injuries and were rushed to Gadchiroli civil Hospital for treatment. Parvatalawar was later referred to Chandrapur Civil Hospital, police added.

Atkamwar was vice-president of Gadchiroli unit of NCP and was a close aide of former minister and tribal NCP leader Dharamrao Baba Atram.

This is the second political killing within three months. Maoists had earlier killed one Bahadur Shah Alam, president of Bhamragarh Taluka Congress Committee.

Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil, who is now the guardian minister of the Maoist-affected district, is also from NCP.

Meanwhile, in Gondia, a group of 50-60 armed Maoists set ablaze four tractors laden with wood logs, in a forest range near Umarpayli-Pokhardongri road on Friday.

According to authorities, the work to shift the fire wood from forests to Arjuni Morgaon depot was on and seven trucks were hired for this purpose.

The naxals poured petrol on four of them and set them on fire. They destroyed fuel tanks of the rest.

The outlaws also laid siege to the area till the tractors were completely burnt.

NCP leader shot dead by Maoists in Gadchiroli - Pune - DNA

 

[Dance]

Assam has become 'newest theatre of Maoist violence': Chidambaram

New Delhi, Apr 16 (ANI): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday said that Left wing extremism is a formidable threat, and added that Assam has become the 'newest theatre of Maoist violence'.
Addressing a chief ministers' conference on internal security here, Chidambaram said: "At the operational level there is no conflict between the state and central agencies. What is however worrisome is that in practically every case, a small group of people spring to the support of the suspect. Assam has emerged has the new theatre of activity of the CPI (Maoist)."
He said the CPI(M) Maoists have used every democratic tool at their disposal to threaten the internal security of India, be it through shutdowns, or through asserting their right to freedom of expression.
"Even while implementing a democratic strategy of police action and developmental action, some means must be found to blunt the propaganda tools employed by the Naxals," Chidambaram said.
He further said there is indeed a decline in the number of casualties in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East.
"The decline in violence has come down due to two reasons first effectiveness of security forces and second ability to reach out to adversaries and convince them that there is scope in the Indian political system for all shades of opinion," he said.
"But behind these figures lies a more worrying narrative. The target is the Indian state- the adversary doesn't recognise state borders," he added. (ANI)

Assam has become 'newest theatre of Maoist violence': Chidambaram

 

[fd24]

India Inc to help tackle Maoist terror

DELHI - In what is widely being perceived as a unique outreach initiative, the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has sought the help of corporate India to deal with with what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as "the biggest national security challenge facing India" - Maoist/Naxal terror.

Close on the heels of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee constituting the Bharat Livelihoods Foundation (BLF) last month, an organization to economically empower marginalized communities, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has sent out formal letters inviting leading business groups - the Tatas, Reliance, Wipro and Infosys - to become its partners and synchronize efforts with the government to squash the Naxal menace.

The insurgency, which is a drain on the national exchequer, has bedeviled large swathes of the country, killing more people each year than separatist terror, say surveys.

Maoist violence continues to dominate internal security concerns in India. In a potent reminder of how powerful the Maoists have become in the past four years, in April the Home Ministry revealed in its latest annual report that 3,240 people (including civilians and security forces) were killed last year in Naxal violence, compared to 1,034 in northeastern states and 496 in Jammu and Kashmir during the same period.

Almost all red-infested states witnessed casualties among civilians and security forces during the period with Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand reporting a high number of killings. Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Maharashtra are other states which have reported casualties in double digit figures consistently since 2008.
"The CPI [Maoist] continues to remain the most dominant and violent outfit among the various left wing extremist groups, accounting for more than 90% of total LWE [left wing extremism] incidents and 95% of resultant killings," the report noted.

And it is towards this end - and the subsequent loss of business to India Inc - that the UPA's latest initiative is aimed at. "Our objective is to create a total corpus of 1,000 crore rupees [US$200 million] to begin with," Ramesh wrote in the invitation letters to the captains of industry.

"This would enable BLF to be a sustainable, strong and meaningful organization in its efforts to scale up civil society interventions and transform the lives and livelihoods of the marginalized adivasis [tribes] living in and around 170 districts," Ramesh wrote. His ministry will hold a meeting with civil society, state governments and potential partners on April 27 to take the proposal forward.

The foundation, reveal ministry sources, will be managed on professional lines, with a chairman and a full-time chief executive officer. It will bolster developmental activities in watershed management, dairy, fisheries and agriculture. Holistically, it will focus on whittling down the gap between outlays and outcomes, ensuring better implementation of government programs.

"Among those who have most acutely felt the sense of exclusion and alienation are the adivasis, who perform poorly on every indicator of well-being, whether it be poverty, health or education," said a joint concept note on the foundation prepared by the rural development ministry and the Planning Commission.

"What is worse, given the specific demography of adivasi India, the pockets of adivasis' concentration have witnessed an unprecedented upsurge in Maoist militancy in recent years," the note added.

The government has approached the captains of industry as while mayhem and destruction have dominated the larger narrative of the Naxal movement in India, a raft of businesses have successfully managed to prosper in these places. This was likely boosted by Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives - as well as the payment of protection money.

"This means that when the Naxals see economic benefits percolating down directly to them, they are far more malleable," opines Dr Pradipto Baruah, a political scientist at the Jadavpur University. "These marginalized groups are willing to talk the language of growth and development, and when they see themselves as stakeholders in that process, they are willing to cooperate."

Delhi's multifarious attempts to control Naxal terror across the country have met with a lukewarm response. There are doubts that the three-year-old, $700-million Integrated Action Plan (IAP) has been able to bridge the "trust deficit" between the Maoists and civil society and the government on the other, the objective outlined by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Nonetheless, a revamped IAP is likely to be implemented from April 2013.

Planning Commission member Mihir Shah, a critic of the IAP, says the flagship program alienates the intended beneficiaries because locals are given no say in decision-making. According to Shah, the government officials responsible for the trust deficit in the first place are the ones who decide on the projects taken up under the IAP. "Without involvement of local beneficiaries and civil society as a third party monitor, the plan cannot work," said Shah, who is pressing for re-orienting the approach to IAP.

Under the government's new battle plan involving corporate India, resources from government schemes will enable the latter to develop better synergies with civil society organizations. Officials say that in the past two decades, some of the best innovation in improving livelihoods in the tribal areas has come from civil society and BLF is an effort to support these grassroots initiatives to uplift the tribal community.

According to experts, the challenge is to transform systems of administration and levels of awareness at the grassroots to ensure that well-meaning pieces of legislation (such as the Right to Information, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the proposed Food Security Act and Minerals Act) have the requisite impact on the ground. This development will gradually bring about the desired positive change in rebel mindsets.

The firms can participate in BLF by paying donations. Those shelling out about $40 million are given a board position. Though the government will not have any say in its day-to-day functioning, its funds will be disbursed to civil society in a need-based manner.

The primary reason why India Inc is willing to take on the Maoists is because these firms too are tiring of the government's inability to eliminate them, which takes a heavy toll on business. Ironically, Naxal violence is concentrated mainly in the mineral-rich area of the country where most of the precious iron ore, coal, bauxite and limestone are found.

None of these mineral riches can be exploited fully by business houses as Naxals regularly target their factories, mills and mines. Coal India, Nalco, NMDC, SAIL, Essar Steel and Tata Steel - which have operations in the eastern states - have all been victims of Naxal terror.

Jindal Steel, a $12 billion conglomerate, has had to hold back its plans to build a steel plant in central Chattisgarh due to Naxal attacks while Essar's iron ore plant has been targeted several times. Tata Steel's steel plant in the same area has also suffered damage. State-run enterprises aren't spared either. National Mineral Development Corporation and Steel Authority of India have repeatedly had their expansion plans scuppered due to the Naxal fear mongering.

Currently, according to unofficial reports, approximately 200 billion rupees are stuck in power and steel industries in this mineral-rich belt due to the Maoist menace.


Asia Times Online :: India Inc to help tackle Maoist terror

 

[SR 71 Blackbird]

2011 was quite a peaceful year in terms of Left Wing extremism.
Only 606 persons(SF's,Civilians,Maoists) were killed compared to 1005 in 2010,908 in 2009 and 721 in 2008.
Number of incidents also decreased from 2213 in 2010 to 1755 in 2011.
http://mha.nic.in/pdfs/AR%28E%291112.pdf
See Page number 35.

 

[SamranAli]

one thing i wonder that oo indian comments, POV, condolences, etc with the effect ones. They sould come here first before going to threads against Pakistan. sould put their house in order first.

 

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Civilian killed in Assam

Black Widow (BW) militants abducted one person, identified as Rahul Warisa, from Haflong town and subsequently killed him at Natun quarry, near Disa Giding village in Dima Hasao District. The abduction and killing was committed by five militants - Dkhai Dimasa, Daorat Dimasa, Dakoa Dimasa, Berma Dimasa and Loten Dimasa - on the instruction of BW ‘Deputy Chairman’,Phifran Dimasa. Phifran Dimasa was later booked on abduction and murder charge of Rahul Warisa on April 16 by Haflong police. Phifran in his confessional statement revealed that Rahul Warisa used to obtain huge sum of money under duress from various quarters in the name of BW including from Government contractors.

Left-wing extremism steadily increasing in Karnataka: Gowda

Left-wing extremism (LSE) is steadily increasing in five districts of Karnataka, chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda today said, demanding support from the Centre in training and provision of infrastructure to tackle it. Addressing the chief ministers' conference on internal security,


Gowda said while hardcore Naxal-affected states were being provided with additional funding, states like Karnataka which are also affected by the menace were not getting any support.
"The grand plan of left-wing organisations to infiltrate and expand their activities to infiltrate and expand their activities in the states sharing the Western Ghats is well known to the central government. As part of this plan, Naxal activities in the five Western Ghats' districts of Karnataka are steadily increasing," he said.

He said the state is requesting support from the central government in strengthening the manpower of anti-Naxal force by way of training, additional funding and provision for state-of-art arms but no such assistance has been given by the Centre.

Gowda asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure assistance to the state through CRPF's COBRA unit in training of Anti-Naxalite Unit staff of Karnataka Police and also to extend additional funding and supply of appropriate arms to the unit.

He said while Naxal-affected states have been allowed to set up critical infrastructure in the forest areas through relaxation of Forest Conservation Act, Karnataka has not been allowed to do so.

"In spite of our repeated requests, no such relaxation is being extended so far by the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment. Through this forum, I impress upon the Prime Minister to extend such relaxation to the Naxal-affected areas of Karnataka also," he said.

On the National Counter Terrorism Centre issue, Gowda said it has been modelled on such an agency in the United States but the scheme of things were different in the two countries.

He said, "We must not forget that the police, and law and order are state subjects under the Constitution and any direct entry into those areas by the Union government through such devices as the NCTC would encroach into the very federal arrangements and erode the powers of the states.

"The past experience seems to indicate the occasional misuse of criminal laws and central police establishments as well as para-military forces for political gains against the opposition-ruled states. There is no reason to suspect that the proposed arrangement in the NCTC will be an exception to it," he said.

The chief minister also underlined the failure of 12 boats, provided under the coastal security scheme, by the Centre to face turbulant weather and ferry to long distances.

"The boats supplied cannot be operated during inclement weather. They also cannot venture beyond four-five kilometres from the coastline. Secondly, co-ordination between the Coastal Police, the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy leaves much to be desired," he said.

He said communication arrangements covering the Navy, the Coast Guard and the Coastal Police were neither adequate nor comprehensive.

Gowda said boats of all types including fishing boats, merchant vessels and pirate vessels should be identified in such a way that fishermen from one state are not harassed by the Coastal Police of another state, which was frequently happening now.

He sought the Centre's help in intercepting communication among the terrorist organisations, through internet telephony, and satellite communications, with the assistance of agencies like the CBI and the RAW and also to clear supply of arms from ordnance factory.

Left-wing extremism steadily increasing in Karnataka: Gowda - Hindustan Times

 

[Windjammer]

Three boys 'kidnapped for recruitment' in militant outfit

Imphal, Apr 18, 2012, (PTI) :

Three teen-aged boys were reportedly recruited in the ranks of a militant outfit in Manipur and their mothers appealed to the outfit to release them safely.

Parents of the boys alleged that the three 15-year-olds were taken away from Sairemkhul village under Lamsang police station in Imphal West district by a militant outfit during their absence yesterday.

The three -- Ch Ajoynao, S Naothoibi and S Suran -- were taken away by the outfit for recruiting them, the parents said and urged the kidnappers to release their sons.

Lamsang police station said they have received a complaint regarding this they were investigating into the matter.

However, the sources said, it could not be confirmed whether the boys were kidnapped or they went on their own.

Local residents had staged a sit-in protest yesterday demanding safe release of the boys.

Three boys 'kidnapped for recruitment' in militant outfit

 

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Grenade recovered in Assam:

IMPHAL, Apr16: Discovering the movement of UG cadre in Uchepokpi, troops of 28 Assam Rifles of 9 Sector under HQ IGAR (South) launched operation in the area and recovered one hand grenade with detonator on April 15. The recovery was handed over to Lilong Police.

AR recovers ammunition | Kanglaonline

 

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Meghalaya cop killed:

SHILLONG: Officer in-charge of Bajengdoba police outpost in East Garo Hills, Sub Inspector BD Marak, was beaten to death while retired Police Havildar Jwel Sangma was grievously injured in an by a mob in Kachimari-Garopara village in Goalpara, Assam on Thursday night.

According to police, SI Marak had gone to Krishnai in Goalpara in his office vehicle along with Jwel Sangma and the incident occurred while they were returning from Krishnai.

“The duo probably had drunk liquor and while returning at around 6 pm their vehicle hit a cyclist causing injury to him,” an official with the East Garo Hills district administration said.

“After the police officer and his friend got down from the vehicle, a mob which gathered following the incident started assaulting them and also damaged the vehicle. Later, the seriously injured police official was taken to the Goalpara Civil Hospital where he was declared ‘brought dead’,” the official informed.

Meanwhile, the East Garo Hills administration on Friday asked police to register a case against the killing of the police officer by the mob.

12-yr-old physically-challenged girl injured in crossfire

A 12-year-old physically challenged girl was injured among two others in a gun battle between police and GNLA militants at Adokgre village near Chokpot in South Garo Hills on Friday.

Besides the girl, a police man and a GNLA cadre were also injured in the incident, police added.

In retaliation to the stand of the police to attack the camps of GNLA, the militants targeted a police team at around at 8.30 am on Friday at Adokgre.

In the cross fire, the physically-challenged girl, Donamaya Marak, who can neither see or hear, came in between and sustained bullet injuries, but she was rescued by the police personnel.

The girl is undergoing treatment at Tura Civil Hospital and is out of danger, sources informed.

Police, however, did not disclose the name of the injured policeman who was part of the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) engaged in the gun battle, saying that it was due to security reasons.

Police also claimed that a GNLA militant was also injured in the encounter.

According to police, the group of GNLA cadres who fired at the police team was led by the militant outfit’s ‘southern commander’ Baichung Momin who hails from Chokpot.

M

GNLA violence continues

Shillong, April 15: There has been no let up in the violence carried out by militants of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) despite the week’s deadline given to them to surrender.

On Friday, a police commando and a 12-year-old girl, identified as Donamya Marak, were injured in an encounter with the militants at Adokgre village near Chokpot in South Garo Hills.

The militants had ambushed the police team around 8.30am. The girl was caught in the crossfire and sustained bullet injuries. It is yet to be known whether the bullet that hit her came from the guns of militants or the police. She was later rescued by the police personnel on duty. She is undergoing treatment at Tura civil hospital.

The police commando, who was part of the Special Weapons and Tactics Team engaged in the gunbattle, received injuries on his left hand. The police have not disclosed his name because of security reasons.

A GNLA militant was also seriously injured in the encounter. The police said the group which fired at the police team was led by the outfit’s southern commander, Baichung Momin from Chokpot in South Garo Hills.

The GNLA has also stepped up extortion activities in all the three districts of Garo hills. The police have warned businessmen and traders not to cooperate with the GNLA.

GNLA violence continues

Maoists open fire at ambulance in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: As many as 11 occupants of an ambulance, including six children among others, had a close shave when naxals opened fire at the vehicle in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, sources said on Friday.

The ambulance carrying the children from Chintagupha to Dorpanal village for urgent medical treatment came under attack from the ultras on Wednesday. However, the presence of mind by the driver of the ambulance prevented likely tragedy, they said.

All the eleven occupants, including two doctors, a woman, six children and a medical assistant safely reached Dornapal village, police said.

In another incident in Simelvada village in Chintagufa police limits on same day, a group of 50 Maoists opened indiscriminatory fire on a team of security personnel, killing two women labourers working in the police camp construction site.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/chhat...-fire-at-ambulance-occupants-safe_769882.html

 

[Windjammer]

Naxals kill SRPF jawan in Gadchiroli

PTI
Naxals on Thursday shot dead a State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) jawan in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, police said.

R. R. Pande (50) of the SRPF group IV, Nagpur, was on escort duty and accompanying an ailing colleague to a local health centre at Fulbodi Gatta village in Dhanora tehsil when a group of ultras opened fired at him, killing him on the spot.

Pande was declared brought dead at the hospital, police said.

The Hindu : States / Other States : Naxals kill SRPF jawan in Gadchiroli

 

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2 women labourers killed in naxal attack in Chhattisgarh:

Raipur: Two women labourers were killed on Wednesday in a naxal attack in Sukma district of Chattishgarh, police said.

The incident took in Simelvada village in Chintagufa police limits this morning when a group of 50 Maoists opened indiscriminatory fire on a team of security personnel, killing the women working in the police camp construction site, they said.

The security men, posted in the camp also fired in retaliation but naxals managed to flee from the area unscathed.

The women died of bullet injuries. Searches have been intensified in the region following the attack, police added.

Two women labourers killed in naxal attack

 

[Windjammer]

Separatists gun down cop in Srinagar

Srinagar, April 20 (IANS)
A police officer was shot dead Friday by separatist guerrillas near a police station in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital, police said.

''Separatist guerrillas fired from close range at Sukhpal Singh, assistant sub-inspector of police, near the Bagyaz police station in the city Friday," a police officer told IANS.

Sukhpal Singh received two bullet wounds and was taken to hospital in a critical condition but succumbed to his injuries, family sources said.
No separatist group has accepted responsibility till now.

With the mountain passes reopening as spring begins, security sources have been put on high alert to thwart infiltration into the Kashmir Valley.

Separatists gun down cop in Srinagar

 

[Windjammer]

Naxals abduct IAS officer, kill bodyguards in Bastar

Raipur, Apr 21, 2012 (PTI)

Naxals today abducted the Collector of Sukma district in Bastar area of Chhattisgarh after killing his two bodyguards.

The ultras intercepted the vehicle of Sukma collector Alex Paul Menon, an IAS officer, in Keralapal area of the district while he was returning from a programme under `gram suraj campaign', top police officials said here.

The Naxals shot dead the two guards who were escorting Menon before taking him with them. A police team headed by Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shandilya has rushed to the spot, officials said.

Naxals abduct IAS officer, kill bodyguards in Bastar

 

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3 killed in grenade blast as Maoists attack MLA's convoy in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: In a deadly attack on the convoy of a legislator of Chhattisgarh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maoist rebels on Friday triggered a powerful landmine blast in the troubled Bastar region killing three people, police said.

The Maoists blew up one of the eight vehicles of the convoy in a forested area Pegrapalli in Bijapur district, some 500 km south from here. Two senior district unit leaders of the BJP and the driver of their vehicle were killed on the spot.

Maoists attack Chhattisgarh MLA's convoy, three killed - Times Of India