THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the intense anti-Naxal drives by the police and even instances of attack on a cop by suspected left-wing extremists, the centre is yet to consider Kerala as a state facing Naxal threat.
Kerala has figured nowhere in the section on left-wing extremism in the latest annual report of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs released recently. Nine states, including neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, are considered as Naxal-hit in the report.
Over the last couple of years, around 20 cases pertaining to Maoists, including the attack on the house of a police official at Manathavadi, holding meetings and distribution of pamphlets, were registered in the state. Even senior Maoist leader Sinoj was reportedly killed in an accidental blast while making explosives in the forests of Wayanad.
“Compared to some other states, there are no incidents of deaths in attacks by left-wing extremists in the state. That may be why Kerala did not figure as a Naxal- affected state at the national level,” a senior police officer told Deccan Chronicle.
According to the MHA report, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar are the states worst hit by Naxal threat, and Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the other states that figure as Naxal-affected.
A total of 278 Naxal-related incidents and 82 deaths were reported in these nine states till March this year, whereas no Naxal-related cases were reported from any part of the state, according to the annual report.
Out of the 1,136 incidents in 2013, 1,129 were reported from these nine states, while only seven were credited to the rest of India, says the MHA report even as over 20 cases related to Naxal activities were reported in Kerala only.
“It seems only violent incidents were accounted for by the MHA and hence Kerala did not figure as most of the cases registered in Kerala pertained to meetings and distribution of pamphlets. The incidents of attack on a cop and the death of Sinoj may reflect in the next annual report of MHA,” police sources said.
The nine states identified as Naxal-affected are also getting huge funds (Rs. 7,413 crore in 2013-14) from the centre for the development of backward areas and anti-Naxal activities.
