Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Sees Daal Mein Kala In Maoists’ Peace Talk Offer

Meanwhile, sources quoting intelligence inputs told this newspaper that at least a dozen key functionaries of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) including four Central Committee Members (CCMs) are suspected to be holed up in the Karregutta hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, laid siege to by around 24,000 security personnel for the last ten days.

The four CCMs who are said to be hiding in the forested hilly terrain are Chandrana, Ramachandra Reddy, Sujatha, and Hidma Madvi. Besides, People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion number one commander Barsa Deva along with several Central Regional Committee (CRC) members and PLGA battalion one cadres is also suspected to be trapped by the security forces in the hills.

“Though there have been a lot of high intensity operations executed in the last couple of years in Bastar in Chhattisgarh, this operation has attracted unprecedented attention because of the strategic location and a good number of high-profile Maoist leaders being trapped in it”, a senior police officer here said.

When contacted, Bastar range inspector general of police P Sunderraj said, “The outcome of anti-Naxal operation (in Karregutta hills) is not only about the number of Maoists killed or number of weapons recovered but clearing the area from captivity of banned Maoist outfit and making the land safe again for the native population is also an important objective of this operation”.

The counterinsurgency will continue till the 800 sq km-core area of Maoists is fully sanitized, police said. “For security reasons, we can’t disclose more details about the operation till it comes to an end”, Mr. Sunderraj said.

The intelligence bureau (IB) chief Tapan Deka reviewed the operation at a high-level official meeting here late on Tuesday, sources said.The deputy chief minister Mr. Sharma questioned the ‘motive’ behind the ‘sudden’ move by the peace talk committee to ‘mount pressure on the government’ to hold dialogue with the Maoists.

“Who are these people who offer peace talks on behalf of Maoists? Why are the Maoists not coming forward to hold dialogue with the government as we have assured them of their protection? Why did such a peace talk offer did not come when Bastar witnessed major Naxal attacks?, he asked and added that the peace committee suddenly considered it appropriate to initiate the move for peace talk because many Maoist leaders (holed up in Karregutta hills) are from the Telangana State Committee (TSC).

The peace committee leaders, Justice Chandrakumar, Professor Haragopal, Professor Anwar Khan, Durga Prasad, Jampanna, and Ravi Chander met Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy at Hyderabad on Sunday and urged him to take an initiative for a dialogue between the Union government and the Maoists.