AOB encounter a big blow to Reds

After a long lull, guns boomed again in the Dandakaranya region. The bullets fired this time created waves in the Red Corridor spread across four states. The major encounter that had taken place in the Andhra Odisha Boundary (AOB) is being described by Maoists as a ”cyclone” in the history of Naxalism, while the police describe it as an all-time record.

The confusion surrounding the incident and commotion among the rights groups is making people raise their eyebrows over the incident. The Maoist Party, which emerged as a strong outfit till the party leaders had peace talks with Rajasekhara Reddy government, plotted to kill even the then Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu. In the aftermath of peace talks, the police succeeded in obtaining vital intelligence about the Maoists and were armed with the latest photographs of Maoist leaders. With the availability of inputs, the police executed a pucca plan and roped in Special Forces’ services and launched a scathing attack on Maoists, dealing a severe blow to the Left Wing Extremism to the point that there were no Maoists in Andhra Pradesh.

Everyone thought that the Maoists limited their operations to neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Odisha, barring a few incidents in Telugu states that were perpetrated by the
Maoists to make their presence felt. The Maoists, who were dealt blow after blow that paralysed their activities in the aftermath of the peace talks, trained their eyes on
strengthening the party on one hand and gave priority to evade the police – central as well as state police forces – on the other. Maoists give top priority to security
vis-à-vis their agenda, whenever they hold party meetings and the plenary. Whether it is deliberations by the leadership or finalisation of the strategy or holding training classes for the cadres, a three-tier security cordon would be thrown in all around the venue.

All around the venue, the region would be extensively mined using the land and claymore mines. Live wire cadres would be posted on the sentry duty. With all these arrangements in place, the Maoists would go ahead about their activities. It is not immediately known whether the Maoists, armed with such organisational ability, were negligent and underestimated the police strength as far as the recent meeting, which culminated in a major encounter, held in the AOB region is concerned.

According to the police accounts, over 30 perished in the encounter, which had taken place in three phases. Civil rights groups and Maoists allege that as a prelude to the incident the Maoists were subjected to food-poisoning. The allegation is that the police laced poison with the food and opened fire on the Maoists unilaterally when the Maoists were unconscious. The mayhem unleashed is being described as encounter, they allege.

Apparently, the Maoists might have paid heavy price due to what appeared to be their gross negligence. Poisoning the food is not a new trick. In the past, because of poisoning the food, scores of Maoists perished. Let us recollect such incidents that had taken place in the past.

Six Maoists perished at Amudalapalli in Warangal district because of poisoning. Unofficial accounts indicate the reason for the death of 12 Maoists in the Manala forest region of Nizamabad district was poisoning them through food. Food poisoning seems to have played a crucial role whether in the elimination of Madhav Dalam in the Nallamala forest region or the Sudhakar Dalam in 2013 on the fringes of Khammam district by the police without arousing the suspicion of any. But, these incidents were recorded as encounters in the history of the Maoists.

How did the Maoists suffer from yet another food-poisoning incident in spite of past experiences? Analysts say the police could have executed their strategy with the help of a crucial person taking part in the plenary. Meanwhile, propaganda gained currency that the strategy was executed by the gun man of a top Maoist party leader who came out of the forests on party work and later returned to the woods.

The argument being advanced by the police seems to be very logical. They point out that had it been a case of foodpoisoning all the Maoists should have perished. But, some of them survived the encounter.

Referring to the civil rights leaders’ allegations that the top Maoist leaders RK and Gajarla Ravi are in the police custody, the police counter the allegations, saying that they are at a loss of comprehension what prompted the rights leaders to conclude that the Maoist leaders could be alive.

Police of the Telugu States once again proved their supremacy. Though the state was divided into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the experience gained by Telangana and AP police stood in good stead for them.

Officials of the first batch of AP Greyhounds are in crucial positions in both the states. In Telugu states, the SIB offi- cials are experts in hitting the target waiting patiently for any number of months, as was the case in the arrest of a top Maoist leader Puli Anjaiah in Bangalore, or apprehending of People’s War Group politburo member Nalla Adireddy alias Shyam, State committee member Yerram Reddy Santosh Reddy alias Mahesh and Seelam Naresh alias Murali from Bangalore. Maoists anticipate possible police attacks when crucial meetings involving the top leadership of the party are involved and keep ready suitable alternative shelters. In case of police attack, modalities like how to escape and where to meet would be worked out in advance. A route map about who should escape from the place in which direction will be prepared.

As far as the AOB encounter is concerned, the police saw through the plan- 1 and also the plan-2 ruling out the scope for the top leadership to reach the shelter zone. The police action resulted in severing of links between the leadership and frontal organisations.

In the past there were instances of the Maoists landing in the police custody while trying to flee towards the shelter zones or while approaching the rural doctors for treatment of injuries. As far as the current encounter in the AOB is considered, chances of the Maoists making good their escape or reaching their shelter zones appeared to be slim.

The people inhabiting the AOB area opine that the chances of escape are almost impossible, as on one side there is Balimela reservoir and on the other there is a huge hill. The rest of the two routes are under the police combing.

In such a scenario, where are RK and Gajarla Ravi? Suspense over their whereabouts is still continuing.

In an audio tape purported to be released by East Division secretary Kailasam, it was mentioned that Gajarla Ravi did not attend the plenary. Kailasam, without a slightest doubt, in a confident voice, went on record stating that some of the Maoists, including RK, were under the police custody. The suspense over the whereabouts of RK increased further as he mentioned that some of the comrades who always shadow RK got killed in the encounter, while the police picked up some others.

Within hours of receiving the audio tape, the police matched the voice sample of Kailasam with that of the voice in the audio tape and found it to be that of Galikonda Dalam commander and RK protection team member Krishna. The police said that false information is being leaked out to the media.

It could not be said with certainty when the suspense on whereabouts of RK, created by both the police and the Maoists, will finally lift.

According to a word from the grapevine, RK should have committed suicide by shooting himself to death to avoid arrest. The Maoist ideology is that the Maoists should try not to fall into the hands of the enemy as far as possible. Even if the Maoists die in the hands of the enemy, it is okay. But killing self would be regarded as an act of cowardice.

A letter threatening to kill Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu by deploying human bombs is not addressed by the Maoists, according to information received from groups concerned.

Questions evading answers

Many doubts regarding the encounter are yet to be cleared. One of them is related to Nayeem’s diary. The diary gave information about land settlements. But discussions are ripe that the encounter was carried out on the basis of the information available from the diary about the Maoist courier system and the latest strategies adopted by the party.

Another interesting point is that the police got information about some couriers operating in the Visakha Agency and AOB region.

Only time has the answer to questions like “What would be the fallout of the biggest ever encounter in the Maoist history? What would be the scale of the Maoist retaliation in the aftermath of the encounter? And, to what extent the counter strategies of the police would be fruitful?”

VENKATA KRISHNA PARVATHANENI