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Will Indian Air Force strike at
its own citizens?
After the Indian
government seemed to be preparing grounds for launching air attacks
against its own poor citizens fighting for survival and minimal
rights and at many places organized under the banner of Naxalism,
the Maosist have appealed to the Indian Air Force not to attack the
poor.
"Please do not
strike at the sons and daughters of the soil," the Communist Party
of India (Maoist) appealed to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
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No laying
down of arms
Reacting to
Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram's call to Maoists to abjure
violence and take the path of democracy, Maoist leader Kisenji
said the people will not lay down arms till the state uses arms
to throttle their voice. He said, "The state should stop killing
its own people and only then we will lay down arms."
Claiming
that over one lakh paramilitary personnel had been deployed in
Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh against Maoists, he said,
"This cannot be conducive ground for talks. We know that the
Indian Air Force and the ground forces will come down heavily in
Chhattishgarh. We are ready." |
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The
communication came from the party's second-in-command, Koteshwar Rao
alias Kishanji (51). India's Air Chief Marshall P.V. Naik had said
it was absolutely important that the air force be allowed to fire in
selfdefence whenever its helicopters or air crew come under attack
from Naxalites.
Maoist rebels
have a strong presence in 223 of India's
625 districts. In eight years, Maoist violence has been rampant in
Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh
and West Bengal.
Both Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram have said
that the Maoists were the most serious internal security threat. The
Maoists are also preparing to face the massive offensive the Centre
is planning after the election results in Maharashtra are out on
October 22.
Kishanji, now
hiding in West Bengal, said, "It is evident that air raids are being
planned by the home ministry." He claimed that the Maoists,
including himself, were patriots and "respectable citizens". He said
they took refuge in the jungles around 30 years back and spread
their organisation over at least 11 states.
"Think over
twice and thrice before going in for an air strike against the
revolutionaries,"
Kishanji said,
adding, "Should the air raids take place, they would polarise the
nation as the civil society won't watch silently."
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Naxals strike again, and again
 Bhunaneshwar:
Armed Naxallites struck during a football match in Pandav
Village under Chandua Police Station in Mayurbhanj district of
Orissa, killing three policemen on Tuesday. The attack was aimed
at Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader and former Lok Sabha MP Sudam
Marandi. Marandi, who was on his way to the football match,
escaped but his two securitymen were shot dead. Some reports
said Marandi did suffer some minor injuries.
Earleir,
just a day after Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram declared
that Naxalite violence will not cast a dampener on the October
13 elections in Maharashtra, the rebels struck Gadchiroli
district on Thursday, killing 17 policemen.
A 300-strong
band of Naxals attacked a 40-man patrol party of policemen and
commandos of the elite anti-Naxal force C-60, just a km from the
Lahiri police station. They fought a pitched battle for four
hours.
In Bihar,
Naxals blew up the railway track at Simutala near Jamui in Bihar
disrupting traffic on the crucial New Delhi-Howrah rail route.
Inspector General of Police (Operations), Bihar, KS
Dwivedi said that security has been stepped up along railway
tracks to prevent Naxals from attacking.
Maoists in
the region have upped the ante after the recent arrest of
ideologue Kobad Ghandy — warning the state machinery through
posters and pamphlets to release their leader or face the
consequences.
In another
act of Naxal violence last Thursday, police guide Suresh Halame
(30) was beheaded in Malewada village, north Gadchiroli. An
armed group stormed his home and dragged him out before hacking
his head off in front of other villagers.
Senior
police officials have rushed to Lahiri with reinforcements —
over 3,500 police and Border Security Forces personnel.
In
Maharashtra polls on Tuesday, Naxalites targetted police and
poll personnel to enforce their election boycott call. In
Gadchiroli district, where 17 policemen were killed by Maoists
on October 8, Naxals opened fire at polling personnel at
Malewada in Armori constituency, triggering a brief shootout. At
certain places, Naxalites had dug up the roads, obstructing
movement of poll personnel.
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14
October 2009
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