Rebels go back on peace promise

Times of India, July 10, 2011
BHUBANESWAR: Going back on their commitment while releasing the then Malkangiri collector held hostage, the Maoists have indulged in wanton violence and killed as many as 22 people, including nine tribals and nine security personnel, in the past five months in Orissa. The casualty from the extremists' side was three during the period, official sources said.


A test check of the records revealed the rebels did not confine themselves to their old tactic of killing constables and home guards only and indulged in destroying public property, looting people, blocking traffic on highways and attacking families whom they suspected to be police informers.
Orissa has been witnessing escalating Maoist violence with incidents of killing of innocent people in regular succession. The government has faced severe flak from all quarters for failing to initiate serious action against the extremists.
The Maoists' attitude has disappointed the government to say the least, which believed a lenient attitude on its part might change the stance of the rebels to some extent. "Maoists resorted to violence just a few days after the agreement with the government was signed in February preceding the district collector's release," said a senior home department official.
The Maoists had kidnapped the former Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishana in mid-February and a junior engineer who accompanied him to the cut-off area for supervising welfare works. The government had agreed to negotiate for the release of the two officials with three interlocutors selected by the Maoists. A 14-point agreement was arrived at, leading to the release of the two officials.
"As per the agreement, the government initiated steps for withdrawal of nine major cases against the rebels, four of which have already been allowed by the court, resulting in release of Maoist leader Ganti Prasad and four others from jail. The other cases will come up soon," a government official said. "It is surprising that the Maoists continue to kill people. The security forces have so far exercised utmost restraint in not launching major offensive against the extremists, but our apprehension that the Maoists would never keep their promises has come true," he said.

The official cited several major violent incidents like March 8 attack on Erla Ashram school, injuring the headmaster and another teacher, destruction of construction works and machines used for it, March 31 dacoity in Sorada of Ganjam district, April 2 kidnapping of five villagers from Naglur near Kalimela in Malkangiri district and killing two people among them, May 2 attack on police team near Daringibadi in Kandhamal district in which one havildar died, May 3 murder of contractor Tuna in Sinapalli area of Nuapada district, May 9 looting of household articles Gagarmetla village in Malkangiri district, attack on Golamunda block office in Kalahandi district, burning of nine vehicles at Chunabhati in Sundergarh district to prove his point. And in one of the most violent incidents, Maoists ambushed a team of Chhatisgarh police near Sunabeda in Nuapada district on May 23, killing nine people and looting firearms.

One of the interlocutors Dandapani Mohanty, when contacted, refused to elaborate why the Maoists have continued to cause violence in the state. "The Maoists can best answer this question. It was a hostage crisis and we intervened to bring peace and release of the officials," Mohanty said. "I am all for peace in society. There are allegations coming in from the Maoists' side that security personnel have killed nearly 45 of their men. We are verifying the truth and would soon come up with a statement," he said.