Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It does not require the benefit of hindsight to argue that the Andhra Pradesh government in the past three weeks has done more to dignify the Naxalites than all of Gadar8217;s ballads put together. To make matters decidedly worse, the Central government is in visible and confused retreat on a significant law and order problem affecting more than 120 districts spread across 12 states. New Delhi has announced aid to Kathmandu to tackle Left extremist violence, but to state governments it has signalled a hands-off approach. Hyderabad is free to strike ceasefires, while, to take just one example, in Maharashtra cops struggle to deal with attacks by cadres resuscitated and regrouped in AP.
For the Naxals, these are good times. The Y.S.R. Reddy government caved in to their ludicrous demand that they be allowed to come overground for peace talks laden with arms. It not only halted all police action against PWG cadres, it has also transferred officials involved in anti-Naxal crackdowns. This gave the Naxal old guard freedom to organise morale-boosting rallies, their weapons and slogans affirming commitment to armed revolution at the ready. They have utilised the respite to consolidate and organise a merger with the Maoist Communist Centre and announce solidarity with the Maoists in Nepal. Violence is perceptibly up in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
