PWG celebrates its Martyrs146; Day in open

In their first show of strength after the ban was lifted, People8217;s War Group and its sympathisers attended a mammoth meeting where a 8220;martyrs8221; memorial8217; was unveiled in this tiny village of Warangal in AP on Wednesday. The memorial, in the form of a pillar with a sickle holding the globe atop, was unveiled by Chadrakala, mother of Ramesh, a Naxalite killed in a recent encounter.

PWG emissaries, balladeer Gadar, revolutionary writer Varavara Rao, civil liberties leader Kalyan Rao and hundreds of PWG sympathisers marched to this village, close to Mulug forest, to pay homage to the martyrs. Gadar had also unveiled similar memorials at Pydipalli and the neighbouring village on his way to Mogalicherla.

Naxalites are observing Martyrs8217; Day in the open for the first time after the ban was lifted by state government last week. The event would have otherwise been observed secretly in the dense forests.

PWG state secretary K. Ramakrishna, the highest reward carrying extremist on state police list, is expected to surface at the meeting and set the tone for actual talks with state. 8212; ENS 038; PTI