Narayanpatna, Feb 1: In a distinct departure from their earlier stance, thousands of tribals under the banner of Naxal Hinsa Prapidita Manch Monday staged an anti-Maoist stir here in Koraput district
Seeking peace and development in the district, people across all age groups with anti-naxal placards in their hands submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through block development officer Hemant Kumar Singh and Lakshmipur SDPO Hemant Kumar Padhi.
The rally caught the locals by surprise as the tribals were expected to hit the streets wielding traditional weapons as they did in the past. But this time, the demonstration was peaceful and for the sake of development, a report said. People who were supporting the naxal movement earlier were seen opposing the extremist ideology during the rally, it added.
The ultras are killing innocent people accusing them of being police informers, the tribals who had lost their family members in Maoist violence, said. Most of the victims were of the opinion that development in the area has been stalled due to left wing extremism. While the government is yet to address issues related to land, water, liquor and forest, some outsiders took advantage of the situation by using tribals as their shield and destroyed peace in Narayanpatna, the agitators said.
Several families have fled their ancestral lands after losing their dear ones in naxal violence, they added.
In the past, Maoists had used thousands of members of the outlawed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) for their vested interests. But the situation took a turn after two CMAS members were killed in police firing following an attack by them on Narayanpatna police station in 2009. Since then, a rift developed between CMAS and Maoists. Around 1,750 Maoist sympathisers surrendered before the police in 2013. Soon after, the guerrillas started killing the tribals on the charge of being police informers which triggered resentment among the community. This was reflected in Monday’s anti-naxal rally.
The tribals of this block had been the soft target of Maoists and in dire straits for long, the SDPO told the media. “They have some demands and now they seek the assistance of the government and the police. Their demands would be looked into by higher authorities,” he added. PNN
