Maoists planning to observe 10th year of foundation by augmenting aggression: IB

The next year is likely to pose a bigger challenge to the counter-insurgency operation in Chhattisgarh where the CPI(Maoist) is planning to observe its 10th year of foundation and is being feared to unite all Naxal groups in the country to carry out major 'events'.

"Senior members of the outlawed CPI(Maoist) held a meeting in the state's Gariyaband forest bordering Odisha recently to chalk out the strategy for next year, which will see a decade of its formation," a state intelligence bureau official told PTI.

Expanding base areas, logistic support base in urban areas, multi-layered networking among like-minded people, publication of Maoist literature comprising biography of the killed cadres, PLGA bulletin and documentary film making on their ideology are among the important issues discussed in the meeting aimed for next year planning, the official said.

The Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and People's War Group (PWG) merged to form CPI(Maoist) on September 21, 2004 and since then they have been observing foundation week from September 21 to 27.

"Like every year, Left Wing guerrillas will observe a foundation week during this period next year but due to completion of ten years of its formation, they may observe it throughout the year in varied ways with aggressive tone, as per documents received from Naxal camps," the official said.

"One of their prime agenda for next year is to regain their base in those areas where they lost hold in the recent past and intensify conversion of People's Liberation Guerrilla Army in to People's Liberation Army for fighting a violent armed struggle with government forces," he said.

Sixteen of 27 districts in Chhattisgarh are Naxal-hit in varying degrees, with significant consolidation in southern part of the state bordering AP, Maharashtra and Odisha.

The naxals will make an attempt to activate their friendly NGOs to step up propaganda and induct more heads in other parts of the state, the IB official said.

"Creation of a sub-committee to maintain websites and produce propaganda material against security forces are among their other strategies for 2014," the IB official said.

However, newly appointed state Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra is confident of winning the trust of people in the tribal-dominated region and said focus of the government will be to encourage the Naxals to lay their arms.

"People have shown faith in us by voting us to power for third time. Our effort will be to win the confidence of people in Naxal-affected regions," Paikra, a tribal leader from north Chhattisgarh, told PTI.

"We will bring new surrender and rehabilitation policy in the state so that Naxals would be rehabilitated in a better way and their families will also be well taken care of," he said.

The effort will be more to encourage them to surrender, he added.

When asked about Naxals planning to observe a decade of formation of CPI(Maoist), Paikra said, "Our police is really doing well and hopefully the new year will bring more success."