Naxal violence in Andhra depletes in 2009

The year 2009 has been one of the most peaceful years, as far as Maoist violence in Andhra Pradesh was concerned. The state director general of police R Girish Kumar told a year-end press conference that Andhra Pradesh police had emerged as a role model for the other states in dealing with the Maoist problem.

"We are very happy that the extremist violence this year was lowest in last one decade," he said. The state recorded only 56 incidents of extremist violence this year, compared to 96 last year, in which 15 civilians and 16 extremists were killed, compared to 45 and 37 respectively last year.

The most redeeming feature was the fact that no policeman died in Naxal attacks this year, while 34 policemen died last year. 33 of them died in a single attack in which Maoists drowned a launch carrying the greyhound commandos back from Orissa to Andhra Pradesh.

Lauding the good work done by the state police, Girish Kumar said, "Though the violence has come down drastically, it does not mean that our level of vigilance has come down," he said.

"Taking into consideration the level of activity of extremist violence in neighbouring states," he said.

"We are keeping utmost guard and vigil in regard to monitoring movement of extremist element across the border. We hope to reverse any sustained campaign by extremist elements to cross over to Andhra Pradesh and again try to set up their base. There is a move to resurface in AP in a big way, but we are sure that any such attempt will be repulsed with all available force at our command," he said.

Asked about the reports of Naxal infiltration into Andhra Pradesh from other states, he said, "The situation was receiving utmost attention. We are very vigilant with regards the movement of Maoist from across the states border," he said, adding that Andhra Pradesh police had succeeded in repulsing some of the units of Maoists who had entered Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad.

The important Naxal leaders who were killed by the police this year include Patel Sudhakar Reddy, member of the Communist Party of India-Maoist central committee and Central Military commission, and K Sudhakar, state committee secretary of CPI-ML Pratighatana. V Veeresham, state committee secretary, CPIML Janashakti, was among 326 naxalites arrested.