Madurai, June 28: Interrogation of three Tamil extremists, arrested on Monday in neighbouring Theni district, has revealed the presence of a Maoist group in Tamil Nadu with links to Naxalites in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Initial investigation of the arrested, including two law college students, has found the existence of the new outfit headquartered at Dharmapuri, which in the past witnessed Naxalite activities, police said.
It was suspected that about 400 college students from various places across the state would have become members of the movement, they said.
Based on the information given by the three arrested, the police were now conducting raids at various places to arrest their leaders and other members.
The three extremists were arrested on June 25 after they were nabbed from a forest area in Periyakulam taluk of Theni district by residents of a nearby village. Some others, including two women, managed to escape. The group was armed with latest rifles and grenades.
The main objective of the movement was to rob the rich, corrupt officials and give the booty to the poor.
According to initial investigation, the arms and explosives seized from them included grenades of high quality (make not known), pistols and some ammunition.
The extremists had taken training in a clearing made in the western ghats and had come to Periyakulam for second phase of training. They had received funding from Maoist groups.
DIG (Intelligence) A K Viswanathan had visited the spot where the extremists were nabbed. (Agencies)
Filed under: Tamil Nadu
Madurai, June 27 (IANS) Three suspected Maoists, arrested from the hills near the temple town of Madurai, were sent to judicial custody Wednesday.
The three men – identified as Velmurugan (20), a law student from a village near Periakulam, Palanivel (22), an onion merchant from Chokkampatti village near Salem, and Muthu Selvam (26), an engineering student, were picked up from Murugan Malai early Tuesday.
Police said efforts were on to trace seven others including group leader Raja, who belonged to a Maoist gang. They were believed to be hiding in Kadalamalaikundu area of Madurai district.
Senior police officers said preliminary investigations point to a ‘possible nexus’ between this gang and Maoist activists of India and Nepal.
As many as 66 hand grenades, detonators, self-loading rifles and 15 kg of chilli powder were seized from their hideout, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Madurai Range) D. Nandagopal told the media.
‘The youths have confessed that they had been recruited by the PWG (People’s War Group) to create a ‘liberated zone’ in the hills,’ Nandagopal told IANS.
‘Questioning the arrested youth, we learnt that they have links with Maoists in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal. We have seized maps of Chennai and Madurai along with some blueprints of vital civilian installations from them,’ he said.
Police said the men were receiving arms training in a camp in the Kodaikanal hill ranges before coming to Madurai district and they moved to Muruga Malai about 10 days ago.
Comrade Arasubalraj took part in a massive rally against Reliance Fresh in Chennai,
on 1st of May he posts the following report on his blog.
Oust Reliance !
The meaning of May Day is rubbished in India primarily by the pseudo-communist parties CPI and CPI (M) and by the ruling class parties like Congress, BJP etc., Historically May Day came in to existence to commemorate the Haymarket Martyrs of 1886 who fought for the Eight-Hour work day. The remaining eight-hours other than work and sleep for which the workers fought is not for entertainment as interpreted today. It is for organising the working class to build their future. Hence May Day cannot be celebrated as yet another holiday to rest at home or to distribute sweets as a ceremony to apoliticise and castrate the working class.
The shop was closed expecting the protest and the police were all ready with barricades. Comrade Marudhaiyan, Secretary of PALA and Comrade Kaliappan, Joint-Secretary of PALA gave speeches explaining the movement. As the one-month campaign in various forms already reached the people of that area, they came in large numbers to watch the agitation bearing the three-hour traffic jam. The comrades got arrested 50 yards before the shop. When they all were carried in Police vans, Koyambedu trader’s union designators came to wish the comrades. Comrade.Marudhiyan thanked them and said, “The distance between us and the shop is just 50 yards. But the distance between the understandings of the people on the menace of MNC’s in retail sector and the reality is far more. Our motto at present of this struggle is to reduce that gap. If reliance to be put down, then Koyambedu should rise up!”
The false and confused ideas ruling the minds of people that deter them to foray were not formed by Ambani. These ideas were thrust in by the ruling class, media and political parties with the implementation of Recolonisation from the last decade. When the traders alone raise the slogan to oust the MNC’s, Reliance masquerades in ‘quality and cheaper prices’ and lures the people. But when the fight begins as a fight against Recolonisation then the slogan will become a people’s slogan and the definite moment will arrive.
* Watch the Video in this post. Thanks to Karumpalakai.
* To read the tamil press clips of the protest read here.
* To read the tamil summary of the thought-provoking speech by Comrade Marudhaiyan, General Secretary, PALA in Public meeting on 27-04-07, read here.
*To hear the speech, click here
Comrade Arasubalraj took part in a massive rally against Reliance Fresh outlet
in Chennai,given below is the video of the protest.
Link on youtube
Filed under: Tamil Nadu
Dharmapuri Naxal Special Duty (NSD) wing police recruiting poor youth to fight against Naxalites
DHARMAPURI: The Dharmapuri Naxal Special Duty (NSD) wing police will conduct special physical training camp for the rural youths, planning to attend Uniformed Services Test in January 2007.
The NSD wing inspector R Senthil said in a release that as per the instructions of the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police, the special physical training would be conducted from January 2 to 20 under the Dharmapuri District Socio Economic Development Scheme to enable the youth to attend the selection test.
The free coaching would be conducted at District Sports Stadium, Dharmapuri, R C Higher Secondary School, Harur and Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Pennagaram. Sports coachers and experts from the NSD wing would train the aspirants. Candidates who passed Standard X are eligible to apply. They should register their names with the coaching centres and the NSD wing inspector concerned, he added.
Link
Filed under: Tamil Nadu
Information system really useful: SP
Friday December 22 2006 00:00 IST
DHARMAPURI: With a strong information system in place in the rural areas, especially the tribal belt, any movement of strangers in the area will be known to the police, thus helping the department in keeping a check on the infiltration of Naxalites and other outfits into Dharmapuri district, Superintendent of Police HM Jayaram said.
Speaking to reporters, the SP, who was engaged in a combing operation to nab the long warrant-pending Naxals in the Kottur Hills in Palacode taluk, on Thursday said the Naxal Special Duty (NSD) wing was coordinating with the District Rural Development Agency in extending the ongoing socio-economic development programmes to the Naxalite-prone villages by creating employment opportunities for the aspirants, who sought employment after graduation.
Besides, various basic amenities are also being provided to the villagers. The villagers had also extended their support to the police in their effort to eradicate Naxalism, he said adding that no Naxalite was moving in the district.
He said that when movement of any strangers was reported, personnel from the nearest police station would rush immediately to the spot and verify their details.
The SP said to create further awareness and alertness among the public, the combing operations were being conducted in the Naxalite-prone villages and hill areas.
To nab long warrant-pending Naxalites Sundaramurthy, Navin Prasad, Chandra and Kalidas, the NSD wing, the STF and the local police have conducted joint combing operations in the areas concerned.
The operations were being conducted at 10 points in the district on Thursday.
He appealed to the public to inform to the police about the movement of strangers or Naxalites, if any, in their village, by calling him on 94432 40569, (04342) 230989 and NSD wing inspector 94439 43418.
The SP conducted combing operations in Kottur, Pelrambatti in the Kottur hills. He received grievance petition demanding provision of basic amenities to the hill tribes.
Filed under: Tamil Nadu
Search for naxals continues in Dharmapuri
Dharmapuri, Dec 21. (PTI) The combing operation to nab the naxals reportedly hidden in the district continued for the second day today.
The team of Special Task Force and Naxal Special Duty personnel led by Superintendent of Police H M Jayaram made thorough search in Kottur hills, 40 km from here.
Speaking to reporters at Kottur hills, SP H M Jayaram said the combing operations were being conducted in the naxal- prone villages and hill areas to nab the suspected naxal leaders Sundaramurthy, Navin Prasad, Chandra and Kalidas.
The operations were conducted at 10 points of the district.
He appealed to the public to inform any movement of strangers and naxals in their area.
He said as the information system was strengthened in villages especially in tribal belt, the movement of any stranger would be known to the police.
The NSD wing had been coordinating with the District Rural Development Agency to carry out socio-economic development programmes in the naxal-prone villages and creating employment opportunities, he added.
Link
Filed under: Tamil Nadu
TN borders sealed to check Naxal movement
Monday November 13 2006 00:00 IST
DHARMAPURI: The Dharmapuri District Naxal Special Duty (NSD) wing and Special Task Force (STF) have been jointly conducting combing operations in Hogenakkal forests bordering Tamil Nadu-Karnataka to nab the under ground Naxals and to avert infiltration from the neighbouring States.
According to Dharmapuri Superintendent of Police H M Jayaram, in addition to the nabbing work done by the NSD wing, the combing operation was conducted in the forest areas in the last four days.
The STF personnel, who had camped in Hogenakkal were also involved in the combing operation. The teams had been jointly conducting operations in Hogenakkal, Ootamalai, Neruppur, Eriyur, Boothippatti, Nagamarai and few other tribal villages in Anjetty forest.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20061112122244&Page=T&Title=Southern+News+-+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=0
The forest borders of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had been monitored by the STF and intelligence. All the vehicles, which passed through the forest border checkposts, were being searched by the police team. No infiltration was reported till now, the SP said.
Jayaram added that the list of hill villages and Naxal-prone villages, where the population had been already enumerated by the NSD wing, were being monitored and also the migrants were verified by the special team at their working and staying places in the neigbouring States.
The Naxal-prone villages had been keenly watched to avert any infiltration of the underground and new Naxals from the neighbouring States.
The villages had also been extending their cooperation to the government to give information about any strangers. Based on the information, the NSG wing Inspector R Senthil had made an enquiry about their visits.
When contacted, the NSD wing inspector Senthil, who was conducting the operation in Perinkattukottai in Marandhalli forests, where the Naxal leader Ravindran was killed in an encounter on January 10, 2000, said that the combing operations would continue till further orders.
No sign of infiltration had been noticed by the team as well as the public.
The villagers had also been extending their cooperation to nab the Naxals and arrest the infiltration attempt. The forest borders had been sealed mostly.
The villagers also could give information to the NSD wing station at (04342) 266199 or Cell: 94439 43418 about the movement of any strangers found in their area, he added.
According to sources, at Boothipatti, where the memorial pillar of the Naxals were erected, Perunkattukottai, where Ravindran was killed in an encounter, Dharmapuri Municipal burial ground, where the Naxal second leader Siva alias Parthipan, who was killed in an encounter at Chinnakanakampatti in Uthangarai forest on November 22, 2002, was buried, Ramiyampatti, the native village of under ground Naxal Sundaramurthy, had also been brought under the network of police.
Filed under: Tamil Nadu
STF to extend anti-Naxal operations
Thursday November 9 2006 11:56 IST
MADURAI: The Special Task Force (STF) in the State would extend its anti-Naxalite operations to two more border districts of Tiruvallur and Vellore, said Director General of Police D Mukherjee.
Briefing journalists here on Wednesday, Mukherjee said the STF was already engaged in combing and surveillance operations in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. Apart from these major assignments, the force would also give training to commandos, he added.
On the question of transfer of the case pertaining to the manufacture of shells in Chennai to Andhra Pradesh, Mukherjee answered in the affirmative, provided a request came from the Andhra police. He also expressed satisfaction over the conduct of investigation in Tamil Nadu.
Regarding the surging number of Lankan refugees with LTTE connections to the State, the DGP said the State police were always on ‘alert’ and added that the practice of transferring those suspected to be having links with the militant group to the special camps was on.
Mukherjee also said that the government was examining the recommendations of the committee set up to make amendments to the jail manual. Agreeing that the existing health scheme for police staff needed to be revised, the DGP assured that he ‘would look into it’ in order to ‘streamline’ the prevailing scheme for the benefit of the members.
Before addressing the media, the DGP held a session with top police officers, which was attended by Sanjeev Kumar, Inspector General (South Zone), M Chidambarasamy, Inspector General (IG) and Commissioner of Police, Madurai, and other top brass from the southern districts.
Filed under: Tamil Nadu
“Raghu manufactured some parts of empty rocket shells in his Padi unit”
K.T. Sangameswaran
CHENNAI: Raghu alias Srinivasa Reddy of Nellore, a member of a Naxalite group who surrendered before the Andhra Pradesh police recently, had manufactured some parts of empty rocket shells and launchers in his unit, Bharath Fine Engineering, at Padi.
Initially, owners of six engineering firms located at Padi, Korattur and Mogappair were arrested for manufacturing parts of rockets and launchers for Raghu. In a bid to avoid suspicion, Raghu, an engineer, had “outsourced” some work to the six units. A senior police officer said Raghu was a key person in the naxalite outfit. His contacts with the banned outfit were mainly at the top level. He did not have any major contacts in Chennai.
Mixed lot
Police sources said since the components seized in the neighbouring State on September 7 were in a mixed form, it was difficult to distinguish those manufactured in Raghu’s unit.
The rocket launchers were seized from Achambedu police station limits in Mehboob Nagar district of Andhra Pradesh. The Tamil Nadu Police are awaiting word from Andhra Pradesh on the future course of action. Bringing Raghu here is not ruled out, the officer said. The Andhra Pradesh police are yet to complete their investigation.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/01/stories/2006110104870400.htm
Naxal revolution 