ANF ceasefire an opportunity for Maoists to surrender

About 22 to 25 Maoists are said to be operating in Karnataka

With the State government announcing a week-long ceasefire to anti-Naxal operations to facilitate surrender of Maoists, the discussion has begun on the names of extremists who are active in Malnad who are likely to surrender.

There is a discussion on who will surrender from Nethravathi, Tungabhadra and Varahi groups that are operating in Chikmagalur, Shimoga, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

As per the police records, there are around 22 to 25 Maoists in Karnataka.
This includes B G Krishnamrthy from Bukkadibail, Mundagaru Latha, Angadi Suresh, Neelagude Padmanabha, Mavinakere Kanyakumari, Savithri, Balehole M Vanajakshi, Sirimane Nagaraj, Kotehonda Ravindra, Jayakrishna and Srimathi are among a few who are into Naxal activities for the last seven to eight years.  

N Nandakumar from Somalapura in Koppa was caught by the police and is serving a jail sentence. The police have announced Rs one lakh reward for the public who inform on the whereabouts of Ravindra, Srimathi, Sirimane Nagaraj, Savithri and Vanajakshi. The police have announced Rs five lak reward for those who inform about B G Krishnamurthy.

It is said that about seven persons are likely to surrender from Nethravathi team which is operating is Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. The team is led by Vikram Gowda and Vasanth. The Nethravathi group had eight members. Yellappa from the group died in an encounter near Subrahmanya recently.

A volunteer who had pursuaded Maoists to surrender in the past said that Nethravathi team is moving in Bisile forest. “The ANF personnel have surrounded the forest in all directions. As a stream flows in the middle of the forest, it would be difficult for the Maoists to escape. The Maoists would have sent a message on surrender to the police,” he said.

“Saroja, who had tried to pursuade Mundagaru Latha who is heading Thungabhadra team to surrender, was caught by the police a few years ago. The police who had caught Saroja, has 13 charges agianst her. Though the court had acquitted her in eight cases, three cases are still pending. If the police had treated Saroja with dignity, few women in the Maoists group would have changed their mind to surrender. However, with the government announcing ceasefire to facilitate them to surrender is a good development,” he added.

In fact, Karnataka was the first state in the country to announce Naxal surrender package. Later, the Centre followed the State.

“If the State government had tried to provide basic facilities to the villages and to bring Maoists to mainstream of the society, Malnad would have been free from Maoists activities by now. Though efficient officer like Chiranjeevi Singh had visited Menasinahadya in the past, the condition of the village has remained the same. The village does not have electricity,” said tribal hamlet members.

In 2008-09, Maoist leaders like Hagalaganchi Venkatesh, Horale Jaya, Mallika, Komala had accepted the surrender package of the government and are leading a diginied life now.
Former DGP Shankar Bidari in a press meet in Chikmagalur about six months ago, had urged the Maoists not to lose life in the name of Naxal movement. The government will give them a chance to lead a life.

Highly placed sources said that Bidari is playing a leading role in making the Maoists surrender in Karnataka.