In an attempt to expand their base in south India, Maoists are trying to lay a “forest route” from Kerala’s Wayanad to Mysore.

Union Home Ministry officials said it was no secret that the left wing extremists have stepped up activities in the southern states, especially several districts in Kerala “through front organisations and like-minded activists”. Activists have termed the government’s assertion a ploy to crush them after painting protests against anti-people polices as subversive.

Country’s security establishment believes that the outlawed CPI (Maoist) is making efforts to strengthen its influence in South India, particularly on the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Maoists, they believe, plan to create a base on the border of Kerala and Karnataka.

“The CPI (Maoist) cadre active in the Wayanad district of Kerala have also been known to engage in efforts aimed at establishing a forest route from Wayanad to Mysore. However, despite these activities, the CPI (Maoist) has not been able to establish themselves in these areas,” Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home, recently told Lok Sabha.

Though only one naxal-related violence was reported in these three states this year until July 15, government machinery feel that a lot of propaganda work is being done in these states. Using front organisations, the officials allege, Maoists are sneaking into protests or are fanning them.

While one incident of Maoist related violence was reported from Wayanad this year, no such incident was reported in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka.

This year until July 15, 620 incidents of Maoist related violence were reported across the country.

Last year out of a total of 1,136 Maoist incidents across the country, four incidents were reported in Karnataka (Chikmagalur 3, Dakshina Kannada 1), three were reported from Kerala (Wayanad 2, Kozhikode 1). In 2012, there were five incidents in Karnataka while in 2011, there were two in Kerala and one in Karnataka.

Though violence was not reported from Kerala other than the lone incident in Wayanad, a Union Home Ministry document said, eight out of 14 districts in the state have reported activities by the naxals.Besides Wayanad, the districts where Maoist activities were noted are Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kasargod, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Kannur and Trissur.