Naxals see Future cadres in Jaitapur, Lavasa dissidents

State Intelligence Dept officials warn of increased rebel activities in project-affected areas, say rebels may provoke passions to gain foothold in vicinity of city and Ratnagiri

Naxals see Future cadres in Jaitapur, Lavasa dissidents

State Intelligence Dept officials warn of increased rebel activities in project-affected areas, say rebels may provoke passions to gain foothold in vicinity of city and Ratnagiri

The ongoing protests over land acquisition and rehabilitation issues in the rural areas adjoining the city and Ratnagiri in the Konkan have given Naxals an opportunity to increase their support base and find prospective recruits in the dissidents.

Fertile recruiting ground? Villagers at the Ratnagiri civil hospital,
where those injured in the Jaitapur nuclear power project protest
received treatment. Police sources say Naxals exploit the anti-government
feelings of project-affected people. File Pic

People are up in arms against different projects in the rural pockets of Pune and Ratnagiri, including the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant and Lavasa Hill town projects, and the Naxals, self-styled saviours of the oppressed, seem desperate to exploit the tumultuous situation by playing sympathisers of the mass movement.

And the time seems opportune for the rebels. If farmers are up in arms against the Jaitapur project in Ratnagiri, they are vehemently opposing the Lavasa hill town initiative in Mulshi on the outskirts of the city too.
Moreover, the proposed SEZ project in Lonikand and Chakan have also created resentment among the general public, who could find refuge in the arms of the rebels, say police sources.

"Certain organisations which are opposing developmental projects are keen to establish their identity and create a strong base in the project-affected areas adjoining the cities. Since these areas are endowed with natural resources, the Naxal sypathisers can exploit the protesters in the long run," said a senior official from the State Intelligence Department (SID).

Cops on alert
Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural) Pratap Dighavkar refused to comment on whether the project-affected villages were turning into fertile recruitment fields for Naxals, onlt saying they were taking extra precautions in light of a Naxal arrest near the city."I would not like to comment on this sensitive issue at this point. But after a Naxalite was arrested from the Pirangut area, which comes under the Pune rural police's jurisdiction, we have put all police stations on alert and asked them to carry out thorough checks," Dighavkar said.

"We have taken fingerprints and palm-prints of about 70 per cent of the tenants and unskilled labourers working at different sites and residing in areas under the Pune rural police jurisdiction."

'It will take time'
According to former director general of police (anti-Naxal operations) Jayant Umranikar, areas such as Thane and Pune have a history of Communist movements, but Kokan, especially the pockets having larger Muslim concentration, will not be immediately influenced by the rebels at this stage. "If the protests continue, then at a later stage when the land is actually acquired, landless people may join the rebels' movement," said the officer.

Rebel arrests
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) carried out a raid in Pirangut on April 26 and arrested Sushma Ramteke (27) alias Shraddha Gurav, an aide of Naxal ideologue Anjali Sontakke, from a flat on the Lavasa Road. Four days later, an ATS team arrested Mayuri Bhagat alias Jeni (23), Jyoti Chorge (19), Anuradha Sonule (23) from the city and Siddharth Bhosle (24) from Chandwad area of Nashik, who were allegedly active Naxal supporters.