From: "Magnus Bernhardsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] CPI (ML) PW strenghtened in Bihar PWG tentacles spreading in state PERVEZ IQBAL SIDDIQUI TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2002 1:21:21 AM ] LUCKNOW: The arrest of three Naxalites in Ballia and recovery of 73 detonators from them is an ominous sign for the state where the police and the intelligence agencies are at a loss to gauge the extent to which the Naxal movement has spread its tentacles. The state may be in for a serious trouble, feel top officials. With Intelligence reports that the Naxalites in Bihar and West Bengal are holding regular meetings in the 'safe border villages' of Uttar Pradesh since December last and the recent attack on a PAC camp in Mirzapur where they decamped with 13 self-loading rifles and 1400 rounds of ammunition and now the seizure of detonators in Ballia is all indicative of the heightened Naxal activities in the state. The detonators seized by the police in Ballia have added to the fear of the Naxal outrage in the state as it is for the first time that the presence of the People's War Group (PWG) is being felt in the state. Earlier, all Naxal movements in the state was by the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). "Recovery of detonators virtually confirms that those arrested belong to PWG as the outfit exclusively excels in handling explosives like IEDs (improvised explosive devices), landmines and dynamites and is hardly known for using ordinary firearms," said a senior police official familiar with Naxalite preferred choice of weaponry. Sources said that the PWG was operating in UP under the hardcore Naxal Kameshwar Baitha of Bihar who is an explosives expert. Though majority of his missions were executed in Bihar, like the recent ones in Rohtas and Bodh Gaya, the movement of PWG in UP surely indicates that the group is expanding the area of its operation. Following intelligence reports on increased Naxal activities, the Union home ministry recently held the first meeting of its type in Delhi attended by chief secretaries, director generals of police, special secretaries and operating inspector generals of police from Naxal-infected states of UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Orrisa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The officials were briefed on the present status of the Naxalites and given tips on tackling the menace in a concerted manner. Director General of Police (DGP) RK Pandit, while talking to Times News Network (TNN), admitted that the movement of MCC and PWG Naxals in the state was a troublesome sign. "They have a swelling arsenal but then we have also rolled up our sleeves," Pandit said adding that the recent exchange of information between states had led to a very successful raid in Rohtas district on the information of the UP Police. IG Varanasi Vikram Singh, who has supervised operations against Naxalites in the state, told this newspaper that till now Naxal movement was 'overlooked' as that of criminal gangs. "In the state, till now the Naxals were known to have been indulging in public relations exercise, membership drive and holding 'lok adalats' of their own," Vikram Singh said. "But the changing trends, which had emerged in the recent past, undoubtedly call for more attention towards Naxals in the state," IG Varanasi added. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
