Maoists demand mediator to release CoBRA commando from their custody

Maoists launched a press release on Tuesday that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commando who went missing after the April 3 encounter at Tarrem in Chattisgarh’s Sukma was in their custody.

The banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) additionally demanded that the State authorities announce a mediator for the release of the commando.

Chhattisgarh Director General of Police D.M Awasthi mentioned that the letter issued by the Maoists was genuine and the federal government would quickly take a name on the mediator.

The commando, recognized as Rakeshwar Singh Minhas, belonged to the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action unit (CoBRA) of the CRPF, a unit specifically skilled for operations in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas.

A senior authorities official mentioned {that a} media particular person or a social activist could possibly be thought of as a mediator.

The assertion signed by “Vikalp”, spokesperson of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the Maoists, mentioned that four People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) cadres were killed within the encounter at Tarrem on April 3. It added that they’d additionally taken away 14 weapons, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and different gadgets belonging to the safety personnel.

The killed PLGA cadres had been recognized by the Maoists as Odi Sanni, Padam Lakhma, Kowasi Badru and Nupa Suresh, all residents of south Bastar. Sanni’s physique was recovered by safety forces on April 3.

The Maoists mentioned that the lads had died within the “courageous” counter assault. “We could not secure the body of Sunny. Final rites of the remaining three were held with revolutionary traditions,” they said. The assertion mentioned that Madvi Sukkal, one other villager, was additionally killed earlier than the encounter.

The Maoists have named the situation that the officer could be let loose if the federal government particularly introduced the names of the mediators. “Till then he would be safe in the protection of Janatan sarkar,” a Telugu assertion launched within the identify of CPI-Maoist’s Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee official spokesperson Vikalp mentioned.

The assertion additionally mentioned, “We are always ready for talks but the government had no integrity or conviction. Revolutionaries never gave up arms during the several previous talks held with governments. It is the government’s responsibility to creative atmosphere conducive for talks…Talks would materialise only if the government stopped deployment of forces, organising camps, attacks and restrictions. Policemen lost their lives in Kondagaon, Narayanapur and Bijapur since the government was carrying out attacks instead of holding talks. Government is responsible for this situation.”

Conveying condolences to the bereaved households of 23 policemen killed within the “counter attack”, the Maoists mentioned the police weren’t their enemies. “We appeal to the police not to become scapegoats in the unjustified war brought about by the ruling classes,” the spokesperson mentioned.

According to them, almost 2,000 policemen “belonging to Modi and Amit Shah”, led by the Bastar Inspector General, had come to perform assaults on villages in Sukma and Bijapur three days in the past. The most important goal of the “Samadhan-Prahar” operation was to decimate the PLGA, they mentioned.

Close to 150 civilians and “our party workers and leaders” had been killed in such assaults executed since November, 2020, the Maoists mentioned. The same offensive was organised by the police three days in the past by deploying 1000’s of policemen, they mentioned.

The seven-year rule of Narendra Modi, deepened financial disaster and deteriorated political conditions had posed a severe menace to the lives and property of individuals, the Maoists mentioned. Attacks on intellectuals and supporters of democracy had been on the rise “by branding them Urban Naxals”. People had been combating in opposition to this suppression with the slogans of “Jal-Jungle-Jameen” and the Maoists would proceed to assist their battle, the assertion mentioned.

Chhattisgarh Police had mentioned in a press release on April 4 that groups had been dispatched to Tarrem as they wished to nook PLGA chief Hidma, who was mentioned to be within the space. Hidma heads the PLGA Battalion 1, one of the vital lethally armed and skilled models of Maoists energetic in southern Chattisgarh.