Hyderabad: There have been about 40 alleged police encounters with armed cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist), resulting in the killing of nearly 100 ‘comrades’ since the formation of Telangana State in 2014. But, what is intriguing is that the latest one that took place in the dense forest of Eturnagaram village, in Mulugu district in December, is that it had the highest casualty — seven in all.
The previous highest, six, took place barely three months ago in the forest of Karakagudem in the Bhadradri-Kothagudem area.
Both the incidents took place in the Congress regime which completed one year in office on Saturday (December 7). Not surprisingly, the Maoist party has held the Congress government and the party leaders responsible for the incidents.
A press release of Jagan, official spokesman of Telangana State committee of CPI (Maoist), said the Congress government had targeted the party as it was leading the people’s struggles against obstacles to the anti-people policies of the regime.
In protest against the alleged brutalities unleashed by the Congress in Telangana, the CPI (Maoist) gave a call for a State bandh on Monday (December 9).
Incidentally, the alleged encounter at Eturnagaram took place a day ahead of the 24th anniversary of the launch of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army, the commando force of Maoists. The police are known to step up vigil around the week-long celebrations held by Maoists every year on suspicion that the cadre will step up violence.
Not belying the expectations, the Maoists killed two alleged police informants in Wajedu mandal of Mulugu district a few days ago. This was followed by an encounter in Eturnagaram on November 30 where the seven armed Maoists, including state committee member Kurusam Mangu alias Bhadranna and a divisional committee member Egolapu Mallaiah, were killed. They were said to have ordered food from a ‘trusted’ registered medical practitioner in a village who was renegade in the hands of the police.
A sedative was mixed in the food, upon which they fell unconscious and landed up in the clutches of police only to be killed in cold blood next morning, the release of Jagan added.
Senior police officers led by Mulug Superintendent of Police P. Shabarish put out a version given in such incidents that the police opened fire in self-defense when the Maoists rained bullets.
Ilamma, the wife of Mallaiah who was among those killed, filed a petition in the High Court alleging ante-mortem injuries on her husband’s body. She said he was tortured and shot dead from close quarters like the six others.
The incident led to wild protests by civil rights organisations amidst concern that encounters had raised their head again during the Congress regime. N. Narayan Rao, president of the Telangana Civil Liberties Committee, said 17 Maoists were killed in encounters after the Congress came to power.
A comparison between the Congress government and the previous Bharat Rashtra Samiti rule suggested the situation was no less brutal in the latter.
Take the case of the killing of a post-graduate engineering student Shruti, 23, and Vidyasagar Reddy, 32, who were killed in an encounter in Mulug in September 2015 during BRS (then TRS) rule.
Chikkudu Prabhakar, Convener, Telangana Democratic Forum, said the body of Shruti bore injuries caused by hitting her private parts with the butt of a rifle.
She had reportedly joined the Maoist party to realise her dream of an egalitarian society in separate Telangana.
The former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had promised that the agenda of TRS would be no different from Maoists.
The civil liberties committee led by Narayan Rao took up a campaign with the dead body of Shruti which aroused a lukewarm response from the government. Rao’s daughter and then MP Kavitha promised that there would be no more encounters in the State. The promise was kept, Narayan Rao said.
He suggested that the government invite democrats to peace talks on the issue.
However, the talks on the previous occasion during the Chief Ministership of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had dealt an irrecoverable blow to the Maoists because their hideous were exposed, leading to police closing in on them after they retreated into the forest.
The Maoist party later said it had committed a major blunder by agreeing to the talks.
Narayan Rao felt at least the rights activists enjoyed the freedom to sensitise people about the cruelty of the government during the BRS rule. But, the government of the day gave no such concession.
He recalled that a Maoist Vijayender who was not even able to walk due to poor health was caught from a house in Bhadrachalam and killed by police after inflicting serious injuries in July last.
A fact-finding team of the civil liberties committee which was on its way to probe the killing of Vijayender was intercepted by police and driven to Aswaraopet police station where it was detained for hours and sent back, Narayan Rao added.
Prabhakar said the Congress had promised to restore democratic rule and eliminate feudal culture in the state. However, it has used the constitution as a weapon to gain power, he alleged. All democratic norms have been flouted.
