Integrating Maoists: The Impact of Police and Karnataka Government Efforts Remains to Be Seen

Bengaluru, Dec 2 (NationPress) Following the recent encounter with Naxal leader Vikram Gowda (44) in the Kabbinale forest region of Hebri taluk in Udupi district, Karnataka, the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) has intensified combing operations in the area.

This has led to the remaining Maoists retreating deeper into the forests of neighboring Kerala.

No evidence of Maoist teams led by Mundagaru Latha and those linked to Vikram Gowda was found during the encounter, including Sundari and others, who managed to evade capture.

The police assert that the Maoists intended to expand their influence in Karnataka due to the heightened focus on implementing the Kasturirangan Committee’s report.

The Kasturirangan Committee on the Western Ghats was established in 2012 to evaluate the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report, also recognized as the Gadgil Committee report.

This committee was tasked with balancing conservation needs and sustainable development in the Western Ghats, a region known for its ecological significance.

Authorities have also disclosed that the Maoist teams were visiting households and convening meetings with locals, capitalizing on their fears of eviction from forest areas and their outskirts.

Based on intelligence inputs and the recovery of weapons, police gathered details about Vikram Gowda's movements, ambushed him, and fatally shot him in an encounter on November 19.

In a conversation with IANS, senior advocate Dinesh Hegde Ulepady, who has extensively traversed the forests of the Western Ghats, dismissed the idea that the Kasturirangan report instigated the Maoist movement in the area.

He stressed that locals are enduring harsh living conditions.

“I have traveled extensively here. Even today, locals must carry the sick for kilometers to reach hospitals. The forest department prohibits road construction, and if local tribes attempt to build one, they face legal repercussions. They are also forbidden from harvesting honey from trees, a practice they have followed for thousands of years,” he remarked.

“Where will the locals turn if they are threatened by the police? Numerous fundamental questions are surrounding this issue. Following the encounter, panic has ensued. The presence of police forces raises significant concerns among local tribes. There was no substantial Naxal activity in the region until now. We remain uncertain about where this development will lead,” Ulepady added.

Muneer Katipalla, a CPI-M State Committee Member and social activist, argued that the Kasturirangan report has caused anxiety and unease among those living on the fringes of the forest.

He mentioned that the Naxal movement in Karnataka has reached its concluding stages.

“For the past 15 to 16 years, the Naxal movement has been diminishing in the state. After the encounter of Saketh Rajan in 2005, there have been no new recruits, and existing members have become inactive. Most of them are Adivasis living in intolerable conditions,” he noted.

Katipalla explained that while the Kasturirangan report has thrown locals into a state of panic, any resulting movement might not necessarily be Maoist.

“Naxalism has existed in the state for 25 years, and I have observed it closely. The government is not implementing what it preaches. There is a notable disparity between words and actions. In my view, the government has taken drastic measures to suppress any grassroots movement,” he asserted.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara have urged the Maoists to surrender and lay down their arms, encouraging them to accept the government’s rehabilitation package.

Internal Security Division DGP Pronab Mohanty has issued a stern warning, stating that surrender is the only remaining option for the Maoists.

Karnataka boasts one of the largest forest covers in the country.

Experts have cautioned that opposition to the Kasturirangan Committee’s recommendations could have dire consequences for the ecologically-sensitive Western Ghats.

The report recommends that 37 percent of the total area of the Western Ghats, approximately 60,000 square kilometers, be designated as an eco-sensitive area (ESA).

The Karnataka government has dismissed the Kasturirangan Committee report and opposed its recommendations, fearing its implementation could impede development in the region.

The classification of 56,826 square kilometers of the Western Ghats region, including areas in Karnataka and other states, under the Kasturirangan Committee's recommendations by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has provoked considerable opposition in the state.

Police assert that the Maoists are attempting to exploit the insecurities of farmers and residents in these areas, who are apprehensive about eviction following the report's implementation.

Authorities had previously gathered intelligence that the team led by Vikram Gowda and Mundagaru Latha was meeting with families living on the edges of forest areas and conducting gatherings.

It remains to be seen whether the initiatives of the police and the government will succeed in integrating the Maoists into the mainstream.