Twitter
Advertisement

Many a peril in Nallamalla

The Nallamalla hills, stretching across Kurnool, Prakasam and Kadapa districts, while being extremely inhospitable, have also been the hotbed of Maoist activity.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin
While it might be early to conclude on the fate of chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and his three co-passengers in the government Bell helicopter, the terrain where it disappeared leaves little scope for hope for several reasons.

The Nallamalla hills, stretching across Kurnool, Prakasam and Kadapa districts, while being extremely inhospitable, have also been the hotbed of Maoist activity. The forest range is home to varied wildlife like tigers, leopards, panthers, bear, and black buck. It has also been the staging ground for battles between Maoists and the state’s anti-Maoist strike force, the Greyhounds.

Though their numbers has declined in recent times, some Maoist groups still exist in the forests, an easy hideaway from the Greyhounds. Not surprisingly, the state administration has included Greyhounds, familiar with the terrain, in the search operation.

Immediately on coming to power in 2004, the YSR administration sought to strike a different cord from the previous N Chandrababu Naidu government by involving Maoists in peace talks. The Maoists had suffered several body blows under the Naidu administration. The YSR government lifted the ban on the then PWG, which merged with the Maoist Communist Centre of India in September 2004 to form the CPI-Maoist just hours before the peace talks began.

But the Maoists walked out of talks, accusing the government of bad intent. Subsequently, the administration re-imposed the ban on them. Both sides used the lull before and after the talks to build on their resources. But the Maoists have weakened considerably in the last four years, losing over 400 cadres.
Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement