Red rising worries Punjab, Haryana

Punjab and Haryana are on tenterhooks with the Maoists gaining foothold in the northern states. Though the two states have not seen violent left-wing extremism, the state governments are on a high alert and keeping a close eye on “the underground activities of the Maoists”.

At least 30 organisations propagating left wing extremism have reportedly sprung up in the two states, mostly in the rural areas. Their target is not limited to exploiting sentiments of farmers whose land was being acquired, but also mustering support among other sections, like students and labourers, by taking up causes of alleged administrative lapses. The four units that are strengthening the Maoist movement here are the CPI(Maoist), the CPML(Party Unity), the CPML(New Democracy) and the CPML(Liberation).

Eight suspected Maoists, including president of the Haryana unit, Pardeep Kumar, and another accused, Samrat from Bihar, were arrested in Haryana for alleged involvement in writing anti-national graffiti and pasting posters asking people to boycott the Lok Sabha elections. The police seized a grenade, four detonators, two country-made pistols and publicity material from them.

They were found to be actively spreading their roots in Kurukshetra, Jind, Kaithal and Yamunanagar.