The arrests of top state Naxalite-Maoist ideological strategist Sridhar Srinivasan and his aide Vernon Gonsalves have confirmed the Maharashtra government’s worst fears.
The arrests of top state Naxalite-Maoist ideological strategist Sridhar Srinivasan alias Vishnu and his aide Vernon Gonsalves on Monday have confirmed the Maharashtra government’s worst fears.
The state has been crying itself hoarse trying to draw the Centre’s attention to the fact that Left-wing extremists have been largely successful in setting up “bases” in urban cities like Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Nashik.
Recent intelligence inputs had suggested that Naxalites had succeeded in “penetrating” major urban centres across the state.
Monday’s arrests will give the Vilasrao Deshmukh government sufficient ammunition to seek New Delhi’s help in effectively tackling the growing Naxalite menace. In May, the chief minister had officially sought the Centre’s help in combating the Maoists.
Another worrying fact for the government and security forces is that the state committee of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) operates clandestinely from Mumbai.
The arrests of Sridhar - state committee as well as a central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and Gonsalves are indicative of the recent urban-centric activities and movements of a few ultra-Left cadre.
Security officials said brain-storming was being done in the cities and the “effects” (violence) was being felt in Gadchiroli, Amravati, Chandrapur and Gondia.
According to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers, the two arrests also prove “beyond doubt” that the Naxalite leadership is desperate to infiltrate city-based social action groups, non-government organisations, environmentalists’ lobbies, students’ groups and other labour organisations.
It is now an established fact that Maoists have largely succeeded in registering their “proxy presence” through these social conglomerations.
This is because Leftist guerrillas have recently been found to tap issues that can generate sufficient discontent among the urban populace.
According to Anti-Naxalite Operations Cell officers, their worst fears may come true if Naxalites manage to forge “extra-territorial links” with other anti-national groups.
“We can’t discount such possibilities and interrogations of the arrested duo will consider all angles,” said a senior intelligence official.
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