By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: With pro-active and people friendly role played by SP, Khilari Rishikesh, an IPS officer of 2016, outlawed leftwing ultras one after another deserting Odisha’s Maoists hit districts of Malkangiri under the South-Western police range headquarters at Koraput’s Sunabeda and joining social mainstream backed by the rehabilitation packages of Naveen Patnaik led Government.
With DIG (South-Western) Shefeen Ahmed K and DIG (SOG) Aniruddh Singh, taking the lead backed by able leadership of DGP Abhay and IGP (Operations) Amitabh Thakur , leftwing ultras are now in Odisha facing either surrender at Police Stations or gun battle in dense forest.
On Sunday, SP Khilari Rishikesh told over phone from Malkangiri that 2 hardcore Maoist Cadre, carrying a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh and 2 lakh on their head, surrenders before the police.
Two were identified as Kanna Madi and Lake Punem. Kanna is an Area Committee Member of Military Platoon under MKVB Division & Lake a party member of AOB Military Platoon. Both were working as ACM in Koraput Border Division committee organisation.
Both of them were allegedly involved in several violent activities including encounters, killing of civilians, destroying public properties and exchange of fire with security forces. Lake was involved in the murder of Araku MLA and Former MLA. The main reason both wanted to join the mainstream was that they realised about the futility of violent path of Naxalism and the rapid development works in Swabhiman Anchal areas attracted them to return to the mainstream society.
They were even disappointed with the Telugu Cadres as they were exploiting other Maoists. “We are requesting Maoists to join the mainstream society and leave the world of crimes,” said Malkangiri SP.Development works in Swabhiman Anchal areas of Naxals affected Malkangiri district is bringing a change it seems, sources added.
On Saturday, Odisha removed as many as 5 Districts from the lift of Left-Wing Extremism hit Security Related Expenditure (LWE-SRE). In April 2018, 6 districts including Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati and Ganjam were declared as free from Maoist activities. With 5 now, a total 11 districts have so far been assessed to be free of Maoist activities in a span of two years, largely due to the impact of security response and good governance by the State Government.
The security situations under North-Central range headquarters at Talcher, Northern Range at Sambalpur, Southern at Berhampur and Central at Cuttack however improving but situation continued to remain tense under South-Western headquarters at Sunabeda , which houses most of the highly leftwing insurgency hit districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Kandhamal.
After the arrest of Maoists’ leader Sabyasachi Panda, Maoists activities on Nayagarh zone have been totally vanished. It may be noted here that present IGP (Operations) Amitabh Thakur was then Berhampur DIG and with DS Kuttey , who at that time with Intelligence Wing, had ensured the arrest of Rebels’ leader Panda.
