A Gandhian who has worked in Naxal-hit areas says top leaders are losing control over footsoldiers. The state may see sporadic Naxal attacks like the one witnessed in West Bengal on Friday, which claimed 98 lives.
The reason is the Maoist cadre is rising at the grass roots level and the top brass seems to be losing control over them, reports Mid Day from Mumbai.
"Naxal population has grown beyond manageable limits," said Himanshu Kumar, a Gandhian working in Naxal-affected areas for the last two decades. "Yesterday's attack has not been carried out by the top cadre of Maoists.
They would not attack a train full of innocent passengers," Kumar told Mid Day. "Very likely, local fronts engineered it."
He said the top hierarchy of Maoists could well be unaware of what local fronts are up to. "The local front has adopted violent strategies. In fact, even in the recent attack at Dantewada, it was such local fronts at work," he said.
Kumar said more and more people belonging to the educated class, including students, were joining hands with Naxals.
"In Chhatisgarh, the number of youngsters from tribal regions joining them is fast rising. This causes Naxalism to spread to neigbouring districts and states.
Besides, due to heavy crackdown, Naxals are moving to states like Maharashtra that shares a border with the Naxal-infested belts," said Kumar.
Maharashtra's Director General of Police AN Roy admits that with the rising number of Naxal attacks, the state has had to introduce certain changes in its strategies.
Roy admitted that support base for Naxals in the city and state does exist. "We are keeping a close watch on organisations fronting for Naxals and those that sympathise with them," said Roy.
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