India - the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) week begins

Police step up vigil ahead of Maoists’ PLGA week
Close surveillance kept on public properties
The Karimnagar district police have sounded high alert following the suspected movement of Maoists in the Manthani revenue division located along the shores of river Godavari adjoining Chhattisgarh, to observe the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) week beginning Wednesday. Maoists have been conducting the PLGA week since the year 2000 in memory of naxalite martyrs Seelam Naresh, Nalla Reddy, Yerramreddy Santosh Reddy and another dalam member who were killed in Koyyur in an encounter on December 2, 1999.
Fresh incident of a landmine blast in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh by Maoists as part of the PLGA week on Wednesday has made the district police machinery maintain strict vigil to avoid any untoward incident. The district guards police have already launched combing operations in the forests of the Manthani region to check the intrusion of Maoists from the neighbouring State. Top police sources said that they have alerted all the naxalite targets to move out of the villages and reside in the towns.
Taking into consideration the vain bid by naxalites to blast Mahadevpur police station by using explosives planted in an RTC bus in 2003 on the border of the district, the district police have fortified all police stations in the revenue division by deploying additional armed forces to guard the police station. The police were also keeping a close surveillance of all public properties by intensifying patrolling. The police have also stepped up the CAT (counter action team) movement to protect the naxalite targets and other VIPs of the district.
Odisha govt suspends bus services
BERHAMPUR: With the Maoists observing People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) week beginning Wednesday, the Odisha State Road transport Corporation (OSRTC) suspended around 50 buses, including Biju Gadi, on different routes in southern Odisha districts fearing attacks. “The Maoists had torched four buses at Raipanka in Gajapati district on December 27, 2009. We don’t want to take any risk,” said district transport manager (OSRTC’s Berhampur division) A K Mishra.

He said all buses plying through Adava and Gumuda in Gajapati district have been cancelled. “No bus will ply in the Maoist-hit areas till December 8. This has been a practice during bandhs called by the rebels,” he added. Meanwhile, security in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts has been tightened. “Combing operations have been intensified and vehicles entering the district thoroughly checked to prevent possible influx of rebels,” said SP (Kandhamal) K V Singh. SP (Gajapati) Satyajit Naik said forces at all 18 anti-Maoist posts have been put on high alertMaoists to observe PLGA week from today
The banned CPI (Maoist) observes its 15{+t}{+h}annual People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) week from Wednesday in the background of heightened tension after the State government issued GO No. 97 facilitating bauxite mining in the Jerrela area of Chintapalli in the Visakha Agency, an area where it has considerable support. Bauxite mining issue has given a new lease of life to the Maoists who are not enjoying as much support and following as they had a few years ago and the party is going all out to support the local Girijans who are strongly opposing bauxite mining.
A few days ago secretary of Korukonda area committee Ramana announced that bauxite mining would be the prominent issue during the week this year. The PLGA week is being observed since 2000 from the first anniversary of killing of three members of its Central committee members in Koyyuru forest area in Karimnagar district on December 2, 1999. Party’s concentration during the week is generally on recruitment to swell its cadres but for the last few years not much recruitment has been done and the police say it is almost zero and the banned party is depending on the cadres from Chattisgarh or Odisha. Two divisional committees are operating in Visakha Agency and there were reports that more Maoists have come from outside the State, he said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/plga-week-from-today/article7938693.ece
PLGA Week: Police search areas in Khammam
The Khammam police have seized nine two-wheelers and four autorickshaws plying without valid documents during a cordon and search operation at Vikalangula Colony here in the early hours of Wednesday. The police picked up 35 suspects for questioning during the pre-dawn operation that lasted for over three hours. Khammam DSP K. Suresh Kumar, CIs K. Srinivas Reddy, Anjaneyulu and Rahman besides several SIs and other police personnel participated in the operation.
The operation was conducted to keep a tab on the movement of “anti-social” elements, said a police source. Meanwhile, the Bhadrachalam sub-division police have heightened vigil in far-flung areas in the division in view of the Maoists’ People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Week observance from December 2 to 8. The police personnel initiated random checks of vehicles on main roads in various parts of Bhadrachalam division to check Maoist movement along the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh-Chhattisgarh border.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/plga-week-police-search-areas-in-khammam/article7941420.ece
Chhattisgarh: 1 jawan killed, another seriously injured in IED blast in Kanker
At least one jawan was killed and another seriously injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast by Naxalites in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh.
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/chhattisgarh-1-jawan-killed-another-seriously-injured-ied-blast-kanker-657647
Two can bombs detected in Gaya district
GAYA: Two can bombs were recovered by the Gaya Police on day one of the PLGA week being observed by the military wing of CPI(Maoist). The can bombs weighing about 10kg were detected in the Bhadwar police station area of the district. The bombs were subsequently defused by the members of the Bomb Disposal Squad. Gaya SSP Manu Maharaj confirmed the detection of the can bombs and successful defusion of the explosives.
The Maoists have been using can bombs along with cylinder bomb and other IEDs for the execution of their subversive plans. People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army is the military wing of the naxal body and the practice of the PLGA week observance began in 2000 to commemorate the killing of three of the Central Committee members of the banned outfit. Central committee is the apex body of the naxal outfit. Hand written posters appeared at several points in the naxal infested Sherghati Sub Division of the district exhorting people to join the PLGA week observance and hate mongering against alleged class enemies and the cops. The posters were subsequently removed by the police.
According to the SSP Manu Maharaj, besides a general alert, cops deployed in the naxal affected areas have been specially directed to step up the level of vigilance, gather inputs and swiftly act to combat the Maoists between 2-8 December, 2015. Patrolling in the naxal affected areas has also been intensified, said Maharaj. Special attention was being paid to railway property as railways have emerged as soft targets for the ultras. According to sources, police personnel have been asked to strictly follow the guidelines on the dos and donts in the naxal areas.
Use of four wheelers has to be avoided and the cops are supposed to move either on foot or on bikes in the more vulnerable areas of the district. According to Rail Area Manager Binod Jha, security at the railway stations has been beefed up and sniffer dogs have been pressed into service. Escort parties have further been strengthened in view of the PLGA week, said Jha. However, neither any train has been rescheduled or cancelled in view of the Maoist threat, said the Rail Area Manager.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Two-can-bombs-detected-in-Gaya-district/articleshow/50013288.cms
Uneasy calm in agency on eve of PLGA week
VISAKHAPATNAM: Cops of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha manning the Andhra-Odisha Border (AoB) on either sides are bracing up to counter possible increased naxal activity in the wake of the start of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) week on Wednesday. PLGA is the militant arm of the Maoists and the police is already in the know-how that nearly 150 armed militants have sneaked into the Agency area from Chhatitisgarh over the last few months.
On Tuesday, the top commanders of AP Police and CRPF held joint meetings to discuss strategy to tackle any spurt in naxal activity during the week that culminates on December 8. Since Monday, huge number of police combing parties have forayed into the agency area, triggering unease among the tribals as they knew they could end up as victims in this ongoing battle between the cops and the Maoists. Gripped by fear, the tribals have already stopped attending the weekly markets. As a precautionary measure, cops have temporarily cancelled night halts of the RTC services at Pedavalasa in GK Veedhi. If violent incidents take place during the start of the week, all bus services could be cancelled for the time being, police sources said.
Some combing parties from AP have been airlifted by chopper to Malkangiri and Koraput districts of Odisha by the Border Security Force, sources said. Intelligence wing inputs claimed that the Reds in small groups have already infiltrated into AOB to create unrest in the region. Police have already warned the leaders of various political parties and people’s representatives not to visit the naxal-infested areas without informing them. In fact, they have been told to stay away from the Agency area during the week, the sources added.
The naxals too have made their intentions clear that they will not sit silent during this week. Three days ago, Maoists Korukonda Area Committee secretary Ramana had warned about violent activities during the week. The Maoist leader had in media briefings in the run up to the PLGA week had said that apart from violent activities, the 7-day period will be utilized to recruit people into the movement. Visakah Rural SP Koya Praveen told TOI that they had ensured that the PLGA Week in 2014 passed off peacefully. “However, the situation is different now. Thee has been deployment of armed naxals from Chattisgarh in the agency area. They wish to show their presence here in Vizag. So naturally they will indulge in violent activity by damaging or demolishing any property of GCC or Forest department as these are the most vulnerable targets.
However, we are prepared and already posted forces to guard government properties,” he said. The Visakha agency area has 17 police stations in the 11 mandals in which 8 are in the highly sensitive zone, means where the Maoists writ runs. Apart from the local police, the police bosses had already deployed the elite force greyhounds, CRPF and special parties of district armed reserve forces. With both the cops and naxals bracing for a confrontation, an uneasy calm has descended on the Agency area on the eve of the PLGA week.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/Uneasy-calm-in-agency-on-eve-of-PLGA-week/articleshow/50007855.cms
Maoist Posters Create Scare in Balangir
PATNAGARH (BALANGIR):Ahead of celebration of PLGA Week by the banned outfit, beginning Wednesday, Maoist banners and posters re-appeared in different parts of Balangir district on Tuesday. With the killing of Naib Sarpanch of Bagdor, Alekh Majhi, on November 23 still fresh in the minds of the people, appearance of banners on Patnagarh-Khaprakhol road has led to panic among the locals. The rebels are active in Gandhamardan hill range which shares its border with Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary.
The appearance of banners and posters indicate that the Maoists are marking their presence felt in the area. With drought gripping the area triggering distressed migration, the Maoists seem to have identified the pocket as a soft target. The banners and posters in Bankabihar Chowk and Jogimunda, both about 10 km from Patnagarh police station, Bankibahal, Dedarha Chowk besides Baijalsagar, Gambhari Chowk under Khaprakhol police limits called upon villagers to celebrate PLGA Week..