India - Martyrs Week 28 july to 4 august

Martyrs Week begins in Andhra Odisha Border
Visakhapatnam: In the backdrop of continuous combing operations by security personnel including CRPF, BSF and districts cops in the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB), Maoists commenced the week-long Martyrs Week at several places on Thursday. Earlier on Wednesday, in-charge DGP N Sambasiva Rao had conducted aerial survey in Visakha Agency along with intelligence chief additional director general AB Venkateswara Rao, North Coastal IG Kumar Biswajit and Visakha Rural SP Rahuldev Sharma.
According to sources, CPI Maoists inaugurated a pylon at Pedabayalu mandal under the leadership of Pedabayalu committee commander Manganna. At Malkangiri district, a four-hour long meeting was held at Decarpodhar near Panasaput. The banned outfit paid tributes to martyrs at Amapavalli area in Nandapur area on the other side of the AP border.

According to police sources, the Maoists tied banners and pamphlets at Nurmathi and other areas of G Madugula mandal. “With the help of their colleagues from Odisha, naxals observed the martyrs week in the district interiors. We have information that some of the big leaders of AOB also attended the meetings,” a senior cop in the anti naxal force on condition of anonymity said. Two days earlier, naxals had paid tributes to martyrs Kudumula Ravi, Azad, Kamala and Anand at Kumkumpudi by writing their names on a huge pylon painted red. Cops suspect the Reds may inaugurate a martyrs pylon in Kannavaram village this week.

High alert in Jharkhand ahead of Maoist martyrs’ week
RANCHI: A high alert has been declared in Jharkhand following reports of CPI (Maoist) planning to observe martyrs’ week from July 28 to August 3. Annual event to remember the “supreme sacrifices of the brave comrades who have laid down their lives in the effort to make the people’s revolutionary war a success,” the martyrs’ week is usually an occasion of spirited Maoist activities.
Two days before the martyrs’ week begins, police have started extensive area domination exercises and long range patrolling in areas where Maoists dominate.
Maoists have released posters to announce the martyrs’ week. The state police suspect that the Maoists would try to mark the occasion with attacks on police/security establishments and important installations.
IG operations M S Bhatia said posters have been found in Gumla. “We have information that the Maoists are planning to observe the occasion with all seriousness. They usually try to attack security forces to mark the occasion. An alert has been sounded,” Bhatia said.
The alert, sent to all the SPs and CRPF units deployed in the countryside to assist the police, has asked them to remain vigilant and do not allow any operational laxity during operations, area domination exercises and long range patrolling. The district police have also been asked to ensure security of installations which are strategically important but vulnerable as they are located in deep Maoist pockets.
In Maoists calendar Martyrs’ week assumes the place of highest significance. Maoist leaders gather villagers in inaccessible jungles where programmes are held to glorify the lives of communist revolutionaries like Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal, the founders of the Naxalbari movement. They also urge people to join their ranks to further the revolutionary war against the state. Movements of Maoists from one place to another place to organize such meetings usually give police a chance to trap them.
In some districts of Jharkhand the police have been asked to be watchful against the movement of Maoist groups. The focus areas are Jharkhand-Bihar border. It is suspected that after Aurangabad encounter Maoists will move towards Jharkhand. Similar focus has been paid to Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border where Maoists are very active.
“During the week-long event we will work in coordination with police of neighboring states,” said Bhatia. This year the martyrs’ week throws more challenges for police because Maoists are reportedly in high spirits following recent encounters which caused grater loss to police.

Martyr’s Week
Meanwhile, the CPI (Maoist) has given a call to observe Martyr’s Memorial Week from July 28 to August 4. As part of it, it proposes to organise meetings and protest against killing of extremists.
“Maoists will observe Martyr’s Memorial Week in the Agency areas, particularly on the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB), Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, and in the tribal hamlets of East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts. Public representatives and bureaucrats who are on the hit list are cautioned against going in to villages without prior intimation,” a police officer said. jawans and a police constable in Gumla. In recent past they have successfully instilled fear in people after they killed some civilians for allegedly helping police gather intelligence.