Ageing hits Maoists in Andhra

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Ageing has hit CPI Maoists from Andhra Pradesh who are now still underground. Around 174 CPI Maoists are now above 35 years and are considered not fit for guerilla warfare.

According to the latest Wanted List of CPI Maoists approved by the State government 408 UG naxals are wanted for the State police. Out of this figure around 28 are killed or arrested or surrendered before the government approved the list after the proposals are sent by the State police.

Around 60 Maoists are above 46 year old as per the list. Most of the Maoists from AP are working in Dandakarnya, Chattisgarh, Andhra Orissa Border, Orissa and a few of them in West Bengal, Karnataka and Maharasthra.
An official of State home department said,”As there are no new recruitments except around 37 from Vishakapatnam there are hardly any new entrants in the State into the left wing extremist movement. This resulted in ageing. They all have to be given less action oriented works. As their physical fitness don’t permit it is difficult to take up guerilla warfare,”
Even many of these old generation naxals are suffering with gastric and knee related diseases.
The wanted list has only one Maoist with Post graduation qualification and three professional courses and 16 graduates. Around 41 of them had primary education, 28 are SSC holders and 25 intermediate and around 25 are illiterate and the Status of 266 is not known.
Warangal tops the list with 84 wanted naxals followed by Vishakaptnam rural with 62 and then with Karimnagar 60 and Adialabad 35.
Nellore and Chittoor has only one naxal each. Seven of the Central Committee members are from Karimnagar and 17 State committee rank naxals and 19 district committee secretary ranks Maoists are from Warangal district.
Central Committee rank naxals carry a reward of Rs 12 lakh and State committee of Rs 10 lakh and the lowest is a dalam member of Rs 20,000.
Maoist supreme Mupalla Laxman Rao alias Ganapati (central committee secretary) is the longest serving with 35 years in the party followed by Katakam Sudarshan for 30 years and Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji, Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu for 29 years each.


Age profile of Underground cadre naxals
25 years and below 62
26-30 years 58

31-35 years 72

36-40 years 66

41-45 years 48

46-50 yrs 29

51-55 yrs 24

55 yrs above 7

Not known 42