The Hindu : PW bandh evokes poor response

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 12, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

PW bandh evokes poor response

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD JULY 11. The two-day State bandh called by the CPI-ML People's War (PW) to protest against the killing of its cadres evoked a lukewarm response in Andhra Pradesh on the first day on Thursday.

Shops and establishments in some towns were closed till noon and extraction of coal in 17 mines near Ramakrishnapuram of Adilabad was totally affected as miners did not turn up in response to the bandh call. Jammikunta, the home town of Padmakka, who was recently shot dead in an encounter, observed a total bandh till noon, but the police forced shops to be opened.

As a precautionary measure, the APSRTC had regulated movement of night halt services to interior villages in the affected districts. Night buses to villages situated in and around the Nallamala forest were completely stopped, following fears that the PW cadres might resort to bus burning. "Situation is peaceful and there was very little impact of the bandh,'' the DGP, Pervaram Ramulu, told The Hindu.

Though there was not much of violence and destruction, the PW cadres blew up a forest guest house in Bairlooti in Kurnool district and a newly-constructed MPDO office in Peda Dornala in Prakasam district. Incidentally, both incidents were in the Nallamala forest belt.

The State police initiated extraordinary measures in view of the bandh call. Night patrolling was stepped up and in a few towns, they were reported to have forced shopkeepers to open their establishments. In the State capital, the bandh impact was nil.

The intensified police movements resulted in an unexpected seizure of a huge quantity of ammunition in Mancherial sub-division. The ammunition dump, consisting of over 2,200 live rounds, was detected, while the Nizamabad police found 180 kg of gelatine sticks during search operations.

Meanwhile, the Warangal police refuted the charge that they picked up the two naxalites in a Ponagallu village and shot them dead in an encounter on Wednesday, and accused the People's War militants of spreading falsehood to mislead people.

The district SP, Nalin Prabhat, asserted that the police were forced to open fire as they came under fire from the three-member naxalite team. He also announced the arrest of the Chityal Local Guerrilla Squad (LGS) member, K. Komala alias Swaroopa.

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