Maoist-PLA nexus deep : NIA
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal
New Delhi, September 24 2012:
Recent reports by the National Investigation Agency ( NIA) has claimed that militant outfits such as Manipur's People's Liberation Army (PLA) were arming the Maoist and training them in guerilla warfare, and they have been sharing a close nexus.
Several PLA's top leaders have also been arrested � Asem Ibotombi; N Dilip Singh; Senjam Dhiren Singh; Arnold Singh reportedly.
The NIA probe had revealed that several meetings between the PLA and top Maoist functionaries have taken place since 2006 .
The rendezvous between the two outfits took place in Kolkata, which served as the main office for coordination, while other venues include Delhi, Bengal, Assam, Mizoram, Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
The NIA charge sheet stated that the CPI ( Maoist) has been sending money for procuring arms, ammunition, communication devices which in turn were provided by the PLA.
The NIA probe also established training programmes conducted by PLA for the Maoist cadres.
Moreover top Maoist idealogue Pallab Barbora, who is in the NIA custody was alleged to have been the main force behind several upheaval against mega dams in North East India.
He is also alleged to have been the key facilitator of the relationship between the CPI (Maoist) and the PLA.
Interrogation of Indranil Chand another key Maoist leader in charge of North East by the NIA in their custody revealed that he had been extensively moving in several parts of North East setting up base camps.
In the late 2000s Government of India launched a massive paramilitary operation against the Maoist under the Operation Green Hunt along five States in central east India identified as the "Red Corridor" .
In retaliation the Maoist too had also reacted aggressively, that has capture the attention of the authorities the media and public such as the killing of 76 CRPF jawans in 2010, kidnapped of top bureaucrats in Chhatisgarh , abduction of Tourist and other government officials in Odisha.
The infamous 'red corridor' comprise of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal .
Beside "left extremism" this region, particularly in Odisha had in recent times witnessed several "uprising" against land acquisition by the local populace for mega development projects such as POSCO ; Vedenta in Niyamgiri ; extensive Mining; .
Anti displacement movement spokesperson Prasant Paikray told the Sangai Express that 95 MoU had been signed between the State Government and Multi National Companies.
People opposed because it is a basic issue of livelihood; water, forest and land said Paikray.
According to Convener of the National Alliance of People's Movement Prafulla Samantaroy the conflict is "people versus profit" .
Moreover Odisha based political activist did not rule out the possibility of the Maoist "support" to the ongoing resistance against land acquisition.
Where the geo-physique of the land under question incidentally falls under the "red � corridor" inhabited by both the "left extremist" as well the tribals / adivasis and
the peasants.
Meanwhile local media in Odisha had affirmed to the Sangai Express that the link between the NE rebels and the Maoist is an " established theory" Political activists though didn't acknowledge direct link between the rebel groups of Northeast and the Maoist, did not deny that given the ongoing "plundering of resources; land grab" the massive military offensive, the possibility of solidarity , network between locals with Maoist and vice � versa, and has a high possibility of the network extending beyond the red corridor.