Naxals to attack Special Economic Zones: report

Jatin Gandhi
Email Author
New Delhi, April 20, 2007
Naxals to attack Special Economic Zones: reports

Naxals have resolved to attack Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and their promoters in the country, a secret intelligence report sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has warned.

The secret report warns that Naxals “have seriously decided to take on SEZs and their promoters and this it is believed will be the first attack on global imperialism.” It adds that the Naxals believe that the success of the attack is “very crucial for the survival of the movement in the 21st century.”

Spelling out the government’s concern, a senior home ministry official told HT on Saturday: “The Naxals are trying to focus on people who are losing their land to SEZs. It is an emotive issue and such people are likely to listen to just about anyone who tries to sway them.”

Sources in the ministry added that Naxal activities in the country have gone down except in Chhatisgarh and the Naxals are desperate to fuel the movement.

Confirming the Naxals’ stance, CPI(Mao) leader Varavara Rao, said the decision to oppose the setting up of SEZs was taken at the ninth Unity Congress of the Naxals that was held at a secret location earlier this year. “A resolution was passed. We are opposing SEZs because these are nothing but implementation of the World Bank’s constitution,” Rao said.

The report also points out at the moderate and educated leaders among the Naxals are losing grip over the movement giving way to “criminal and lumpen elements”. This development signals at Naxal strikes getting bloodier in the future, sources said.

The meeting of the Coordination Centre for Anti Naxal Operations headed by the Union Home Secretary and comprising chief secretaries and Directors General of Police will be held in New Delhi on April 26, sources in the ministry said.

Sources said the government is focusing its attention on the new threat and the issue will figure in a big way in the meeting. The meeting was earlier scheduled for April 24 in Raipur but it was decided to reschedule it for April 26 and the venue was changed to Delhi.

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