Week’s truce: Will Reds escape or surrender?

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Will the week-long ceasefire offered by the state government motivate the Maoists, holed up in the hills of Malnad, to surrender or give them crucial time to move to safer areas? The Anti-Naxal Force personnel, though agree that it is a good move on the part of the government to offer the ultras a chance to surrender, the stalling of search-and-shoot operations could give them time to go deeper into the jungles or escape to other states.

The ANF claims that their pincer move has restricted the Maoists to a small area in the forests and any let-up at this crucial juncture would provide exit routes to the Reds. It is also suspected that only the foot soldiers and supporters of the movement would surrender, while the leaders would escape to other states or go underground.

“The Maoists have been cornered in the Western Ghats following continuous combing operations. A group of Maoists in Dakshina Kannada-Hassan border, which survived the recent exchange of fire with the Anti-Naxal Force, is struggling. This proves that the Maoists are losing strength in the region and might have contacted the government seeking a ceasefire,” a senior police officer said.

“The government has decided to take the offer made by the Maoists and given them a week to surrender. If the Maoists do not make use of this opportunity, our operations will only intensify after the deadline lapses,” he said.

Naxals offer to surrender?
The Naxal group, which is on the run in the forests of Dakshina Kannada and Hassan districts, has offered to surrender before the government, sources from the Anti Naxal Force (ANF) told Deccan Chronicle. This could be the real reason for the Chief Minister’s declaration of a week-long cease-fire.

An ANF official said that the government has received a tip-off that the Naxals wanted to surrender. “We have not received any confirmation though. We have called off the operation for a week. However, we are also studying their escape routes. We will establish camps inside the jungles of Hassan in case Naxals continue to operate inside the forests of Sakleshapur,” the official said. The ANF official said that the woman who was with the fleeing Naxal group is Sundari from Belthangadi taluk, wife of a Naxal named Dinakar who was killed in an encounter three years ago. “Presently, she is operating with the group led by Naxal leader Vikram Gowda,” he said.