Maoists using children to snatch police weapons

June 5, 2013

MaoistsJagdalpur, Jun 5: Maoists have come up with an ingenious ploy to snatch arms from the security forces deployed in Chhattisgarh. They are using children to get this task done. The rebels clothe their gun-snatching squads in school uniforms which makes it impossible for the security forces to fire at them as photographs of dead schoolchildren would invite national and international outrage.

Speaking to Media, Bhagwat Bhagel, a sub-inspector who was shot at and injured by the Maoists in Sukma in the May 25 attack that killed 30 people, revealed how uniformed boys, as young as 10 years old, snatched weapons from injured and dead personnel. Baghel, 35, was posted near Kistharam police chowki area, close to Andhra Pradesh border.

"We went into the forest in two groups (of about 30 each) to collect bamboos for some work and were marching as per the set protocol unaware of Maoist presence ahead," said Baghel, who was discharged from the hospital for gunshot wounds two days ago.

Constable Parshuram Makram and head constable Narayan Major were killed in the ambush. "I took shelter behind a tree after two shots. I saw four children, 9 to 10 years old, dressed in school uniforms, approaching the dead constable's body and taking his SLR and ammunition. Then they went to Major Narayan, who was unconscious at that time, and took his AK-47 and ammunition.

"The fourth boy, also wearing a school uniform, was on a bicycle and took away the weapons while other Maoists, who had surrounded the police station, were giving them a covering fire," said Baghel. "I could have shot them but looking at their age, I controlled myself," he added.

The firing lasted for more than two hours.

"The boys in school uniform were not armed. They just came, snatched the weapons and escaped. Had our people shot at them, many would have been after our life. This is a disturbing trend that has come to fore," said a special task force officer wishing anonymity.

These students are members of a small action team and they roam around in markets wearing blue coloured school uniforms. "Boys found wearing school uniforms at odd times are questioned and kept under surveillance. Still it's a difficult task to arrest them," said Sukma SP Abhishek Shandlya. Intelligence officials claim that the Maoists are recruiting more young boys for their small action team. A 17-year-old Maoist, alleged to be part of small action team from an area bordering Chhattisgarh was nabbed by a police team from Balaghat on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh on Tuesday visited the native place of slain Congress leader Mahendra Karma and met his family members and offered condolences. Later, talking to reporters, Singh accused the BJP government for total failure in maintaining law and order despite the Centre allocating enough forces to the state.

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News Network
February 9,2020

New Delhi, Feb 8: Arvind Kejriwal is set to return as Delhi chief minister and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will virtually sweep the assembly elections, exit polls predicted Saturday.

As polling came to a close at 6 pm, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) projecting a voter turnout at 60.24% (as of 9:50 pm), a poll of polls covering 10 exit polls gave 52 seats to AAP, 17 to the Bharatiya Janata Party and one to the Indian National Congress.

The polls, which are sample surveys conducted among voters exiting polling booths, signalled that the Delhi voter responded to AAP’s campaign that focused on “kaam”, or getting work done.

Kejriwal, a former civil servant and activist who stormed into electoral politics with an anti-corruption campaign in 2013, led a campaign focusing on the development work his government did in Delhi, especially in education and healthcare, as well as sops such as lower electricity bills and free bus rides for women.

The exit polls gave AAP between 47 and 68 seats in the 70-member Assembly.

They predicted an absolute rout for Congress, which ruled Delhi for three terms between 1998 and 2013. The maximum seats to AAP were given by India Today TV-Axis exit poll, which predicted 59-68 seats for the party, while giving 2-11 for the BJP and none to the Congress.

If these figures hold, the results will come as a disappointment for the BJP, which had hoped its sweep in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 would reflect in the assembly polls.

Delhi’s voter turnout saw a sharp fall over the 2015 elections. According to the Election Commission of India, voter turnout till 9 pm was projected at 60.24% — lower than 67.12% in 2015.

Traditionally, a lower voter turnout is read as a vote for the incumbent.

The voter turnout in Delhi has been similar during the Congress regime under Sheila Dikshit, when she won consecutive terms. In 2003, when Delhi voted a second time for the Dikshit government, the voter turnout was 53.42%, and a comparable 57.58% was the turnout in 2008.

Later, in two consecutive elections — 2013 and 2015 — voters turned out in big numbers to vote Dikshit out of power. In 2013, 65.63% of Delhi turned out and the percentage increased further to 67.12% in 2015.

Across constituencies, Matia Mahal in Central Delhi registered the highest voter turnout of 68.36%, whereas Bawana assembly constituency in North district saw the lowest turnout at 41.95%. Among districts, North East district registered the highest (62.75%) voter turnout, while the lowest turnout was recorded in South East district (54.15%), according to the ECI app.

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News Network
March 28,2020

Amaravati, Mar 28: The state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka carried out a joint quarantine operation to help over a thousand migrant labourers from various districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh administration received the information that 1,334 migrant labourers were trying to return to the state after obtaining passes from the Deputy Director of Fisheries in Mangalore, Karnataka.
The labourers, according to a press release by the Andhra Pradesh government, were headed towards the Nangili Toll Plaza in Kolar district, from where they would enter the state to return to their native places.
"The Chittoor Collector, Superintendent of Police and Sub-Collector rushed to the spot to coordinate with their counterparts from Kolar, Karnataka. The migrant workers were not permitted to enter AP due to the lockdown and the guidelines of the Union as well as state government," according to the release.
Instead, both the governments decided to initiate a joint quarantine operation in Kolar while taking precautionary measures to ensure that none of the labourers are carriers of the COVID-19 infection.
The Andhra government also reassured the Kolar administration that it will provide doctors, healthcare and all other facilities. It has also issued directions for logistical support, food, water, transport to take the labourers to quarantine facility, and medical team, consisting of 12 doctors, 22 supervisors and other staff, to be provided.
While the Prime Minister had imposed a nationwide lockdown, including the suspension of inter-state travel to prevent the spread of coronavirus, migrant workers and labourers around the country have started returning back to their native places fearing joblessness and cash crunch.
Andhra Pradesh as of Saturday 9:30 am, had 14 confirmed cases of coronavirus while Karnataka's count stood at 55, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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Agencies
February 11,2020

New Delhi, Feb 11: People of Delhi have explained the true meaning of nationalism through their mandate, AAP's prominent face Manish Sisodia said as he clinched victory on the Patparganj seat.

Sisodia, who retained his seat for the third time, said the BJP indulged in "politics of hate", but people refused to be divided.

"I am happy to have won the Patparganj seat again. The BJP indulged in politics of hate, but I thank the people of Patparganj. Today, Delhi's people have chosen a government which works for them and explained the true meaning of nationalism through their mandate," he told reporters.

Sisodia, who was the Deputy Chief Minister and led the government's education reforms agenda, defeated BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi by a margin of over 3,500 votes.

The initial trends saw a seesaw battle between Sisodia and Negi.

In 2013, Sisodia had won by a margin of 11,000 votes and in 2015 by over 28,000 votes.

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