Maoists disown Nachika, ask people to oppose his ‘selfish’ poll plan

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Semiliguda/Narayanpatna, Mar 17:

Ever since Nachika Linga, the leader of Narayanpatna’s  Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh ( CMAS ) decided to give up his life in the jungle and work overground , he has become a target of the Maoists who are deeply worried about losing their  grip over their 5-year old base in the area.

In a signed two-page letter issued on Sunday night, Daya and Aruna, leaders of the Srikakulam division of the outlawed CPI-Maoist, have urged the local tribal people to disown Nachiks and oppose his plan  to join electoral politics after striking a compromise with the establishment.

Terming it as a move to further his own personal ambitions at the cost of the larger interests of the local tribal people, the Maoist leaders have denounced Linga’s plans to contest the 2014 general elections.

The letter says the Maoists supported Nachika Linga and CMAS  after they boycotted the 2009 general elections. However, the CMAS led by Nachika betrayed them in 2012 when they took an active part in the 3-tier panchayat elections in 2012.

“ after winning all the seats they (CMAS) extended support to  the BJD candidate for the Zilla Parishad chairman’s post after entering into an 10-point agreement with the Mass Education minister Rabi Nanda and other BJD MLAs including the Laxmipur legislator Jhina Hikaka,” the letter said.

“ Did it result in any change in the lives of the people ? Did BJD fulfill the 10 demands they had promised to ?” – the letter asked.

Alleging that  the elected sarpanchs have gone missing and the local Zilla Parishad member Joru Mouka has  become a ‘don’ in Damanjodi, the letter says it is not electoral politics but ‘people’s war’ which is the only way out for the people to escape their misery.

Urging the people in Narayanpatna to oppose Nachika’s move the Maoists have asked them to boycott the ensuing polls.

Political observers in Koraput district said Nachika’s plans  to surrender to a local court on March 11 would have made a great difference to the existing war-like situation in Znarayanpana but it failed to materialize partly because of the overzealous activists and the media and also partly due to over-reaction by the local police and security forced on that particular day.

Going by the content of the Maoist letter, it is clear that Nachika has already slipped out of the control of the Maoists and is all set to snap all ties with them.

” Once Nachika severs ties with them, the Maoists would find it impossible to operate in the area because the people here who are solidly behind their home-grown leader would never side with the ‘outsiders’ from across the border,” a senior police official told OST.

Informed sources said Nachika’s plan to go overground and fight as an independent candidate for the Laxmipur assembly seat has been put on hold at the moment because  he is “apprehensive” and “unsure” over how the Maoists,local people and the police are  going to deal with him once he comes out of hiding.

Another senior police official involved in the anti-Maoist operation in the state told OST that time is running out for Nachika.

“ Nachika has been underground for over 4 years now. It is time he surfaces and avoids a situation where he become the target of both the Maoists and the security forces,” he said.