Reds regrouping at tri-junction jungle

CHENNAI: After a gap of nearly four years, following setbacks from police forces and COVID waves, the Maoists are again regrouping in tri-junction jungles spread over Kerala-Tamil Nadu-Karnataka borders. Sources aware of the development said a new group comprising fresh recruits from southern states are being trained there.

“There will be over 30 fresh recruits undergoing training. The majority are said to be from TN. Apart from study classes, they might even get arms training,” sources said.

Intelligence agencies of various states have again turned focus on tri-junction jungles after small groups of Maoists were spotted in Kerala’s Kannur and Wayanad recently. “Since June, villagers thrice spotted Maoist groups, some carrying weapons,” sources disclosed.

“On August 11 evening, a group of 10 armed People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) - CPI (Maoist), including three women, visited a shop at Viyatanam in Aralam in Kannur. They demanded and collected groceries worth Rs 1,000 and distributed pamphlets. They pasted hand-written posters against privatisation of Aralam farms and entered a house where they had tea before disappearing into the forest,” sources said, citing one such case.

Tri-junction corridor was selected as the training ground by the central committee of CPM Maoists after the Reds started facing fire from the central security agencies at the beginning of 2010 in the Dandakaranya forests, spread across Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra. The Reds used to fund activities extorting money from quarry and resort owners besides cultivating and selling ganja on the AP-Odisha border.