THE 36TH death anniversary of Naxalite leader Charu Mazumdar ended after a week-long commemoration on August 3. CPI (Maoists) leaders encouraged tribals at a public meeting close to Chhatishgarh (bordering Malkangiri district of Orrisa) to work hard in the fields for better paddy production, to maintain cleanness in their villages and to always drink boiled water.

Opposing the Government Policy of introducing country liquor, the Naxal leaders urged the tribals who attended the meeting to stop consumption and sale of liquor for the better cause. As many as 70 permanent pillars were erected to remember their comrades in Malkangiri district and 500 temporary pillars were erected by their followers and sympathisers. They even gave a call to people join its Liberation Guerrilla Arm to fight for the better society.

Posters were pasted on important junctions in remote villages under Mathili block urging the village heads, ward members, block and zilla parishad chairmen to ensure that the CRPF would not enter tribal villages for a combing operation. They also warned the elected representatives that if they failed to do so, they would be eliminated.

The Maoists even decided to blow up the bridge on river Kolab at Kiang inaugurated by the then chief minister of Orrisa, Biju Patnaik. This bridge strengthens the communication facilities for about seven panchayats including Tentuligumma, the residential village of a great tribal freedom fighter Laxman Nayak who was hanged to death in 1942. They also barred construction of a school building at Chitrakopa under Kamarapalli Gram Panchayat of Mathili Block under DPEP Funds as they suspected that the building would house police camps and not school children.

In a separate incident, the Maoists also condemned the brutal killing of three tribal youth from one family due to their suspected affiliation with a rebel faction.