Tribals in Vizag Agency organised anti-Maoist rally demanding development in the area

Visakhapatnam: Expressing that Maoists are killing innocents and obstructing development, over 600 tribals from Majjigaruvu village, including women, organized a rally. The event, protesting the atrocities committed by Maoists, took place at Majjigaruvu under G Madugula Mandal in Vizag Agency on Wednesday. However, Maoists mobilized over 300 tribals from various villages to stage a dharna at the same spot, countering the protest of the tribals.

Vizag Rural Police Chief Babujee Attada said that both groups had a face-off at the spot and engaged in an intense argument. Finally, the former managed to convince the other that supporting Maoists would lead to anti-development, he added.

The tribals raised slogans urging the Maoists to allow them to live in peace. The former also requested the latter not to kill them, allow construction of hospitals and schools, and allow mobile phone towers, which are essential for communication during a health emergency.

They told reporters that the Maoists had been mercilessly killing innocents, calling them police informers. They have been campaigning in villages, claiming that they were wielding guns in the interests of the tribals. However, in reality, they were harming the tribal population.

The tribals stopped attending meetings and believing their words. Since the Maoists were not getting local youngsters to build their cadre, they got activists from outside to carry out their violence. In the past decade, Maoists killed more than 70 tribals by branding them as police informers and this year alone they murdered five tribals in Vizag Agency, Babujee Attada said.

The protesting tribals said that Maoists have been obstructing road-connectivity to remote areas in Vizag Agency. Lack of road-connectivity led to an absence of medical, education, infrastructure, and affected developmental activities.

“We lost faith in Maoists for their ideologies, and we decided to support the district administration and police for development activities in our region,” the tribals added.