Encounter proves Coast's role in Naxalism

Encounter proves Coast's role in Naxalism

Mangalore Dec 28: The encounter in which a naxalite was killed near Kigga near Sringeri on Monday night though may not have been considered a major feat of the police, it has proved that coastal district is actively involved in naxal activities.

Dinakar, who was killed in the encounter on Monday night, was the first naxalite from the DK district to be killed in an encounter. Though two activists each were killed in two separate encounters in the Udupi district including Edu at Karkala and Devarabalu in Kundapur taluk in the past, until now, no person hailing from the coastal district of DK was killed.

Though the police had information regarding the people from DK district being involved in naxal activities, the death of Dinakar has proved that people of this region are active in the movement.

Dinakar is not an important leader in the movement as it was thought earlier. Earlier he was suspected to be Vikram Gowda of Hebri, Udupi, who is the leader of Netravathi Dala. Netravathi Dala is an active team of naxalites in the stretch of Malnad-Western Ghat section and comprises about 12 to 16 active members, police sources said.

The police earlier had information regarding three members of DK involved actively in the naxal movement from Venur region. The three were identified as Dinakar, his wife Sundari and his brother-in-law(Sundari's brother) Vasanth. Dinakar said to have taken up Naxal activities following the declaration of the Kudremukh park as a national park.

Police sources, who had kept a strict vigil on the movement of Dinakar, say that Dinakar and his wife Sundari were always together during their campaign and also in their operations. Thus, it is believed that Sundari nust have been with Dinakar when the exchange of fire took place between the naxal team and the police.

According to reliable sources, those who have joined the movement from DK are not active in the region. They are active in other districts and those who are form Sringeri and other region are active in Udupi and Belthangady region. Thus, Dinakar must have been in one such operation when he was killed near Kigga.

The police had known about Dinakar's active participation in the movement even earlier and had also got some information from one of the members of the movement, Kavitha, who was arrested by the police about a year ago.

Dinakar who hails from Bharadwaja near Kutlur in Belthangady taluk belongs to a tribal community and was missing.

Inspector General of Police(Western Range) H N Satyanarayan Rao opined that the police knew that the people from DK are active in the movement. However, Dinakar was accidentally caught in fire and killed and was found to be form DK, he said.
The naxal movement, however, is more active in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada.

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