Daijiworld Media Network - Shringeri (GA)
Shringeri, Jul 10: When the presence of Naxalites was felt in the Western Ghats and Malnad region of the state some 4 years ago, no one would have thought that it would grow stronger in the coming days. Many might have even thought that with the encounters of Parvati and Hajima at Edu near Karkala, Naxals had left the region.
But the last couple of years have proved that it is not the Naxalites who have feared the administration but vice-versa. If Parvati and Hajima were the first one's to be encountered, Naxalite leader and super brain behind forming and leading the Naxal movement in the state Saketh Rajan was shot dead along with Shivlinga at Menasinahadya on February 6, 2005. This was the like the beginning of bloodshed in the region, as Naxalites took revenge of Saketh's death by killing 7 police personnel at Pavgadh.
From then, till today, people of Malnad region have hardly had good sleep on any day. While many have left the place and migrated to other regions, a few more are living in constant fear, behind sandwiched between the police and the Naxalites.
It was once again proved that bloodshed in the region is not going to stop in the near future when police gunned down 5 suspected Naxalites at Menasinahadya near Shringeri on Tuesday. It is said that a group of Naxalites had come to the house of one of the locals on Monday night for dinner and stayed there overnight.
But the police got a tip-off about their presence in the house and immediately surrounded the house. Though the Naxalites were asked to surrender themselves, they did not. Instead they opened firing at police in Tuesday morning. When police returned fire, 5 Naxalites were killed and 3 were seriously injured. Reports also said that even 8 police were injured in the exchange of fire. All the injured have been admitted to KMC Hospital at Manipal.
Though police have claimed that the encountered were Naxalites, locals say that they were Naxals but locals. Police too have not yet officially announced about it and proved that they are Naxalites.
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