NEW DELHI: Will Telangana meet the fate of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand which turned into Naxal hotbeds after being carved out from Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, respectively? Security indicators point to this possibility as it found special mention in the Srikrishna Committee report that factored in the region's history and its proximity to 'live' Red Zones.
Though the committee did not make the particular chapter, which deals with internal security issue, of its report public, it shared its content voicing concerns of security experts and stakeholders separately with the home ministry.
The chapter pointed out how the formation of new state could spell trouble in maintaining peace in the region which had once been in the grip of Red terror.
It also specifically noted how the over-ground sympathizers of Maoists had been in the forefront of supporting the pro-Telangana agitations, making it possible that the new state may go soft towards the left-wing extremists.
The government had set up Justice (retired) B N Srikrishna Committee for consultations on the situation in Andhra Pradesh, specifically in view of the separate Telangana statehood demand. The committee had submitted its report to the home ministry in December, 2010.
Referring to the concerns raised by the Committee as well as security agencies, officials here said the division of Andhra Pradesh would see bifurcated police force contributing to a weaker response to the Maoist menace.
"The state's special anti-Naxal force, Greyhound, which had successfully countered Red ultras in the past few years will also be bifurcated, giving breathing space to the Maoist top leadership that was chased out of Andhra Pradesh," said an official.
Incidentally, CPI (Maoist) chief Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi belongs to the Telangana region (Karimnagar district) like his other comrades from the ultras' top decision-making body, politburo, and the outfit's central committee. While six of them belong to Karimnagar, 13 others are from Warangal.
Though they all had started from Andhra Pradesh, they had to eventually flee the state amid intense pressure from Greyhound and other security agencies and took shelters in the ultras' hideouts either in Chhattisgarh or Jharkhand.
It is believed that the proximity of north Telangana region with the Red zones in Odisha, Chhattisgarh (Bastar) and Maharashtra (Gadchiroli) will turn out to be advantageous for the ultras who may use it to coordinate with their inter-state wings for bigger strikes, specifically when the bifurcated police force will hardly pose any challenge for the.
"Such a situation will also see Naxals from neighbouring states to take shelter in relatively safer Telangana during anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, Chhattisgarh or Maharashtra," said an official.
Citing examples of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, the official also pointed out that the new states have to pass through a phase of slowdown in economic activity that ultimately drive people to deprivation, forcing them to take up radical steps like taking up arms or other illegal activities.
"Maoists, generally, look for recruiting cadres from among such vulnerable people and the new state, having history of Naxal violence, may provide a fertile ground for them," said the official while keeping his fingers crossed amid fear of facing any extreme eventuality in the long run.
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