When Maoists had to beat a hasty retreat from the AOB region
The Hindu
The movement suffered a number of setbacks in 2021, which included death of key leaders, surrenders, and arrests
The year 2021 has been the worst for the banned CPI(Maoist) ever since it has started extending its reach in the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) region early in the 1980s.
Compared with the year 2016, when it had lost over 30 cadres and a few key leaders in the Ramaguda encounter, the movement has suffered a number of setbacks this year, which include the death of key leaders, surrenders, and arrests.
The surrenders have exposed their vulnerability, the deepening divide between the tribal and non-tribal leadership, and the growing disillusionment among the cadres.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.