Naxals eyed Dalit support before Khairlanji

NAGPUR: A 2004 document seized by investigating agencies suggests that garnering support of Dalits formed an integral part of the Maoist agenda before the Khairlanji incident. The fact that the Naxals reportedly aimed at amalgamating the dalit aspirations and struggle with the revolutionary zeal since the last few years was established after the seizure of literature and documents found in possession of several arrested sympathisers like Anil Mhamane and three others and leaders like Arun Ferreira, Murli, Vishnu, Vkiram and Tusharkant Bhattacharya. The literature also pointed to the fact that the Maoists wanted to expose how some leaders—who championed the cause of the backward classes—were opportunists, the police sources said. Security agencies found some literature during a recent meeting in Bhandara to mark the one-year anniversary of the Khairlanji massacre. The literature reportedly mentioned that the leaders' aim was only to capitalise on the vote bank of the backward classes. Sources added that the Naxals also aimed to appeal the masses to join in the revolution and expose the vested interests behind caste-based issues and related politics. Meanwhile, the police claimed to have found out that sympathiser Anil Mhamane was reportedly entrusted with the responsibility to create mass awareness of the Maoist agenda. He was reportedly engaged in printing Maoist literature and its distribution among the masses.