Repression in Kerala, says Maoist leader

KOZHIKODE: Mohan, the state organising secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist), has told this website's newspaper in an interview that "repression of any sort cannot wipe out revolutionary movements, which has been amply proved by the Maoist movement in Andhra Pradesh which went through many bad patches."

In Kerala too there is highhandedness on the part of the police. "Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan wanted to crush the movement in the initial stage itself. The Kerala police sent men to Andhra Pradesh to get trained under the Special Investigation Bureau (SIB) and the Grey Hounds."

The repression in Kerala is more intense than in places like AP. "Persons like Varavara Rao and Gadar are allowed to work there. Here Govindan Kutty, who is running a legal magazine, is put behind bars. Even environmentalists and human rights activists like Jayasree and Shyna are not spared," he said.

"Maoists in Kerala are being presented in a larger-than- life picture. We are at an infant stage and are engaged in building the underground party structure. We did not want to come out in the open now but have been forced to do so after the arrest of our central committee member Malla Raja Reddy," he Said.