Naxals infiltrates into Goa to foment trouble in mining belt

Panaji, Jun 19 (UNI) The Goa police will soon come out with a comprehensive report on whether Naxalite insurgents had infiltrated into this peaceful international tourist destination to foment trouble, particularly in the mining belts.

Senior police officials maintain that Goa was not congenial for Naxalite activities as the area of operation was limited and easily accessible.

''A handful of people may be organising cells in the mining belt to capitalise on the anti-mining lobby in certain packets and we are scanning these belts,'' a senior official told UNI.

The issue today also figured in the meeting of the State Legislative Assembly's ad hoc committee on Home, where the members expressed their concern over the state supposedly falling under the scanner of the Naxalites.

''Yes, a squad of the naxalites of the banned Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and the contiguous belt had started operating in the mining belt of Goa under the leadership of one Sebastian Rodrigues,'' claimed committee chairman and former chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

Displaying copies of the photos of the groups addressing meetings in the mining belt, the Leader of the Opposition said the naxalites were doling out information through certain internet blogs also.

''I am not opposed to organising meetings against indiscriminate mining, but concerned over their infiltrating into the state to foment law and order problem in due course,'' he said.

He said the Naxalite squad was also engaged in educating the masses about ways of killing people and the police, and making destructive weapons to fight the ''class enemy'' as the Moists did in the naxalite-infested areas in 13 other states.

Mr Parrikar also said that activists of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were also infiltrating into Goa to foment trouble, as they did in other states including neighbouring Karnataka.

Inspector General of Police Kishen Kumar immediately informed the meeting that the police were fully seized of the matter and would soon come out with a report.

Informed sources told UNI that the police suspect some pro-naxal elements were behind certain anti-mining agitations at Bicholim in North Goa, but are not sure of their presence.

Certain anti-environment groups are trying to protest revival of iron ore mines, closed for the last 20 years, by Salgaocars and others in the area.

They, however, did not rule out Goa being a ''safe conduit point'' for any insurgent groups to have meetings in the tourist state, where migrant population was very high.

Mr Sabastian was reportedly an activist of the World Socialist Forum and an environment activist moving from one state to the other, the sources added.

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