Adivasi village in Andhra alleges Maoists kidnapped minor boy, approach cops

Almost a month after members of the banned CPI (Maoist) allegedly kidnapped a minor tribal boy from Gollaguppa village of Yetapaka mandal in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district, his parents and villagers mustered courage and reported the matter to police on Monday. "The parents along with the villagers of Gollaguppa came to Yetapaka police station and lodged a complaint regarding the kidnapping of their minor son and a case has been registered and investigation has been started," said a police official.

Incidentally, the minor boy was taken away after the Maoists allegedly threatened his parents and villagers as well, warning them not to report the incident to police. According to police, the Maoists are coercing the villagers to provide them with food and other essentials, burdening their own livelihood. "In fact Gutti Koya tribes from Chhattisgarh took asylum in AP reserve forest areas because of fear of Maoists. However, they are still facing the same problems from the Maoists here also, and unable to get a solution for their problem," the police officer said.

Shocked by the abduction, the boy's parents and the villagers are demanding his immediate release from the Maoists. According to the police, the boy was studying in Class 9 in Bheemavaram High School near Nellipaka of Yetapaka mandal.

Several migrant tribal persons from Chhattisgarh and Odisha are living in the reserve forest areas of Yetapaka, Kunavaram, VR Puram and Chinturu sub division of the district, along AP border and eking out a living doing slash and burn cultivation (podu).

However, police observed that the banned CPI (Maoist) party members have been exploiting the innocent Gutti Koya tribal people for their selfish benefits and recruiting them in different dalams (groups). "On many occasions, the newly recruited tribal people are coming out from those dalams, realising the exploitation they have undergone. Because of this kind of situation, no Gutti Koya is willing to join in the dalams," the police officer said.

Recently, 10 tribal people from Yetapaka and Chinturu mandals gave up naxalism and surrendered to the police. Maoist members were accused of exploiting the Gutti Koyas, a vulnerable tribal community.

"In order to overcome this scenario, the CPI (Maoist) have been recruiting minor tribal youth by using force or threatening or kidnapping," he added.

With IANS inputs