An ex-lecturer and an ex-student campaigner were under arrest in Mumbai over the weekend. The anti-terrorism squad who arrested them alleges that both of them were Naxalite leaders.

The police state that they have confiscated detonators, a hand grenade, two firearms, 20 high-explosive gelatin sticks, 106 CDs, a laptop, pen drive, three mobile phones, Rs 6 lakh and some ‘banned literature’ from the twosome. The texts impounded from them contain magazines like People’s War, People’s March, a short biography of Joseph Stalin and booklets narrating tales of Naxalites and their rebellion.

One of the arrested persons is Vernon Gonsalves alias Vikram aged 49, a former economics teacher at KC College and Ruparel College. He was picked up from Govandi along with the other one, Sridhar Srinivasan alias Vishnu aged 50. The latter was a past associate of the Leftist group ‘Vidyarthi Pragati Sena’ when studying in the Elphinstone College.

Maharashtra DGP P S Pasricha said that both of them were linked to Naxalites.

Vikram has been the general secretary of a Maoist Naxalite group and was in its politburo for over five years. He was recently replaced by Vishnu who is wanted in several states in the country for his involvement in big cases. Vishnu is also a member of the Naxalites’ national committee

- he confirmed.

Pasricha also said that the CDs recovered from these twp people disclose information about the sites where Naxalites are given training, and also data about their sponsors and supporters.

This arrest seems to be a real big deal for the police. Pasricha added -

They will help us bust a big module working in a metro like Mumbai. We will send the laptop, CDs and Pen drive for a forensic cyber analysis to get a clear picture of the seizure.

However, Byculla, a friend of Vernon Gonsalves from his student days at the Burhani College, was stunned at the news of his arrest.

He was an upright person who always stood up for what was right. He was a brilliant man with a sharp and incisive mind

- he said about his friend.

The lawyer of Gonsalves and Srinivasan argued that the administration is wrongly incriminating activists who work with the deprived with criminal charges because they dare to speak out.

On one hand there is the irrefutable truth that a large number of the potential youth of our country have spoiled their budding lives in the pursuit of an unfeasible ideal with the tag of ‘Naxal’. The process, which yields only to violence and nothing else, should be stopped at once, no doubt.

However, the method being followed by the state to thwart the ‘Naxals’ is maybe not the right one. Violence as an answer to violence will only make their anguish and intention more powerful, instead of making them realize the futility of their ambition.

Image Credit : Flonnet

Via: Times of India