HYDERABAD, Aug 6: Despite the Andhra Pradesh government extending the ban on the dreaded Naxalite outfit People's War Group (PWG), the extremist group held a series of public meetings in its strongholds during the past week.The meetings, which were announced in advance, indicate the contemptuous attitude of the PWG leaders towards government diktats. They also indicate that the PWG is trying to strengthen its base in the rural areas of north-Telangana districts and some parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa as well. Presently, the extremist outfit's writ runs in most of the villages of the Telangana districts.

Sources say that buoyed by the success of these meetings, the PWG is now planning to extend its armed squad operations to the towns and district headquarters. Armed squads of 10 to 12 members each will be formed to operate in district headquarters of Telangana region, sources added.

Interestingly, these meetings were organised a few days after the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) was separated from the Greyhounds and brought under the Intelligence wing on the grounds that the move would help in tracking movements of the Naxalites effectively.

Neither the extension of the ban nor bringing SIB into the fold of the Intelligence wing could prevent the PWG from conducting meetings. And in not even a single instance could the police manage to gather information though hundreds of people attended the meetings.

The PWG had suffered a severe setback in April and May this year as it lost 11 of its important members in police encounters. Held to mark the 25th death anniversary of Charu Majumdar, the meetings are seen as a signal from the extremist group that they may be down but not out. In at least 20 villages they were able to drum up big support. The PWG meeting on the border of Medak and Nizamabad districts was attended by at least 50 of its cadres and thousands of people.

Similar meetings were held on the border of Karimnagar-Warangal districts and Adilabad-Karimnagar districts. The Naxalites managed to organise a meeting at Pulakarthi, a small village hardly 15 km from Warangal city. Similarly, the PWG conducted a two-hour long meeting at Vangara, native village of former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.