Villagers protect only link to Gulf

Villagers in some sleepy towns in Karimnagar district have decided to combat the Naxalites' inclination to burn down their only telephone links to the Gulf countries.

It began in a small way in Sirpur village, police say, when villagers distraught over the destruction of their small telephone exchange by fire convinced the department of telecommunications (DoT) they would protect a new exchange if it agreed to build one.

With at least one person in every third home employed in the Gulf, it was becoming a difficult task for them to travel to the next telecom centre.

The police said both they and DoT were sceptical at first but were soon convinced by the villagers' resolve and Sirpur got a new telephone exchange which serviced seven more surrounding villagers.

The villagers now guard the exchange every night. Ten years ago they had to listen to tapes of their men recorded in the Gulf countries and sent to them through friends. That was the only perfect solution then.

The DoT's C-Dac technology changed everything and small telephone exchanges became a reality next. But the People's War Group (PWG) decided to burn down the telephone exchanges to protest the "fake police encounters" against them.

Villagers in Mallapur seeing the determination and success of Sirpur adopted the same strategy.

They met first and resolved to accept the responsibility of protecting their exchange if it was replaced. Late last month they silently demonstrated in the streets of Mallapur urging the state government to sanction a new exchange.

The police said they would help convince the DoT. In Langapur village in the Kesavapatnam mandal villagers warned armed Naxalites they would have to shoot them first before burning down their exchange.

The challenge worked and the confused Naxalites fired into the air at first but soon withdrew after observing the villagers' resolve.

Police say in Sarampally village in the Sircilla mandal, villagers even formed public property protection committees with their help. Between six and 10 villagers guard government buildings against Naxalite attacks by waking up the entire village if they suspect militants are approaching.

Police say 10 telephone exchanges worth over Rs20 million were destroyed last year in the district. They claim attitudes have changed and now villagers even post white flags outside the homes of suspected Naxalites.

The district superintendent of police Praveen Kumar said, "This is one way for the villagers to say they are tired of violence."