VISAKHAPATNAM: The CPI (Maoist) hoisted black flags in several villages in the area which it has declared as a “liberated zone” in the past, in protest against the 63rd Independence Day on Saturday.
According to reports reaching here, black flags were hoisted in 200 to 250 interior villages on either side of Andhra Pradesh border with Orissa, including Chintapalli, GK Veedhi, Munchingput and G. Madugula mandals of Visakhapatnam district, Y. Ramavaram and Maredumilli mandals of East Godavari and adjoining districts in Orissa.
This area was declared by the Maoist party, than People's War Group, as a liberated zone during 2002 and 2003. Also, it is for the first time after 2003 that black flags were hoisted in such a large number of villages.
Meanwhile, there was speculation that Modem Balakrishna alias Bhaskar, member of Maoists’ Andhra Orissa Border State Committee and Chamala Krishna Murthy alias Daya who is Srikakulam division secretary of CPI (Maoist) and four others were missing since the August 12 encounter near Ramannaguda encounter in Rayagada district of Orissa in which three woman naxalites were killed.
They are yet to be traced by the police.
