Thousands of supporters of Maoist rebels carried communist flags and shouted revolutionary slogans as they poured into this southern Indian village yesterday to hear a powerful underground leader in his first public appearance since going into hiding more than 20 years ago.
An emissary of Akkiraju Haragopal, alias Ramakrishna, said the leader of the People's War rebel group was to appear at the rally in Guthikonda Bilam village in Andhra Pradesh state ahead of Friday's peace talks with the government, which lifted a ban on the communist guerrilla group when it was elected in June.
Haragopal was expected to tell supporters why People's War -- which advocates armed struggle -- has agreed to seek an end to the two-decade rebellion in Andhra Pradesh that has killed more than 6,000 people.
Haragopal was to be accompanied by other underground rebels and supporters on a 4.5km march to Bilam, said Vara Vara Rao, a rebel emissary. More than 200,000 people were expected to attend the rally, he said.
Many women wore red saris and men wore red scarves as they marched in thousands into Guthikonda Bilam, carrying red flags and banners with the communist hammer and sickle insignia.
The assembled marchers shouted, "Long live revolution," "Down with repression" and "Land to the landless."
The village is about 250km southeast of the state capital, Hyderabad, where the peace talks are to be held on Friday in the first direct negotiations between state officials and leaders of People's War.
RSS