A lot is already being discussed about financial irregularities surrounding Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS). But, little is said about its naxal links.

Since the Pune police’s crackdown on Maoist organizations and naxal supporters, a lot is being discussed about the action taken against Naxalites during the UPA regime.

Today, Chidambaram and other Congress leaders may stand in support of Urban Naxals. However, as country’s Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram was vocal about Maoists getting media and intellectual support during the UPA rule. The Congress-led government at the center and state of Maharashtra had put several outfits under observation. Some of them were alleged to be frontal organizations, while there were others that were found to be linked with Naxalites.

Believe it or not, workers of late Dr. Narendra Dabholkar’s Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) which works against those spreading superstition and witchcraft, also had links to several Naxalites. A lot is already being discussed about financial irregularities surrounding Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS). But, little is said about its naxal links.

According to the Times of India’s report published in December 2010, late Dr. Dabholkar had himself agreed once during his interaction with journalists that the arrested people with naxal links were indeed members of his organization.

As per a recently published report by Dabang Dunia’s Mumbai Edition, Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti’s working president for Gondia, Naresh Babulal Bansode, and Dhanendra were planning to trigger a significant incident to create law and order problem at Deeksha Bhoomi. But, police managed to catch them on time before they could execute the plan. In the same letter, the home department also certified that MANS’s Dayaram Madavi and Ravji Tawlavi were linked with Maoists.

Believe it or not, workers of late Dr. Narendra Dabholkar’s Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) which works against those spreading superstition and witchcraft, also had links to several Naxalites.

There are 11 cases registered against these people. Apart from this police also found another set of three Naxalites who were linked with Dabholkar’s organization. The report named Naxalites Lata Prakash Gowda, Shyamlal Salame, and Sanjay Gyansingh Madavi as the three persons.  The named individuals were accused of supplying weapons to Naxalites. There were several cases registered against them in Nagpur, Gondia back then.

Superintendents of Police, as well as Police Commissioners, were asked to monitor the activities of this organization. The intelligence unit had written the concerned letter in August 2011 with a list of 62 Naxal-linked organizations. Out of them, 55 outfits were indirectly connected, while 7 of them were said to be directly run by Naxals.  Dabholkar’s organization was mentioned as entry number 50 in the list. Back then, the leader of opposition in the state legislative council, Pandurang Pundalik Fundkar had also written a letter to the state’s home ministry demanding further investigation in the matter.