HYDERABAD: Maoists have hardened their stand against the setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and said they would "make all efforts to be in the forefront" in the campaign against them.

The Maoists, who intensified guerrilla activity in central and eastern India, has also announced they will step up intensify attacks on "counter-revolutionary" organisations such as Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh, Sendra in Jharkhand, and the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) in Bihar.

Stand conveyed

The Maoist stand was conveyed to the media here in a 17-page statement in a question and answer format, attributed to the CPI (Maoist) general secretary Muppala Laxmana Rao, known as Ganapathi.

On the issue of Singur and Nandigram and the Maoists' involvement in "inciting violence at Nandigram", the Maoist leader said: "One should only be surprised if we are not involved in such life-and-death issues of the masses."

Rejects charge

He rejected the Communist Party of India (Marxist) charge that Maoists were inciting violence.

He accused the West Bengal Government of trying to `divert' people's attention by claiming that Maoists had `incited' the local people forcing the police to open fire.

Mr. Ganapathi said struggles against the SEZ promoters acquiring fertile farmland of the peasants were turning militant as seen in Kalinganagar, Singur, Nandigram, Lohandiguda and Polavaram.

Mahto killing

On the killing of JMM MP, Sunil Mahto and whether his party would resort to more such killings in future, Mr. Ganapathi said his party was not against the JMM per se, but against people like Mahto "who had been actively involved in unleashing brutal repression."

In Bihar, the Maoists killed Murari Ganju who took an active role in the TPC.

Similarly, his party would fight the efforts by the Chhattisgarh Government in supporting the Salwa Judum (anti-naxal movement).

On the serious reverses suffered by his party in Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Ganapathi said the revolutionary movement bore the brunt of all counter-insurgency measures taken by the Government. The party had learnt a lesson in A.P ., but it "has given us invaluable experience in countering and defeating the enemy's [State] tactics, plans and methods.

The ninth Maoist Congress chalked out a plan to overcome the setback in AP. However, the party was focussing on building up the movement in Dandakaranya and Bihar-Jharkhand.