New Delhi, Dec.2: The CPI (Maoist) has called on youths to join its ranks and counter the central paramilitary forces that are stepping up their numbers to combat them.

The message from Thippiri Tirupati, the CPI (Maoist) central military commission member, came in a press statement on November 20. Today is the 11th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).

Posters telling youths to join the rebels have surfaced in Andhra Pradesh. “In Andhra Pradesh, Maoist posters urging people them to join the PLGA were found in Chintapalli and GK Veedhi. In Bihar, posters asked observance of the (protest) week in Sadar, Hajipur, Taraiya, Marhaura and Maker, besides Jehanabad and East Champaran,” a source said.

The Maoists are in the middle of a 10-day protest — from November 29 to December 8 — against the killing of their leader Kishan in West Midnapore last month. They have called a Bharat bandh on December 4-5.

The paramilitary forces are raising 116 battalions, 36 of which are in place. According to the home ministry, the rebels have been “unusually quiet” this year. “Five politburo members and seven central committee members of the CPI (Maoist) are in custody,” Union home secretary R.K Singh said yesterday.

The PLGA is the principal armed wing of the Maoists to fight government forces. Last year, there were reports that the rebels wanted to move from the guerrilla phase to the military phase and start the “People’s Liberation Army”.

However, the deaths and arrests of leaders put the plan on hold, said security experts.