NAXAlITES had become active in the Telengana area of Andhra Pradesh. They had become a law unto themselves. Those who opposed them were eliminated or intimidated. Naxals targeted popular persons to raise funds. Manickyam, the temple priest of Thimmammapet village, was also targeted because he was popular among the villagers. A trained RSS Swayamsevak, Manickyam possessed the physical and mental stamina to inspire the villagers to resist the onslaught of Naxals. On April 20, 1995, Naxals tried to kidnap his uncle, a former Zilla Parishad chairman, as he failed to part with the money they demanded. Manickyam gave a chase. Naxals surrounded the uncle and the nephew and started attacking them. Manickyam managed to snatch an axe from one of the attackers. He put two Naxals to death and caused serious injuries to several others. He himself had been badly wounded and at last fell down dead in a pool of blood. His uncle managed to escape. This martyrdom of Manickyam infused courage into the villagers to fight out the Naxal menace. The President of India awarded Manickyam the ?Kirti Chakra? posthumously.
