Maoists rule the roost in Chakulia villages

Manohar Lal

RANCHI: Days after the Silda Eastern Frontier Rifles camp attack by the CPI(Maoist) in West Midnapore district of West Bengal early this week, movement of Maoists has intensified on this side of the Bengal-Jharkhand border in the state, raising serious concern for life and security in the area.




Masked motorcycle-borne rebels are threatening villagers and distributing pamphlets among vehicle owners plying on the road linking Chakulia and Bengal. In the pamphlets, Maoists have sought people's support to their cause. They even snatch locals' cellphones with a promise to return them after a week or so.




Over a dozen incidents of such kinds have taken place in the past couple of days in and around Chakulia town, around 14 km from the Jharkhand-Bengal border, in the East Singhbhum district of the state.




The situation has become alarming, particularly in wake of the state government's decision to suspend combing operation in the area.




Marketplaces in Chakulia town wear a deserted look after dusk as people prefer to stay indoors. According to locals, soon after the Silda camp attack, over two dozen Maoists reached Jhobhi and Jurma villages around midnight and asked for food from villagers.




On a tip-off, police teams raided the villages and allegedly thrashed residents to obtain information from them regarding the Thursday's bandh call given by Maoists in Chakulia. "Ever since the Silda attack took place, several unknown faces are seen in villages here and Maoist posters are found pasted at every nook and corner," said Trilochan Mahto, a villager.




Intelligence sources said that movement of Maoists has intensified in villages like Chaulamia, Jhobhi, Jurma, Kalapathar, Jodam and Bhandara, all falling under the Belpahari belt located between the Chakulia and Bengal border.




IG (Ranchi zone) Rezi Dungdung said that the possibility of Maoists infiltrating into the area cannot be ruled out. However, he added that the police would certainly take action against the rebels.




On Wednesday, some teenagers were playing cards at night when a group of Maoists barged in their house at Chaulamia village, thrashed them and snatched their cellphones. They also advised the teenagers to go to bed early and not to inform anybody about them.




The same night, Maoists also looked for a policeman, Rakesh Singh, posted in the Chakulia police station. However, they failed to locate him. Singh reportedly took shelter in the nearby fields that night to escape the wrath of Maoists.




For Chandra Mohan Soren, a doctor in Kalapathar village, the night was not so lucky as Maoists killed him on the suspicion of being a police informer.




Similarly, a ration dealer, Surendra Mahto, who stayed hardly 150 meters away from the local police station, was beaten up for opening his shop on Thursday. "The Maoists came on four bikes and threatened to eliminate me if I dared to defy their diktat again," Mahto said.