Maoists go on rampage in Gadchiroli on bandh day

NAGPUR: Maoists were out in full force in Gadchiroli district on Sunday, setting two ‘jungle depots’ on fire, torching a road roller , blocking several internal roads , shutting markets, disrupting services of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses, and also putting up banners and posters about the ‘bandh’.

The strike had been called to protest the alleged extrajudicial killings of their Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) Ramko Narote and cadre Shilpa Dhurva on April 27 last month at Gundurwahi by C-60 commandos during an operation. The sentiments of the protest reflected in the banners and posters demanding clarification from the police on the killings.

Apart from police, this time Maoists also issued threats to the foresters, urging villagers to resist their work of cutting trees and bamboo, as “they are owned by the tribals”.

DIG, Naxal range, Ankush Shinde said there was an alert across all police stations, including those near the Chhattisgarh border, where there was a ‘bandh’ call. “The arson was mainly the handiwork of villagers under the threat of Maoists, and not by Maoist leaders, who were reportedly somewhere near the state borders,” said Shinde. He also said that local villagers of Bhamragarh and Etapalli protested against the bandh and Maoist activities by setting their banners on fire after gathering them at one place.

The Maoists had suffered decisive blows in April last year, when 40 cadres and senior leaders were killed at the encounter at Kasnasur-Nainer, and were projected as being on the back foot by the police. However, this dominance of the police was questioned on May 1 when the reds torched 27 vehicles and two camp offices of a road construction company at Dadapur village in Kurkheda taluka. This was followed by a devastating blast at Jambhulkheda (Lendhari nullah) where 15 jawans of Quick Response Team (QRT) and a civilian driver of a private vehicle were killed.

The widespread violence during Sunday’s district bandh was another addition to their onslaught.

A front-line leader and DVCM Bhaskar Hichami, husband of Ramko, seems to be behind the sudden spurt of Maoist violence, along with manpower replenishment from Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand.

The Maoists seem to be combining field violence with mental games. They chose Dadapur to begin their violence on the bandh day too. After putting up almost two dozen banners here during the arson on May 1, the Maoists once against put up a number of banners in the early hours on Sunday, throwing a challenge to the cops stationed merely 4km away at Purada police station.

The Maoists then headed towards the forest near Warbi (Chirpi), around 7km away, where they set wood at the jungle depot on fire inflicting loss of lakhs of rupees. The depot belonged to the Forest Labourers’ Co-operative Society, where wood from adjoining forests of Yedapar and Kurundi was collected. Forest department sources said they refrained from going to the affected sites as they suspected explosives may have been left behind to target responding security forces.

The Maoists blocked the road between Karamphata and Gurupalli in Etapalli taluka by tying a banner across the road and also laying felled trees on the road. One side of the banner was tied to a vehicle which the Maoists had torched some days ago. Police claimed this road blockade was later removed by villagers so vehicles could pass.

Earlier in the morning, ST buses had returned to Etapalli depot from this place, but later resumed services till Alapalli.

A MSRTC source said services on Jambia-Gatta stretch were stopped. “Buses could not ply towards Burgi, Kasansur and Jarawandi. Police tried to ensure ST service was resumed, but it could not be done beyond Alapalli as buses returned to Etapalli depot as the situation seemed unsafe. The buses also did not travel to places like Koti and Laheri in Bhamragarh from Aheri,” said the source.

The Maoists later set a road roller on fire at Gurupalli Road. The roller was engaged in road construction works. A jungle depot near Gurupalli too was set on fire.

Maoist banners were also spotted at places in Bhamragarh taluka including at Kospundi phata near Tadgaon, Parlakota river bed and other places.

The markets at different taluka places like Korchi in the north and south’s Etapalli, Alapalli and Bhamragarh remained shut.