India Maoist bandh cripples life in Red zone

GAYA: Heavily armed Maoists blew up Airtel mobile phone tower at Bage Bar village under Kothi police station in Gaya district shortly before midnight on Sunday. The tower was blown up on the eve of Maoist-sponsored bandh to register protest against the ongoing Operation Greenhunt to flush out the Red rebels from their stronghold. Operation Greenhunt is the flagship anti-Maoist operation jointly launched by different state and central agencies engaged in Naxalite combat. According to reports reaching the divisional headquarters, the bandh virtually crippled life in the Dumaria, Imamganj, Banke Bazar, Raushanganj, Mohanpur and Gurua police station areas of Gaya district and Nabinagar, Amba, Deo and Madanpur areas of neighbouring Aurangabad district.
The impact of the bandh under Gurua police station area of Gaya has caused concern in administrative circles as, in recent times, Maoist activity in the Gurua area was much less and earlier bandh calls given by the Maoists were largely ignored by the villagers. It is being seen as resurgence of Maoists in the area. Reports say all shops and business establishments remained closed in the Maoist-affected areas of the district. Roads wore a deserted look as vehicular traffic came to a near standstill. Private vehicles, too, did not ply in the Red zone.
Nearly two dozen bank branches remained closed in Gaya and Aurangabad districts. Attendance in government offices was almost nil and members of the public kept away from the block and other offices. Schools, too, remained closed. According to Magadh Range DIG Bachchu Singh Meena, except for the mobile tower destruction case, no report of any untoward incident was received from anywhere in the five districts under Magadh police range. Security has been tightened around vital installations and greater vigilance was being maintained. Reports also say that special measures have been taken to protect the trains and the railway tracks from possible Maoist attack.