India - Naxals call bandh in six states today

Nagpur: The Naxalites’ central regional bureau of Dandakaranya special zonal committee have called for a ‘bandh’ in six states Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on Wednesday. The rebels claimed to have announced the shut down in protest of the air strikes conducted by Indian Air force in Bijapur district of Bastar region in south Chattisgarh on October 13. The Naxalites, in a press release issued on Tuesday, lambasted prime minister Narendra Modi for his ‘Mission-2016′ meant for eliminating the rebel movement and unsettling the anti-displacement agitation in the tribal region.
The Naxals claimed government aimed to hand over the natural resources of central India, including several districts of Bastar and Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, to foreign companies. They also protested the proposals of erecting army training school, helipads, airforce stations and special fortified police posts at Abhujmadh straddling Chattisgarh and Maharashtra. The Abhujmadh is considered nerve centre of the Naxal operations. Criticizing Chattishgarh chief minister Raman Singh’s offer of dialogue, Naxals claimed the air raids on civilian locations prove that the offer was hypocritical.

Naxals also highlighted that the air raids on their strongholds were conducted following the visits of current national security adviser Ajit Doval and senior security adviser K Vijay Kumar in Chhattisgarh. Superintendent of police, Gadchiroli, Sandip Patil, said there were no pamphlets or banners traced so far in the district. “Information has been received from intelligence sources regarding the bandh but police are not taking any chances,” he said.
Parts of Malkangiri affected by Maoist bandh call
Odisha Sun Times Bureau Malkangiri, Nov 25: Bandh call by Maoists in Dandakaranya zone protesting against anti-Maoist operations on Odisha-Chhattisgarh border has paralysed parts of district under Mathili block, today. Maoists have posted posters and banners expressing their objection to Operation Redhunt and airstrikes. Locals are finding difficult to travel as vehicular movement is restricted as the rebels have dug up roads in Mahupadar, Salim, Kartanpalli and Kumarpalli areas.
“We have intensified combing operation in the area after the Maoists called for a bandh. If necessary Malkangiri police will take help of Chhattisgarh government and will conduct joint operations to curb Maoist operation here,” Mitrabhanu Mohapatra, Malkangiri SP said. The bandh is called by Darabha division Maoists association, according to the posters.

Odisha Villagers’ Deaths: Maoist bandh disrupts normal life in Kalahandi
Blame police, demand Rs 10 lakh for each killed villager’s bereft kin
Bhubaneswar: Following the dawn-to-dusk bandh call given by the Maoists, protesting the killing of three civilians in police encounter in Karlapat forest last week, normal life has badly been affected in three blocks on Monday in Odisha’s tribal-dominated Kalahandi district. While roads in the three blocks wore a deserted look, buses and other vehicular traffic remained off the roads. Commercial establishments downed their shutters and residents remained indoors at Thuamul Rampur, Lanjigarh and Sadar blocks.
The red ultras blocked road by felling trees at various places in Lanjigarh besides putting up posters asking people to make the bandh a success. The bandh call has been given by CPI (Maoist) Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali committee secretary Umakant. Releasing an an audio clip earlier, the top Maoist leader had pooh-poohed the claim of the police that the three villagers were killed in exchange of fire in the Karlapat forest. He had claimed that there was no exchange of fire between the villagers and the security personnel. He has also demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation for each of the bereft family members. Need to be mentioned that, three villagers, including a ward member, were killed and two minors were seriously injured in an encounter by the Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans suspecting them to be Maoists during a combing operation in the Karlapat forest area in Kalahandi district on the previous Sunday of last Sunday.

While the deceased have been identified as Panchu Majhi, Sukru Majhi and Jay Shankar Naik, all natives of Nisanaguda in Panchakula village in the district, Jaya Shankar was a ward member of the village. Meanwhile, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has already directed the DIG (South Western Range) to enquire into the matter and file a detailed report within four weeks.

Leave coffee plantations to Girijans, say Maoists
The CPI (Maoist) has extended its support to Girijans on the issue of enjoying the benefits of coffee plantations being raised by the AP Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) in the Agency area, even as it continues to exploit their strong opposition to bauxite mining. The APFDC is raising the coffee plantations in more than 4,000 hectares in the Visakha and East Godavari Agency areas by engaging the Girijans. ‘Araku Coffee’, a branded product, gained international recognition. Coffee cultivated in the Agency area is considered to be of good quality because of the use of organic manure and pesticides.
The Maoists are demanding that the Girijans be paid higher wages and given ownership over the plantations. There were instances of the Maoists distributing coffee plantations to the Girijans of villages close to the plantations and destroying coffee godowns and pulp units. A few APFDC employees had also been killed by the Maoists after branding them police informers or accusing them of harassing the Girijans. A few days ago, 947 acres of plantations in RV Nagar east and west areas were reportedly distributed to the Girijans.

On Thursday, the Maoists of the Galikonda area committee pasted posters and threw pamphlets on the road at Teemulabanda in GK Veedhi mandal alleging that the APFDC and the police were harassing and exploiting the Girijans, and demanded that the APFDC leave the Agency by Friday leaving the coffee plantations to local Girijans. Filing police cases against Girijans would result in severe penalty, the APFDC was warned.