India - CPI(Maoist) Protest week’ begins in the Visakha Agency

The first day of ‘protest week’ against bauxite mining called by the CPI (Maoist) passed off peacefully in the Visakha Agency on Tuesday. But tension continued to prevail as the Maoists killed an “informer” on Monday in spite of increased combing operations by the police and the CRPF. Locals fear more violent incidents during the week. Trainee SIs of Greyhounds were sent to the Agency police stations while intensive and frequent checks of vehicles and passers-by on the main roads was continuing.

Policemen reportedly asked traders on their way to Pedabayalu weekly shandy on Monday and the Boosiputtu shandy on Tuesday to produce their identity. This resulted in several traders staying away from the shandies. Meanwhile, protest by opposition parties against the move to conduct Araku Utsav from December 25 to 27 continued for the third day. Locals were not happy over the administration’s decision to conduct Araku Utsav from December 25 while postponing the Visakha Utsav in the city to January 1 to 3 after some Christian leaders did not want it to commence on the Christmas day. Locals also found it not wise on the part of the government to conduct Araku Utsav during the protest week of the Maoists.