India ‘Maoist pamphlets’ saying ‘Jindals, go back’

 found at site of school being built by the Jindal group
ALMORA/DEHRADUN: In a fresh development in the simmering protest against the proposed international school being built by the Jindal group in Nainisar, a Maoist organisation on Wednesday morning circulated pamphlets and posted handwritten slogans threatening the group to leave the area. The pamphlets and signages which bore the signature of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), were found at Nainisar and the adjacent Dwarso villages near Ranikhet in Almora district.
A locally made revolver and two bullets were also found at the site. The slogans threatened the Jindal group to leave the hills of Uttarakhand saying that “the state’s resources – water, forests, land and minerals – belonged to its people.” One of the slogans said “Jindal Go Back!”. Another slogan called people to join the CPI (Maoist) party to strengthen the fight against the industrialists and support the community of farmers, labourers, dalits and women of the hills. The posters also called for a state bandh on February 29 to protest against hill land allocation to industrialists.
Reacting to the development, Ashok Kumar, ADG Intelligence, told TOI, “A case is being registered in the matter and we are making all efforts to trace the people responsible for the act.” K S Nagniyal, SP Almora, added that a group of people had also tried to set ablaze a couple of vehicles of the Jindal group on Tuesday night. “The staff of the group on spotting the people chased them away. However, the countrymade pistol of one of the protestors fell on the ground.” Akashdeep, the manager of the Nainisar school project, told TOI that on Tuesday, past midnight, four-five rounds of gunshot were heard at the construction site. “I found the pamphlets and slogans in the morning.

A few pamphlets were also signed ‘Lal Salam’ in someone’s blood. I have lodged an FIR and asked for protection of the site.” He added that the threats “would not affect the construction of the school.” “It is now clear that outsiders are interfering in the project. No locals are involved in the protests. So the construction will continue as usual. However,we need additional security from the police,” he said. Last week, the state government and the Jindal group had signed an agreement for the residential school for an initial period of 30 years. Jindal group will pay a lease rent of Rs 1 lakh to the government and Rs 2 lakh to the local panchayat body every year. After the school is made, 30% of the seats will be reserved for the government. Out of that, 10% of the seats will be made available for children of the local people. Half of the school fees will be waived for them. Rest 20% seats will be made available for the children of state government officials.