East Singhbhum District, July 10, 2024: The Communist Party of India (Maoist) successfully implemented a one-day bandh across Kolhan division in Jharkhand state on Wednesday. The bandh, called to protest alleged police brutality in the Kolhan-Saranda region, had wide-ranging impacts on daily life and transportation in the area.
The most dramatic incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday when cadres of the Maoist party uprooted fish plates from the Howrah-Mumbai main railway line, forcing an immediate halt to all train movements. The sabotage to the railway line took place between 2 AM and 3 AM. Security forces rushed to the scene upon receiving information about the incident.
Cadres of the Maoist party placed a banner across the railway tracks between pole numbers 378/35A and 378/31A-35A on the third line of the Manoharpur-Jaraikela section. The banner, attributed to the CPI (Maoist) Southern Zonal Committee, called for support of the bandh and denounced what they termed a ‘police massacre’ in the Kolhan Saranda area.
Train services were disrupted for approximately five hours, from 2 AM to 6:10 AM, when security forces removed the banner and completed their investigation.
The bandh’s impact extended beyond the railways. In Manoharpur and Anandpur blocks, normal life came to a standstill as government and non-government establishments remained closed. The streets were for the most part deserted, with both long-distance and local vehicular traffic coming to a complete halt. Only essential services such as ambulances, milk supply vehicles, and those related to hospital emergencies were exempted from the bandh.
In Chaibasa, the district headquarters of West Singhbhum, long-distance bus services were suspended. The usually bustling bus stand was quiet, with rows of idle buses serving as a stark visual representation of the bandh’s effectiveness.
Law enforcement agencies, including local police, Railway Protection Force, and CRPF (CoBRA) personnel, maintained a high alert across the affected areas. Security measures were particularly stringent in the police station areas of Manoharpur, Anandpur, Jaraikela, Chotanagra, and Chidiya OP under the Manoharpur Circle.
The bandh was called by Comrade Ashok, a spokesperson for the CPI (Maoist) Southern Zonal Committee, in response to ongoing police and paramilitary operations in the forest areas of Trijunction Podahat, Kolhan, and Saranda. The Maoists allege that these operations, including ‘Operation Kagaar’ and ‘Operation Clean,’ have resulted in civilian casualties in areas such as Lovad and Lipunga.
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