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Friday, Jun 22, 2007
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Maoists call for blockade

K. Srinivas Reddy

Intelligence fears attacks in 4 States

Hyderabad: Security forces have been put on high alert in several States following a two-day economic blockade announced by the CPI (Maoist) from June 26.

Intelligence agencies suspect that Maoist guerrillas, numbering more than 20,000, could target industries and the Railways in a bid to bring mining activity in Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand to a standstill.

The blockade seems inspired by the several “chakka jams” organised by the Maoist party in Nepal, which wrecked the economy of the Himalayan kingdom. The latest move comes in the backdrop of a recent decision of the CPI (Maoist) Polit Bureau to step up attacks to destroy infrastructure.

Protest against SEZs

The blockade was planned to oppose the formation of special economic zones (SEZs) and the policies of Central and State governments, “which are playing into the hands of multi-national companies,” a Maoist statement issued in Orissa two days ago said.

Interestingly, the Central Committee of the party has not issued a statement announcing the blockade; the statements were issued by the State committees. “We have noticed many posters announcing the blockade on the borders of Jharkhand with Orissa and West Bengal. We suspect that the naxals could indulge in violence because they have been getting hit in Jharkhand and Bihar,” Gauri Shankar Rath, Additional Director-General of Police, Jharkhand, told The Hindu over phone .

In Chhattisgarh, the authorities are busy mobilising troops in the strife-torn forest areas of Bastar. “We are concentrating on the Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Jagdalpur districts, which have a strong presence of Maoists,” Giridhari Nayak, Inspector-General of Police, overseeing the anti-extremist operations, told The Hindu from Raipur.

Mining operations hit

That the latest strategy of the Maoists is to target the economic infrastructure of the country is clear. When they blasted high-tension power lines in Bastar on May 31 and June 2, six districts went without power for the next 11 days affecting mining operations and the movement of ore from Bailadilla mines. The National Mineral Development Corporation is reported to have incurred a loss of Rs. 9 crore a day.

Days after the ‘Bastar blackout,’ the Maoists blew up the control station of a mini-hydel power generation unit at Sileru in the Donkarai area of East Godavari.

Later, they blew up high-tension transmission lines too.

A similar blockade in June 2006 in Chhattisgarh had a devastating impact. With the National Highway 16, which passes through Bastar being blocked, the Dantewada, Kanket and Surguja districts remained cut off.

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