Poor response to naxal bandh call

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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/12/09/stories/2009120953350300.htm)
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Poor response to naxal bandh call


Staff Reporter

All shops, offices and business establishments remain open in the Narayanpatna block

Bandh called in protest against killing of two CMAS activists in police firingHirakhand express terminated at Rayagada


—Photo: Lingaraj Panda

TAKING NO CHANCES: Security personnel keeping vigil at Berhampur railway station on Tuesday.


BERHAMPUR: The dawn-to-dusk bandh call by Maoists on Tuesday in support of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) had its impact in only those pockets where their reign of terror rules.
The Maoists had given this bandh call in support of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) of Koraput district and the killing of two CMAS activists in police firing at Naryanpatna on Nov 20.
But the irony was that the bandh call had almost no impact in Koraput district and Narayanpatna block, which happens to be the base of CMAS. But the panic of naxal violence during the bandh call had its impact in Maoist-prone areas of Malkangiri, Rayagada, Kandhamal and Gajapati districts.
Security had been tightened in all the naxal infested districts of south Orissa and inter-state borders were under strict vigil.
All shops, offices and business establishments remained open in the Narayanpatna block and all other parts of Koraput district with no major impact on vehicular traffic.
It may be noted that there is ample naxal presence in Narayanpatna block.
During this year there were several occasions when Maoists had been able to keep this block cut off from outside world for a week or more. Ample security had been taken up in Koraput district as precautionary measure.
Around 40 platoons of security forces had been deployed in the Narayanpatna block.
Buses and other passenger vehicles travelled to all other parts of the state and adjoining Andhra Pradesh except to Rayagada district. As per police officials their tight security measures thwarted attempts of mischief by the naxals and their supporters in Koraput district.

Trees felled
As precautionary measure the railways authorities had truncated the journey of Bhubaneswar-Koraput Hirakhand express at Rayagada on Tuesday morning. This train would return from Rayagada to Bhubaneswar. The bandh call had its impact in Rayagada district as it disrupted travel of passenger vehicles.
Out fear of land mine blasts no passenger vehicles preferred to travel in the district. Maoists cut down trees in some parts of Chandrapur block of Rayagada district to block roads.
There were reports of Maoists threatening people to refrain from using mobile phones in parts of Gudari block of the district.
In Malkangiri district vehicular traffic had come to stand still in areas of Chitrakonda, Motu and Kalimela where the panic of Maoist violence rules. No passenger vehicles travelled inside the district although buses travelled between Malkangiri town and Jeypore in Koraput district.
Shops remained closed at Motu and Chitrakonda. In Gajapati district the bandh call had its impact on vehicular traffic which was disrupted.
The miscreants cut down trees to block the Adaba-Brahmanigaon road. No passenger vehicles traveled out of district headquarter town of Paralakhemundi to any other parts of the district or outside.


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