Palamu (Jharkhand), July 19 (ANI): Surrendered Maoists living in Jharkhand are reportedly under threat from the ultras, as the rebels are blasting their houses and killing their family members.
The rebels have stepped up their efforts against the government as well as the locals, as various locals complained that Maoist activities such as killings and abductions have increased considerably in the area.
Kameshwar Baitha, a lawmaker from Palamu region is being repeatedly threatened by the Maoists. He was first threatened by the ultras in May 2011 and is being continuously threatened.
In May 2011, Maoists blasted Baitha's house to create terror in the mind of locals.
Baitha was arrested in 2004 on the charges of being an active member of the Maoists group and in 2009, he contested elections from jail and won from Palamu.
Baitha said the ultras fear that their cause was becoming weak, so they are planning to fright people by carrying out violent activities.
"They are becoming weak, so to create terror in the mind of locals they blasted my house, so that no body will come forward against them. They want violence and support from the locals and they are against development so, they want to spread terror and they fear that Kameshwar Baitha has gone to the main stream and people in Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Bengal are leaving their groups and coming to the main stream, so they are planning to spread terror across India," said Baitha.
Locals said a group of 40-50 Maoists came and set off a bomb in the house of Baitha, and took his supporters hostage.
"Around 40-50 Maoists planted a bomb and blasted the house.
Q. Was anybody there in the house?
No, nobody was there; they broke the lock, took away the household items and blasted the house. It was lawmaker Kameshwar Baitha's house," said Vinod Paswan, a local.
The surrendered ultras also receive the benefits of the welfare schemes provided by the state government, meant for their families.
Under the welfare schemes, the kin of surrendered rebels are entitled to land and other facilities to lead a normal life.
According to certain reports, Maoists are facing an acute shortage of personnel in several areas of central and eastern India, due to the strong efforts taken by the state and federal security forces to curtail the insurgency.
The ultras are also confiscating certificates with the aim to facilitate the induction of youth into their armed cadres, who otherwise migrate to towns after receiving education for better prospects.
Laxman Pratap Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Palamu said the Maoists fight have become a fight for supremacy, so the ultras are killing the weak.
However, talking about police action, Singh said the police is investigating all the matters.
"Even you know it very well that it is a fight for supremacy, the Maoists want to earn money through supremacy. They earn good money from it, so they want to become supreme and they kill the weak person. We investigate each and every case," said Singh.
Despite strong measures taken by the federal government in eradicating the ultras, Maoist insurgency has spread into the interiors of 20 of India's 28 states.
The guerrilla war, waged mostly from the forests of central and eastern India by ultras of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist, now poses the country's biggest internal security challenge, say analysts.
Hundreds of people have been killed and injured in the violence, perpetrated by both the rebels as well as security forces in counter insurgency operations.
Maoists have also significantly increased their presence in tribal and rural regions in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa.(ANI)
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Read More: Maoist | Palamu | Chhattisgarh
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