Maoists to enforce economic blockade in Bastar, Sarguja next week

In an attempt to further consolidate their presence in Chhattisgarh, Maoists have called for an economic blockade of Bastar and Sarguja next week. To prove that they mean business, the extremists torched also a railway engine on the Visakhapatnam-Jagdalpur line late on Friday night, affecting movement of iron ore.

The Dandkaranya Special Zonal Committee, a frontal unit of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), in a statement issued to the media announced the economic blockade. The blockade, according to the Maoists, was to send across the message that the resources of the region belong to the locals of the area and was instead being exploited by private firms. Both Bastar and Sarguja areas are tribal dominated and have been affected by Naxalite violence over the past three decades.

“It appears that the Maoists are targeting national property to strengthen their call for economic blockade of the area,” said Bastar SP G P Singh. “This is not the first time that Maoists have targeted civilian property. Earlier this month four districts — Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur and Narayanpur —were plunged into darkness for several days after extremists blew up power transmission lines,” he added.

Meanwhile, the state Government put the Chhattisgarh Police on high alert to foil the blockade. Fearing large-scale violence this week, additional security personnel were deployed in various districts.