Maoists threaten poor villagers against organising weekly markets

PALAMAU - Maoists in Jharkhand’s Palamau district have threatened villagers not to hold weekly markets so as to prevent any kind of supply to security forces.

The villages under the Chak police station limits in the district are faced with a Maoists threat for last two weeks.

The connectivity to these villages has come to a standstill, as the Maoists blocked the Manatau-Chak road, which is also a crucial supply chain for the security forces which are battling naxals in the interiors.

The blockade is being viewed as Naxals’ new method against security forces, as the latter get supply either from Manatu or from Daktonganj.

Red ultras are also threatening villagers to stay away from the weekly markets, due to which supply of essential commodities, food grains and vegetables has been disrupted.

Earlier, the local traders use to organise weekly markets on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Local traders and small-scale vendors are worried by Maoists threats who can resort to atrocities at any day.

In 2009, Naxalites targeted the State’s economy, striking against railway property and personnel, setting trucks ablaze, opening fire at several buses and trucks, blowing up petrol pumps, attacked construction companies and their work sites and destroying mobile phone towers.

The Naxalites called for disruptive state-wide general shut downs on at least 19 occasions, bringing the State to a virtual standstill.

Naxalites had also blown up more than 30 school buildings in the state. (ANI)