Vegetable prices soar amidst Maoists shutdown

JHARGRAM - Vegetable prices are on the rise in West Bengal, as supplies have dried up in the market following a 48-hour ‘all India shutdown’ called by the Maoists on July 7-8 to protest the killing of their leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad.

The locals in West Bengal’s Jhargram District are facing problems due to the soaring food prices.

“There is shutdown everyday, that’s why we are forced to raise the price. It’s all due to the shutdown that the prices are so high, otherwise there is no reason for the price hike,” said Shyampada Mahato, a vegetable vendor.

“The position of the market is same as before, there is no change in the situation and it is very bad. Large number of people here are daily wage earners, so they cannot afford to buy food items in bulk,” said Ramesh Singha, a vegetable buyer.

Andhra Pradesh police reportedly killed Azad in an encounter in the Jogapur forest area of Andhra Pradesh’s Adilabad District early on Friday morning last week, while he was attempting to cross into neighbouring Maharashtra.

Azad was a member of the central committee of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and carried a reward of 1.2 million rupees on his head.

Azad, who did his MTech in Warangal, was linked to the Maoist movement for more than 35 years and used to write articles for magazines on Maoist ideology.

There are reports that Azad was assigned the task of revising the Maoist movement in India. (ANI)