Students hold anti-Maoist rally in Jharkhand

Lohardaga (Jharkhand), Sep.14 (ANI): Hundreds of students and teachers of a school in Jharkhand's Lohardaga district held a peaceful rally against the simmering Maoist insurgency that has gripped the region in its violent tentacles on Tuesday.

Holding up posters while shouting slogans, the enthusiastic students protested the mindless wave of atrocities and fear spearheaded by Maoists since decades as part of a violent, ideology-driven struggle for 'rights and development of the marginalised.'

Union Home Minister Palaniappan Chidamabaram recently called left wing extremism 'a bigger challenge than terrorism.' He had also promised that the federal government would help the state governments with funds, technology and security forces to fight the Maoists.

Despite strong measures taken by the federal government to control the ultras, the Maoist insurgency has gripped nearly one-third of the country in its violent tentacles, spreading 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 outfit, Communist Party of India-Maoist, now poses the country's biggest internal security threat, say analysts.

Besides Jharkhand, Maoists have also significantly increased their presence in tribal and rural regions in other eastern states such as Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa, as well as the central state of Chhattisgarh.

Highlighting the irreparable consequences of violence, the protesting students and teachers appealed to the ultras to adopt non-violent means of protest to carry on their ideological struggle.

"See, the biggest thing is that violence eliminates human existence itself. We adopt non-violence to safeguard our existence and life.Development and peace can come only through non-violence, since this path disturbs no one. We should always follow non-violence," said Shailendra Kumar Suman, a teacher.

While claiming to be fighting for the cause of the poor through their armed liberation struggle, the Maoists have turned extremely violent, not hesitating to kill civilians on the pretext that they are police informers, often in Kangaroo courts held in public view.

The tussle for power by the Maoists has led to a virtual breakdown of state-machinery in several villages in the insurgency-hit regions, with many locals reeling under abject poverty and constant fear.

However, now, many locals, who earlier supported and aided the Maoists, have become the victims of the insurgency themselves and are growing increasingly wary of the ultras.

Voicing his ire at the Maoists, another teacher, Arun Ram, asserted that non-violence was a prerequisite for progress and social change.

"Non-violence is an effective weapon that can trigger any meaningful social change in the society," said Arun Ram, a teacher.

Besides imposing shutdowns with brazen impunity, Maoist outfits operating in this region have even sabotaged most development projects, initiated by the federal and state governments, many times in the past.

Maoists oppose all development activities such as the construction of roads, schools, hospitals and drinking water facilities in areas under their hold. Consequently, contractors are killed, schools are burnt, electric poles are destroyed and developmental activities are forcefully halted.

Maoists fear that if development reaches India's interior regions,their support base would diminish.

However, with increasing awareness and outreach by activists and government, many locals now feel strengthened enough to break free from the shackles of the fear psychosis sparked by the Maoists since years.

Meanwhile, president of a local women empowerment group, Sandhya Singh, urged Maoists to emulate and follow the non-violent means of protest adopted by India's veteran anti graft crusader, Anna Hazare.

"Anna Hazare (India's veteran anti-graft crusader) came in our midst like a reincarnation of Mahatma Gandhi and at the ripe age of 74, he revolutionised people from all walks of life on the issue of corruption," said Sandhya Singh.

Hazare went on hunger strike in August, demanding the setup of an anti-corruption agency with powers to investigate the prime minister, judges and civil servants.

The flame lit by Hazare appeared to have transformed into a full-fledged blaze against corruption, with hundreds of thousands of his supporters participating in peaceful, non-violent stirs across the country, demanding the enactment of the Ombudsman Bill.

His near two-week campaign sparked a wave of protests condemning corruption, and made Anna Hazare a national hero. (ANI)