Maoists gun down 16 villagers including five children

At least 50 Maoist guerrillas attacked a Bihar village and brutally gunned down 16 people, including five children, after tying their hands and legs, police said Friday as the issue gained political overtones with demands for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's resignation.

The incident, which appeared to be a dispute over land, took place late Thursday in Amausi village in Khagaria district, about 200 km north of Patna.

Villagers told police that the guerrillas had tied the hands and legs of the victims before shooting them dead.

Eleven people have been detained and are being interrogated.

'During raids, we have detained 11 people suspected to be involved in the incident,' Bhagalpur Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.R. Kinni told.

Bihar police chief Anand Shankar added that the priority was to arrest those involved in the incident.

'Over 50 armed Maoist rebels attacked Amausi village and shot dead 16 villagers, including five children,' Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Pandey said, adding that the killing appeared to be over a land dispute but that the police were still investigating.

'All senior district officials are camping in the village and security forces have been deployed. The Special Task Force along with district police have launched combing operations against Maoists in Khagaria,' Pandey added.

Nitish Kumar condemned the incident and asked top officials of the state administration to investigate.

'It is a shocking incident and should be condemned by one and all,' the chief minister said, while announcing compensation of Rs.150,000 to the families of each victim.

He said Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Director General of Police Anand Shankar would visit the village later Friday.

The incident prompted opposition Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan to demand Nitish Kumar's resignation.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad also targeted Nitish Kumar by saying the state government had failed to curb the spread of Maoists.

Lalu Prasad said it was not a caste massacre but a killing by Maoists.

He added that his party leaders had rushed to the village and so should Nitish Kumar.link

Maoist diktat in Bihar: Send kids to school

Marking a departure, Maoist guerrillas in Bihar have issued a new and unique diktat — they have ordered poor villagers in Vaishali district to send their children to school.

In a novel move to spread education among the marginalised sections of society, Maoists in Vaishali, about 40km from here, have asked the poor to educate their children instead of making them work. “Maoists also warned them not to engage children in farm or other work and send them to schools,” a villager in Patepur block said.

Patepur is one of the over half a dozen blocks in the district that has been issued diktat by Maoist guerrillas. The other blocks include Mahnar, Jandaha, Mahua, Lalganj and Hajipur. Maoists have pasted posters in several villages in which they have threatened to punish villagers if they failed to send their children to school. The latest Maoist diktat has surprised even district officials. “It is a positive move if Maoist rebels are really keen to force poor parents to send their children to school,” a district official said.link

Jan Adalat in Bihar by Naxals

Just 145 kms from Bihar's capital Patna, armed naxals from the People's War Group are regularly holding a people's court to dispense justice.

Armed naxals from the People's War Group, holding a Jan Adalat (people's court) in Banke Bazar of Gaya district. The naxals held this court to convey to the villagers about their fight against the atrocities of the police and the rich capitalists.

More shockingly, the Jan Adalat was being held in the presence of the heads of five village panchayats, who hailed the 'effort' for the naxals, raising pro-naxal slogans 'lal salam, lal salam'.

Around 2000 villagers participated in the Jan Adalad. Visibly pleased by the 'justice' dispensed by the naxals, the villagers say that the naxals are a big help to them as the state government is crushing their rights.

''The capitalist and feudal landlords have suppressed us. And now these naxals have shown us the way to progress and development." said Sukhdev Prasad, a villager from Banke Bazar.

Another villager from Warheta, Ramanuj Rai said, "We don't get our right that is why we have come here. These naxals are showing us the way to fight for our rights. The Maoist and naxals have found the way to redress our problems. The government hasn't helped us much as the Maoists. If the Maoists weren't here we wouldn't be respected by the rich and the capitalists"

The naxals, on there part, have taken their fight for justice to a new level. They are telling the villagers that that 90 % of the poor people were the victims of the police atrocities.

A naxal leader said the gathering, "More than 90% of people face police attrocities. They frame false charges against people - accusing them of being terrorists and criminals. The common man keeps fighting for their rights, while the capitalist and the rich keep suppressing us. But no matter how much we will continue our fight."

The naxals also called for a boycott of the Lok Sabha polls and even paid tribute to around 14,000 naxals who were killed in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttaranchal, Nepal and Bihar.

Ironically, the police are not even aware of this Jan Adalat that was held in broad daylight. Twenty-two out of Bihar's 38 districts are facing the naxal menace. Despite the spate of brutal Naxal attacks in recent time, no one seems to have learnt the lesson yet - neither the cops nor the authorities.link