Author: Nityanand Shukla/ Ranchi
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 16, 2003
Here Naxalites were unfurling black
flags for the last ten years on Independence Day. However, after ten long
years this nondescript village of Jamshedpur district expressed its faith
in the tricolour and the villagers came out of the shadow of fear. On Friday
the villagers of Longo village gathered at the chaupal of the village and
unfurled the tricolour, thereby reposing their faith in rule of law of
the country. The villagers gained this confidence after killing activists
of the Peoples War Group last week.
The Village Resistance Group had
killed nine PWG ultras who had ventured into the village in order to teach
the villagers a lesson for daring to till their land against the Naxalites'
wishes. "Earlier no one in the village dared to unfurl the tricolour due
to the terror of the Naxalites."
"But this year, the opposite has
taken place and the credit goes to villagers", a top police officer told
The Pioneer. He said, "even this year, black flags were unfurled at some
of the villages in the State".
The PWG was protesting against the
formation of the Village Resistance Group and they have threatened to kill
Superintendent of Police, East Singhbhumi, Arun Oraon who was instrumental
in the formation of the group. The Village Resistance Groups have been
formed in some of the Naxalite-infested districts to fight the banned ultra
groups.
Considering the people's protest
the MCC which had called a six-day bandh in the State, has withdrawn it.
In rural areas of the State even
the Government officials hesitate to unfurl the tricolour for the fear
of the Naxalites. Thus this bold step by the villagers has come as a ray
of hope for other villages who might follow their example and learn to
defy the Naxalites in a bid to live normal and fear-free lives.
