Breaking their silence after nine years, the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres sneaked back into their erstwhile turf on the eve of Independence Day and hoisted black flags at midnight in the remote pockets of Junglemahal area in Jhargram District of West Bengal, reports The New Indian Express on August 16. An official of the State Intelligence Branch said, “An armed squad of CPI-Maoist, led by Jaba Mahato who is one of the most wanted rebels, not only held the black-flag hoisting event in presence of village heads and a few hundred local residents, they also spent the night there. Jaba wanted all the villagers to keep their cellphones switched off and they listened to her. We found it alarming. It gives an impression that the outlawed outfit has again started enjoying locals’ patronage that it used to nine years ago.”
Further, Police recovered 25 posters put up by Maoists in the Bhulaveda area where the rebel outfit called for a boycott of Independence Day. “Before leaving the area on August 15 morning, the rebels put up posters at the houses of a cooking gas dealer, a school teacher and a grocery shop owner instructing them to pay levy otherwise face consequences,” said the officer.