RAIPUR: Area domination exercises by the Chhattisgarh police ensured that the national flag was hoisted at schools in the naxalite-affected region of Mundagarh in Bastar on Tuesday.
Mundagarh, located some 70 km from Jagdalpur, the district headquarters of Bastar on the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, falls in a forested area dominated by the banned CPI (Maoist), which in previous years prevailed upon tribal people to hoist black flags on Independence Day and Republic Day.
This time, policemen conducted area domination operations close to a primary school located in the hilly terrain of Tulsidongri and Chandameta, and on Tuesday, the Tricolour was unfurled, the national anthem was recited and sweets were distributed to children.Villagers assembled to pay respect to the national flag.
“It was a cautious move,” said Arif Sheikh, the Bastar superintendent of police. “Last week the Maoists had visited Mundagarh and warned villagers not to support security forces. Despite this students and tribals dared to celebrate Independence Day.”
Mundagarh sarpanch Pandru said the naxalites had asked them to hoist a black flag on August 15. “The villagers were threatened with punishment if we support the police. We were told not to offer even drinking water to jawans.”