RANCHI: Alarmed by a campaign launched by villagers in Chaibasa against extremists, the People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI) has attempted to distance itself from those lynched by locals, who suspected them to be extremists.
In a letter addressed to the villagers, PLFI in-charge Martin Ji claimed there is no member of the organisation by the name of Meta Tiger, asserting that the individuals targeted may have been members of a local gang of thieves trying to tarnish the PLFI’s reputation.
“Want to give a message to the common people of Gudri that no any person named Meta Tiger has ever joined the organisation (PLFI) in that area. There is no such person named Meta Tiger in the organisation. There must be the person from a gang of thieves who is carrying out these incidents to defame the organisation,” stated the letter issued by the PLFI President.
Martin Ji further insisted the PLFI has always supported the common people and urged them to help identify those responsible. “This (PLFI) is your own organisation, and all of you know that the organisation has always stood for the common people and whoever has done such things, the organisation is trying to identify them and the people are also requested to identify them,” he added.
More than 15,000 villagers from around 100 villages in the Gudri and Goilkera areas of Chaibasa have taken to the streets armed with bows, arrows, swords, and traditional weapons, launching a campaign against the Maoists operating in the region.
Local sources reported that the campaign, coinciding with the traditional hunting festival known as Sendra, resulted in the deaths of PLFI group leaders Meta Tiger and Gomia, who succumbed to injuries inflicted by arrows.
Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta confirmed suspicions that three Maoists had been killed during the villagers’ campaign. Appealing to the villagers, he urged them not to take the law into their own hands.
“We are trying to convince people that the police are doing its job and are committed to dragging the Maoists out of Chaibasa, as has been done in the other 23 districts of Jharkhand. If the villagers want to help us, they should give information to us, and we will take action accordingly,” said the DGP.
He added that the police are making efforts to prevent such incidents from recurring and have requested villagers to inform the authorities if any extremists are identified in the region. “The police want that such things do not get repeated in the region and if any extremist is identified, the police should catch him, and not the villagers,” he stated.
The villagers’ anger against the Maoists in the Kolhan jungles stems from years of violence. The extremists have planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to deter security forces, resulting in frequent blasts during anti-Maoist operations.
More than 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Jaguar jawans were injured in IED blasts in West Singhbhum district during recent operations.
Additionally, numerous civilians have been killed by IED explosions over the last two years, and many villagers have been murdered by the Maoists on suspicion of being informers.
The tipping point for the villagers was the brutal killing of three locals by the extremists last month. Frustrated by the lack of decisive action, the villagers decided to arm themselves and launch their own campaign against the extremists.
Meanwhile, two individuals from Odisha who travelled to the area have been missing for three days and are feared to have been killed by the villagers, who may have mistaken them for PLFI members.