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Police repression on
the revolutionary movement is intensifying day by day in Bihar and Jharkhand.
The repressive campaign is especially severe in Jharkhand. In order to create
political terror, revolutionaries and the fighting masses are being arrested and
inhumanly tortured in police stations. The looting spree of their houses and
property is continuing unabated. Killing of revolutionaries in fake encounters
is also on the rise.
"Long Range
Patrolling" (L.R.P.) had been started to make repression more intensive and
effective in Jharkhand area even before separate state formation and after the
state formation, a policy of "chase and engage them" is being followed. The BJP
government, which came into power after Jharkhand was separated, has made it one
of the important political tasks to conduct this repressive campaign; and in
order to carry out this, it has concentrated its the armed forces. The CRPF also
participates in huge numbers in the L.R.P. along with Jharkhand police and
district police. Armed with modern weapons and communication systems, police
come out in huge convoys for L.R.P. Once they come out they camp in the
countryside for days together and launch repression.
In Bihar, along with
the repressive campaign, the Bihar government is providing protection and
patronage to the notorious private army, Ranvir Sena and many other criminal
gangs. In the countryside many new police stations and camps and outposts are
opened and the whole of central Bihar is turned into a huge police camp.
In this repressive
campaign eight PGA soldiers of PW and 7 Dalit, Adivasi supporters have been
killed in Jharkhand in the past one year alone, and most of them in fake
encounters. In Bihar, the notorious Jayanandan criminal gang patronised by RJD
minister Surendra Yadav and protected by local administration and police killed
more than two dozen people including two cadre of the Peoples War. The Matauda
and Datmai massacres were perpetuated by this gang only. The Ranvir Sena killed
at least 4 of PW sympathisers and police killed 11 PW soldiers. During this
period many MCC cadre and 8 sympathisers were also killed.
The Peoples Guerilla
Army of CPI(M-L) PW has carried out an offensive campaign on police in Bihar and
Jharkhand in the past 4, 5 months to avenge the deaths of revolutionaries and in
protest against the repressive campaign of the government and its policy of
patronising and protecting the private armies and criminal gangs. This tactical
offensive campaign was not just against the local repression but was part of the
All India tactical offensive campaign launched by the PGA as per the call of the
1st C.C. meeting the of 9th Congress against the joint repressive campaign
launched by various state governments in A.P., Maharastra, M.P., Chattisgarh,
Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal under the guidance and co-ordination of the
central government.
We are giving below
an account of the successful actions carried out from September to December
2001.
Among six successful
and partially successful ambushes, two were carried out in Garhwa and one in
Palamau district of Jharkhand and one each in Rohtas, Patna and Gaya districts
of Bihar. In these ambushes 25 police personnel including a DSP, an SI, two ASIs,
a CRPF Subedar-Major and three head constables were killed and six were injured.
A total of 28 weapons including 5 - SLRs, 3 - Sten Carbines, 18 - 0.303 rifles,
1 - 9mm Pistol and 1 - 0.38 revolver; and a lot of ammunition were seized. Two
hand grenades were also seized. Apart from the above six ambushes, a few other
ambushes were also attempted but were not successful. In these incidents 8
police were injured and a walkie-talkie was seized. In two other incidents a
walkie-talkie set was seized from a train and a revolver and bullets were
snatched by militia from a sub-inspector in civil dress. In the ambush in
Palamau, three PGA soldiers also laid down their lives fighting valiantly and
killing three CRPF jawans. In the rest of the incidents PGA soldiers retreated
unscathed.
The first successful
ambush was carried out in Kaimur district of Bihar, near Badusai village
adjacent to Adhauda hill falling under Chainpur station. This incident of land
mine explosion occurred on 11 September, 2001 when police led by DSP were going
by a vehicle to a police picket present in Lohra village. Six police of Bihar
Military Police were killed in the incident. Immediately after the explosion the
police present in the picket rushed to counter attack the ambush party. In the
ensuing fierce battle Dy.S.P. escaped and it became impossible to seize all the
weapons. But showing exemplary courage they seized one SLR and one stengun even
amidst the raining of bullets and retreated safely. To boost up the morale of
the police, their officers propagated the lie that 3 PW cadre were also killed.
The second action was
on 4 October 2001 near Bariganva village in Badgad forest under Bhandaria P.S.
in Garhwa district. A convoy of eight vehicles with the Jharkhand police and
CRPF was ambushed at about 11.30 A.M. They were on Long Range Patrolling. Based
on some informants information they were coming to encircle the PGA squad. The
Dy. S.P. Amalesh Kumar who was leading this police had also earned his name as a
cruel and notorious officer like the S.P. of Garhwa district. The S.P. and Dy.
S. P. had become prime targets of the PGA. The Dy. S.P.’s vehicle was the third
vehicle in the convoy. As soon as his jeep came on to the spot the land mine was
triggered. Four policemen died including the Dy. S.P. and his body guard. The
rest of the police rained bullets on the PGA soldiers. But they retreated safely
while resisting the police.
The third land mine
blast occurred in Patna district on 19.10.2001 near Jagpura village of Dhanarua
police station. In this ambush six police including Dhanarua P.S. incharge,
Subhash Kumar Suman and the driver of local MLA’s jeep by which the police were
going died in the incident. Five 0.303 rifles, one Sten Carbine, one revolver
and ammunition were seized. Though the ambush party laid in wait at the ambush
site for 3 days for the police to arrive, they did not come. So a team from the
ambush party conducted a fake raid on Datmai police camp seven K.M. away from
the site. A police party from Dhanarua P.S. was going to support the raided
police and came into the trap laid by the PGA.
It is well known that
the RJD minister Surendra Yadav is the patron of the notorious Jayanandan gang.
This gang which was getting protection from the police too, killed more than a
dozen of the activists and supporters of the CPI(M-L) Peoples War. Apart from
this he created terror among businessmen by collecting ransom amounts and
killing any body who opposed this or who refused to pay. His gang massacred many
Dalit people including women, children and old people in Datmai village, who
were supporting the Peoples War. Many women and even under aged girls were also
raped. When the people demanded to oust and arrest the RJD minister responsible
for this massacre, the government, instead of doing that sent special task force
and intensified repression in the whole division. This repressive campaign
targeted the fighting masses instead of killer criminal gang. They resorted to
impose political terror on the struggling masses. But the police including the
officers were also very apprehensive about the armed counter offensive the PGA
could perpetrate because in this Masaurhi division there were three land mine
blasts earlier all of which were successful. With the result the police were not
daring to take up patrolling in the nights. They were mainly travelling during
day time only.
The situation was
demanding counter offensive by PGA forces. The difficulty however was that any
such actions could not be taken up in the day time as Magadh region is a
completely plain area. So the PGA decided to lay a bait and trap the police. So
in a planned way they planted landmines near Jaspura village on Masaurhi-Datmai
road and a batch conducted a fake raid on Datmai police camp. Thinking the raid
to be a real one, many police including officers assembled near Shakkarpura
crossing, one and half KM from the ambush site. But then anticipating ambush
they decided to take a long unexpected route. The ambush party was disappointed
but decided to wait for some more time. It was around 12.30 in the night that
one jeep carrying six police persons took the nearer route to Datmai. As soon as
the jeep came on to the spot, it was ambushed. Most of the police persons
including the notorious Dhanarua SI Subhas Kumar Suman and ASI were killed on
the spot. Five 0.303 rifles, one sten carbine and one revolver and some
ammunition were recovered and then the ambush party retreated safely. SI Subhash
Kumar Suman earned his name as a cruel and notorious police officer. He arrested
MCC squad also on two occasions. His death enthused the people of the area.
The fourth ambush was
done on 21, November 2001 at Koiri Bigah village of Bela P.S. in Gaya district.
A police batch from Chadhaitha police camp was returning from Paibigha P.S.
after routine patrolling. Their vehicle was ambushed at 6.55 p.m. Six persons
out of eight died. The driver was a private person, who was also killed. The
five police who died were BMP (Bihar Military Police) personnel. The PGA seized
4 SLRs, One sten gun and a 9mm pistol. As one more SLR fell below the jeep it
could not be taken. Some ammunition and two hand grenades were also seized.
Ranvir Sena activists from the very nearby notorious villages fired heavily into
the air to ward off any attack on them. They went on firing for quite some time
as the guerillas melted into the darkness.
The fifth successful
ambush was carried out in Gumla district,11 persons including 11 Jharkhand
Police personnel were killed. This action was on 27th January, 2002 near
Chainpur in Gumla district. This incident of land mine explosion occurred when a
troop of Jharkhand Police were returning from a fair. Two general people were
killed in this incident. The number of weapon seized is not available due to not
coming of information till this report has written.
This successful
tactical offensive campaign by the Bihar and Jharkhand detachments of PGA have
inspired the rank and file of the party and the revolutionary masses of, not
only these two states, but throughout India. Tempered in this experience, they
are getting ready to take up higher tasks.
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