For these Maoist-hit villages, roads, electricity still a dream

AURANGABAD: The visit of a team of officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in New Delhi had kindled a ray of hope among the residents of Maoist-affected Mahulan village in Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency. However, the condition of the residents has not improved even after six months of the visit of the high level team from the national capital.

With elections in the high-profile constituency drawing closer, the candidates have again started paying visit to the village to woo the electorate in their favour. Located on the borders of Jharkhand’s Hariharganj and Dumaria in Gaya district, Mahulan village, about 16km from the Deo block headquarters, is still deprived of basic amenities like road, electricity and healthcare.

Rubbing salt into the wounds of villagers, the district administration has set up a polling booth at a place, which is more than 4km away from the village. “Hardly 2-3% of polling is recorded at the polling booth as most of the residents prefer to remain indoors because of the Maoist threat and lack of transportation,” said Binod Bhuyian (36).

Raj Kumari Devi, the mukhiya of Dulare panchayat under whose jurisdiction Mahulan village falls, said, “A team from the PMO led by a secretary-rank officer had visited the village about six months ago and enquired about the development works. The team was part of a survey being conducted by the PMO in the Maoist-hit districts.”

Though the panchayat head had submitted a list of the development projects pending with the district administration for long, nothing has happened on this front till date. “The visit of the team had kindled a ray of hope among the residents. The village, surrounded by forests and located on the hills, is inhabited by Bhuyian tribe. It is yet to see the light of development,” she lamented.

The village boasted of having the only matriculate, Pappu Kumar, who passed the matriculation examination with third division last year. “He is the only educated person at the village,” confirmed the mukhiya, Raj Kumari. There is no school at the village to impart education. Manufacturing ‘pattal’ (plate made of tree leaves) is the only source of income for the residents of the village having a population of 300.

Most of the residents didn’t recall the name of their MLA or the MP. “Ye kaun hain? Hum kewal apne mukhiya ko jante hain (Who are these people? We only know our mukhiya),” said Sudarshan Bhuyian (43). Another resident, Akhilesh Bhuyian (54), echoed similar views. Youths worked as daily wagers outside the state to earn bread for their families.

The story of Suarieri village under Rajauli assembly segment in Nawada Lok Sabha constituency is no different. The residents have to first go to Koderma in Jharkhand and then come to Nawada district headquarters town for any official work. The polling booth at the government primary school recorded a meagre 2.16% turnout of voters in the last state assembly election.

The residents said they were deprived of electricity and road. Mostly inhabited by Turia tribe, making of bidi and mining of Mica in the region is the only source of income of the residents. The officials, however, claimed that solar plates have been installed at some of the Maoist-hit villages instead of electric connection to keep the villages lit during night.

Nawada DM Kaushal Kumar said they held a meeting with their counterparts in Jharkhand recently to chalk out a strategy to check the influx of extremists from that side. Intensive search operations are being carried out in the villages considered to be hotbed of the red rebels.

Both Aurangabad and Nawada are going to polls in the first phase on April 11. Residents of a number of villages located in the hilly terrain are scared of Maoists. Though the security personnel and the officials of the district administration concerned are trying to convince the voters, they still have fear in their mind.

“Who want to earn the wrath of the left extremists? Will the officials of the district administration provide us security round the clock? Our lives are in danger if we defy their diktats,” said Bhishmadev Rajvanshi, a resident of Rajauli in Nawada district, close to Jharkhand border.

Despite the tall claims of the security forces, villagers in all the four constituencies where elections will be held on April 11— Jamui, Nawada, Gaya and Aurangabad — are scared of the Maoists. Conducting free, fair and violence-free elections in these constituencies, therefore, will be a big challenge both for the Election Commission and the security forces.