Gadchiroli: The Maoists on Tuesday got a jolt for the first time from the women community, especially students, as their ‘International women’s day’ banners at Tadgaon in Bhamragarh tehsil of south Gadchiroli, were set afire.
The women and students were angry as the banners and dummy bomb had disrupted vehicular and human traffic at Tadgaon on Bhamragarh-Alapalli Road. This is the road the students were taking to their centres on the first day of their board examination.
The around 90 women and girl students from Tadgaon ashramshala torched the Naxal banners put up on Monday across the road, around a kilometre away from Tadgaon village. In addition, the Maoists had also triggered a fake bomb scare by placing two drums on the road wrapped with banners. They had also attached wires to the drums, making it appear like an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
Sub-inspector Sameer Dabhade of Tadgaon police station said the dummy bombs were removed by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) experts. “Once we had cleared the roads, the villagers took away the two banners put up by the Maoists. The banners were set on fire at the main chowk of the village (Tadgaon), mostly by women,” he said.
Dabhade also said the women wanted to take the lead as they were the most upset with the reds jeopardizing the examination. Police ensured the exams took place without any hiccups.
SP Shailesh Balkawade said more women are coming out against the Maoists. “Women have started showing great faith on police machinery and shunning the Maoists. Last year, 12,000 women and girl students joined the human chain in the district against Maoist violence,” he said, reacting to the women taking lead to destroy the Maoist banners.
Apart from an appeal to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 against atrocities on them, the Maoists had also urged tribals to burn effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and others, holding them responsible for the spurt in crime against the fairer sex. The banners were put up by Perimili Area Committee.
Police said the anger against Maoists stemmed from the fact that reds have so far eliminated 22 women in the district on various pretexts, mostly by labelling them as police informers. The murder of Bebi Madavi, an educated tribal and job aspirant, by Maoists had drawn widespread flak last year.
The women and students were angry as the banners and dummy bomb had disrupted vehicular and human traffic at Tadgaon on Bhamragarh-Alapalli Road. This is the road the students were taking to their centres on the first day of their board examination.
The around 90 women and girl students from Tadgaon ashramshala torched the Naxal banners put up on Monday across the road, around a kilometre away from Tadgaon village. In addition, the Maoists had also triggered a fake bomb scare by placing two drums on the road wrapped with banners. They had also attached wires to the drums, making it appear like an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
Sub-inspector Sameer Dabhade of Tadgaon police station said the dummy bombs were removed by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) experts. “Once we had cleared the roads, the villagers took away the two banners put up by the Maoists. The banners were set on fire at the main chowk of the village (Tadgaon), mostly by women,” he said.
Dabhade also said the women wanted to take the lead as they were the most upset with the reds jeopardizing the examination. Police ensured the exams took place without any hiccups.
SP Shailesh Balkawade said more women are coming out against the Maoists. “Women have started showing great faith on police machinery and shunning the Maoists. Last year, 12,000 women and girl students joined the human chain in the district against Maoist violence,” he said, reacting to the women taking lead to destroy the Maoist banners.
Apart from an appeal to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 against atrocities on them, the Maoists had also urged tribals to burn effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and others, holding them responsible for the spurt in crime against the fairer sex. The banners were put up by Perimili Area Committee.
Police said the anger against Maoists stemmed from the fact that reds have so far eliminated 22 women in the district on various pretexts, mostly by labelling them as police informers. The murder of Bebi Madavi, an educated tribal and job aspirant, by Maoists had drawn widespread flak last year.
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