Nepal’s Maoists have set up a ragtag helipad in the thick jungles of Bihar and are using choppers to transport weapons and cadre, Krittivas Mukherjee reported from Calcutta for the Himalayan Times English daily.
The report submitted by the intelligence wing of the Bihar police, said the rebels had set up training camps in the jungles of East and West Champaran districts, and were regrouping with help from their Indian counterparts.
Some 300 insurgents were currently training in the camps in Balmiki Nagar, Bagha, Barnnagar, Narkatiaganj, Sikta, Raxual, Adapur and other places under the two districts. The Maoists have considerable influence in ten blocks of these two districts.
The rebels were using helicopters to transport arms to the training centers and for ferrying their leaders and cadre. A large tract of forest had been cleared to build the helipad, but the report did not specify the location.
The intelligence report has suggested immediate deployment of the army to “check” further growth,” of the rebels. Indian and Nepali Maoists have been co-operating in each other’s operations since July last year.
On July 1, 2001, nine left wing extremist outfits active in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh formed an umbrella organization, the Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organisations (CCOMPOSA) with a purpose to unify and co-ordinate the activities of the Maoist parties and organizations in South Asia.
The CCOMPOSA comprises People’s War Group (PWG), Maoist Communist Center (MCC), Revolutionary Communist Center of India (Maoist) from India (all Indian outfits), Purba Bangla Sarbahara Party and Bangladesh Samaywadi Party (ML) (all Bangladeshi groups) and Communist Party of Ceylon (Maoist) from Sri Lanka besides the CPN (M).
Maoists controlling East and West Champaran districts dispense summary justice in “People’s Courts”, which in some cases condemn to death suspected police informers, village headmen, and others deemed to be “class enemies” or caste oppressors.”
The report, which has stirred the Bihar police, said Indian Maoists were helping their Nepali rebels by providing hideouts and training facilities. In return, the Nepali guerrillas were helping the Indian rebels with arms.
The report disclosed that the insurgents had drawn up a hit list that had the names of at least two Bihar ministers-Food Minister Purnmashi Ram and junior Transport Minister Rajesh Singh. Several other local level politicians, Bureaucrats and landowners were also being targeted. (with permission from The Himalayan Times)