India ups security after Maoist strike call
Source: Reuters
By Bappa Majumdar KOLKATA, India, March 18 (Reuters) - Security was being increased across eastern India on Sunday after Maoist rebels called for a strike to protest the killing of several peasants in a West Bengal village, police said. At least 14 people died in the village of Nandigram on Wednesday after police opened fire as they protested against a planned Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The call for a strike on Tuesday is likely to disrupt life in rural areas of three eastern states and the central state of Chhattisgarh. The authorities have also warned there could be violent protests. Hundreds of police are being mobilised and paramilitary troops readied for deployment in areas where the rebels are active. "We are on high alert as the Maoists could try to disrupt law and order especially after recent events," A.K. Maliwal, a senior police official, told Reuters in Kolkata. Maoist rebels distributed leaflets and sent notices to village council offices in Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal, urging everyone to join the strike, police said. West Bengal's ruling communist administration on Saturday shelved plans for the SEZ after facing a barrage of criticism. Maoist-backed organisations in India have threatened violent movements against New Delhi's plans to build more SEZs. Earlier on Sunday, suspected Maoist rebels blew up part of a boundary wall around a proposed Tata Motors car factory in Singur in West Bengal, a police official said. "The strike call is a significant development and they could utilise this opportunity to spread the movement among the masses," Mahesh Rangarajan, a political commentator said. Maoists rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor farmers and landless labourers.
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
