Picture this! As many as 12 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Palamu district on June 9. Police, media and the residents of the State anticipate a bandh call by the CPI (Maoist) in the coming days. Information of a three-day bandh in five States, including Jharkhand begins trending in news groups, media houses and police network. The report gets published on June 14 and the major part of the State remains in the grip of fear, vehicles off the roads, shops and establishments shut.
However, on the second day of the three-day bandh, police come up with ‘credible’ information calling the bandh call a hoax created by some unknown persons. They further stated that the ‘real’ bandh called by CPI (Maoist) against Palamu encounter incident was on June 23 effective in three states Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
“It has come to our information that the CPI had called and informed that no Bandh has been declared by them. Inputs gathered by the Special Branch also denies that there was any bandh, rather the CPI (Maoist) is calling bandh on June 23,” said ADG (Operations) and State Police Spokesperson SN Pradhan.
The state of Jharkhand stays in panic, industrial activities remain suspended in large parts of the state, mining, transportation, banking and others services are hit badly and normal life is disrupted for two days. But who cried wolfIJ
“Well, I have been repeatedly trying to convince everyone to re-check the facts before making it public. The rumour was very poorly planted. The CPI (Maoist) doesn’t call a three-day bandh for a regional comrade. Also the source of information was not at all clear. Some said a phone call was made in a vernacular newspaper’s office; some said a release was sent. The hand written release spread on social media did not mention of any bandh,” Pradhan said.
“Now it is upto the Maoists or the newspersons to decide who cried the wolf because we are there to be blamed for everything despite our repeated efforts to convince everyone that the bandh did not actually occur,” the ADG added.
Pradhan also said that the SPs have been asked to convey the information to the respective bus service operators so that transportation and other facilities are restored in the state.
Meanwhile, a two-page press release by the CPI (Maoist) Spokesperson stated that the bandh was a hoax call by the police and administration. Blaming police for killing “revolutionaries” in connivance with JJMP in Palamu, it stated that a 24-hour bandh has been called in three states on June 23.