Maoist-hit states alerted over train attacks
By IANSTuesday, March 23, 2010
NEW DELHI - With railway property increasingly being targetted by Maoists, the government Tuesday sounded a warning to insurgency-hit states on possible similar strikes, hours after guerrillas targetted railway tracks in two states.
The union home ministry issued the alert to West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh, warning that rebels may target trains and railway infrastructure causing large-scale damage, an official said.
The ministry has asked the railways to put in place adequate security forces from the Railway Protection Force for guarding trains and passengers.
The states have also been advised to utilise central paramilitary forces and other security forces to ensure the safety of railway passengers and property.
The alert was issued after Maoist guerrillas killed a policeman and a Marxist activist and blasted rail tracks on the second and final day of a shutdown the rebels had called to protest a security crackdown.
The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) targeted rail tracks in Bihar’s Gaya district, derailing the Rajdhani Express proceeding to New Delhi from Bhubaneswar, in which seven passengers sustained minor injuries. The derailment caused disruption in railway traffic.
In Orissa, the guerrillas caused two blasts along the Howrah-Mumbai trunk route, causing derailment of a goods train, and exploded a bomb near a railway level crossing in Sundergarh district.
The home ministry has condemned the violent incidents by Maoists “targeting public property and innocent people”.
“It is clear that the CPI-Maoist are not serious about their pronouncement of stopping violence and having a meaningful dialogue with the government of India on various issues,” the home ministry said.
“Such acts of violence which target innocent people, disturb normal life and damage public property expose true character of Maoist(s). The government of India strongly condemns such mindless acts of violence and terrorism, and hopes that all right-thinking people will condemn such violence,” the ministry statement said.
