Villagers take up arms against Maoists in Bihar

Villagers of Mohanpur village in Bihars Begusarai District have taken up arms against Maoists, days after a police outpost was removed from the area without prior notice.

Mohanpur (Bihar), Aug 6 : Villagers of Mohanpur village in Bihar's Begusarai District have taken up arms against Maoists, days after a police outpost was removed from the area without prior notice.

The abandoned police outpost is now used by villagers as a forward alarm post.

"We are trying to guard our village. There was a police outpost for about 15 years, which was removed from here, and its removal has made us vulnerable," claimed Arvind Kumar, a villager.

Situated on the border with Maoist-infested Jharkhand, Mohanpur has received threats of dire consequences.

"If we do not stay alert, they (Moaists) will kills us. Therefore, we are on guard. They have threatened that they would wipe out the village," said Pramod Kumar, a student.

Villagers say their relations with the Maoists turned sour in 1989, when they helped police bust Maoist activities in the area.

Maoists operate in 13 of 29 states along what is described as the "Red Corridor", a stretch of land from the Indo-Nepal border to Andhra Pradesh.

According to the Home Ministry, 76 districts in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are affected by Maoist violence.

ANI