Giridih: Nestled in the Parasnath hills, the border areas of Giridih-Dhanbad were once known as a nursery of Naxalism. However, it has been abandoned by the top Naxal commanders and cadres, diminishing their influence and terror in the region.
Security forces claim that Naxals have been marginalised in Parasnath, once considered their safest hideout, due to the joint operation of paramilitary and police.
“Naxals were either killed or caught, while a large number surrendered as well. Now, the situation is such that even the residents here who hold high positions in the organisation have fled the area,” they said.
On the other hand, under the leadership of Giridih SP Dr Bimal Kumar, CRPF Commandant and ASP Campaign Surjeet, police and paramilitary forces are continuously conducting search operations in the area. During these actions, a huge cache of arms hidden by Naxalites in the Parasnath area was recovered.
Top leaders with a Rs 1 crore bounty
The Jharkhand government has placed a bounty of Rs 1 crore on five Naxals of CPI (Maoist). Out of these, three are from this area.
One of them, Prayag Manjhi, alias Vivek, was killed in an encounter recently. He was a resident of Daluabeda (near the border of Giridih) in Dhanbad. Whereas the top leader of the organisation today, Naxal Misir Besra (CPI (Maoist) Politburo member) with a bounty of Rs 1 crore, is a resident of Madanadih (Pirtand block) of this Parasnath zone. CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member Patiram Manjhi, alias Anal, with a bounty of Rs 1 crore, is also a resident of Jharaha of Pirtand.
The most dreaded Naxal is nowhere in sight
Naxalism was strongest in the Parasnath area two decades ago, with Ramdayal Mahato alias Bachchan, Ajay Mahato alias Tiger, Sahebram Manjhi, Karamchand alias Gandhi, Anmol, Raghunath, Mochu, Ranvijay, Balbir, Ranveer alias Nago, Prabha, Shanti, Sheela, and Jaya playing a crucial role in strengthening the organisation.
Among these Naxalite leaders, Nago and Prabha were arrested, and Sahebram was killed while Ramdayal and Balbir surrendered. Jaya also died during treatment.
The notorious and most prominent among the Naxal leaders was Ajay, but in the last five or six years, his movement in this area has also reduced. It is said that Ajay has been given a different command in the organisation.
Result of a widespread raid by forces
Experts say that Naxalites were caught earlier also, but after the year 2015, there was a big attack on Naxalism.
Top Naxalites were caught or killed. Now the operations were also conducted in Parasnath and Jhumra, which were successful.
Jharkhand Police and paramilitary forces got the biggest success in Bokaro on April 20 when eight Naxalites were killed in an encounter. Among the Naxalites killed was Central Committee member Vivek, alias Prayag, who had a reward of one crore on his head.
Apart from Vivek, the other Naxalites in the area included Saheb Ram Manjhi and Pawan Langra, residents of Giridih.
Prashant Bose’s arrest was a big success
Four years ago, the CPI (Maoist) suffered a major setback in Jharkhand when the organisation's second-in-command officerEastern Regional Bureau chief Prashant Bose, was arrested. Prashant was arrested while going from Giridih to Jamshedpur.
He was active in many states, including Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar. It is said that Prashant's in-laws are in the area adjacent to Parasnath, and he has been living in this area with his wife, Sheela, for many years. Prashant's arrest was a big success for the police.
Arrest of 15 Naxalites in 2018
The Naxalite organisation active in the area of Parasnath suffered another major blow on March 6, 2018, when the then SP Surendra Kumar Jha and ASP Deepak Kumar and a team of paramilitary forces raided Akbarkitand in Dumri and arrested 15 Naxalites at once.
CPI Special Area Committee member Sunil Manjhi, who had a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, was also arrested there. During this time, many important documents were also found, after which the police's crackdown on Naxalites and their supporters increased.
‘Misguided people returning to mainstream’
Giridih SP Dr Bimal Kumar says that the campaign against Naxalites is going on continuously, and success is also being achieved from time to time.
“The police appeal to those who have gone astray to return to the mainstream. The people who have gone astray can take advantage of the surrender policy of the Jharkhand government,” he said.
