Suspected Maoist rebels kill seven in India

by Sanjay Jha | November 17, 2008 at 02:27 am

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Maoist insurgency is spawning its tentacles in India rapidly and Indian Prime Minister has conceded it as one of the most poignant challenges of the coming time. Called Naxalites, the Maoists have targetes police and government officials and run their diktat in large of the countryside especially forest areas.

The rebels, claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have fought for more than three decades in several Indian states, demanding land and jobs for agricultural laborers and the poor. The guerrillas accuse authorities of plundering the region's rich natural resources with little benefit to the locals.

They distrupt elections and had triggered landmine blasts and opened fire to scare away voters in the ongoing elections in a central Indian state, killing two people. Now there is news coming that they have killed seven people in the eastern Indian state of Bihar.

At least seven people have been killed by suspected Maoist guerrillas in two separate incidents in Bihar, police said Monday.

A group of armed Maoists shot dead four members of a family late Sunday night at Kohbarba Rasulpur village in East Champaran district, about 250 km from here, said district superintendent of police NH Khan.

"Armed Maoists first surrounded the village, attacked the house of an affluent farmer, and exploded it with dynamites. Later, they set ablaze a tractor and motorcycles. They killed four people," police officials said.

Last week, the Maoists threatened the farmer's family of dire consequences for failing to pay protection money to them.

In another incident, Maoists killed three farmers at Maheshwari village in Jamui district on Sunday.