Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KOLKATA191
2007-06-29 08:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Kolkata
Cable title:  

MAOISTS BLOCKADE JHARKHAND TRANSPORT

Tags:  ECON PGOV PTER PHUM ASEC KCRM IN 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 290840Z JUN 07
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1580
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1505
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0663
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 0659
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0435
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0427
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0354
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0287
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0174
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0116
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0078
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDHP/DIA DHP-1 WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 1947
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLKATA 000191 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/INS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV PTER PHUM ASEC KCRM IN
SUBJECT: MAOISTS BLOCKADE JHARKHAND TRANSPORT

REF: A) KOLKATA 0144 B) KOLKATA 0074 C) 06 CALCUTTA 0535

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLKATA 000191

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/INS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV PTER PHUM ASEC KCRM IN
SUBJECT: MAOISTS BLOCKADE JHARKHAND TRANSPORT

REF: A) KOLKATA 0144 B) KOLKATA 0074 C) 06 CALCUTTA 0535


1. Summary: (SBU) Beginning June 26 the two-day east India
economic blockade called by the Communist Party of India-Maoist
to protest against the setting up of special economic zones
(SEZs),adversely affected the movement of all minerals from the
mineral-rich state of Jharkhand. The majority of goods trains,
which carry coal from east India to different parts of the
country, were cancelled. The Maoists are now happy to raise the
issue of SEZ to gain sympathy of the "poor" land owners. The
Maoists using crude bombs blasted railway tracks in Jharkhand
and burnt down a railway station in the neighboring state of
West Bengal. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Beginning June 26 the two-day east India economic
blockade called by the Communist Party of India-Maoist to
protest against the setting up of special economic zones (SEZs),
adversely affected the movement of all minerals from the
mineral-rich state of Jharkhand to other parts of the country.
All goods trains originating from eastern India were either
cancelled or rescheduled. Movement of minerals like coal and
iron ore via trucks also came to a grinding halt in Jharkhand.


3. (SBU) To make their presence felt, the Maoists, using crude
bombs, blasted railway tracks at Bokaro in Jharkhand. In
neighboring West Bengal they burnt down Birandih railway station
on June 27, about 55 km from Purulia in the south western part
of the state. The movement of over two dozen passenger trains
originating in eastern India were also affected. A senior
Indian Railways official informed Post that the majority of
goods trains, which carry coal from east India to different
parts of the country, were cancelled owing to this economic
blockade. The Maoists also warned the railway staff that
protests against the proposed special economic zones (SEZs)
would continue. Similarly, in Orissa on June 26, the Maoists
damaged a communication tower of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd at
Balimela in Malkangiri district.


4. (SBU) A senior official of Coal India Limited, from the coal

city of Dhanbad in Jharkhand, told Post that the movement of
coal has been affected as most of the railway wagons carrying
coal were left stranded at railway stations owing to the
blockade call given by the Maoists. He added, "We learnt that
near Parasnath station, Maoists deflated the tires of a truck
after placing it on the railway tracks. At other places they
tried to dump coal from trucks on the tracks in a bid to stop
trains." Media sources from Jharkhand and Orissa said that
extreme Left groups have warned that there is more to come.
Jharkhand's senior police official admitted to Post that, "we
have tried to protect the people and the property of the state.
It is however not possible to post policemen on all roads and
all railway tracks. Even if we do, not a single truck will ply
on the roads, fearing retaliation from the Maoists."



5. (SBU) President of the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of
Commerce and Industry Arun Budhia informed Post that "at least
Rs 40 million must have been lost due to the economic blockade,
most of the loss occurring because trucks carrying minerals
remained off the road." Also, the President of the Jharkhand's
Truck Owners' Welfare Association Shyam Sunder Singh from
Jamshedpur in Jharkhand said that "the trucks did not move as
the insurance companies will not entertain any claims during
such blockades. We have to safeguard our interest. The state
government has failed to curb the Maoist problem in the state."


6. In an interview posted on a blog (refer to
http://naxalresistance.wordpress.com/2007/05/ 13/interview-w
ith-ganapathy-general-secretary-cpimaoist/ ) in May this year, the
General Secretary of the Communist Party of India-Maoist
Ganapathy said for the first time that a single directing center
for the Indian revolution had emerged following the merger of
the two major Maoist streams (Maoist Communist Center and the
Peoples War) in September 2004. A journalist from Bihar who
reports on Maoists activities said that after 37 years a party
congress - the highest authority in the party - was held earlier

KOLKATA 00000191 002 OF 002


this year. The current bout of activity is the first by this
unified force of Maoists. Ganapathy in this interview mentions
that their new central committee had time-bound programs and
plans. "We hope to actively intervene in these issues and build
a broad-based militant political mass movement," he said in the
interview.


7. (SBU) Comment: Maoist leader Ganapathy's statement was
reflected in the two-day economic blockade action program of the
Maoists to resist the "imposition" of SEZs, which they said had
caused "massive displacement of the poor in both urban and rural
areas, against draconian laws, state repression, unemployment,
corruption, inflation and neglect of social welfare." The
Maoists are now happy to raise the issue of SEZs to gain
sympathy of the "poor" land owners. Weak and unstable state
government in Jharkhand and improper coordination between the
security forces of Maoist-infested neighboring states is also
one of the major reasons for the success of the Maoists. End
Comment.
KELLY