Palamu (Jharkhand): Several changes have taken place in the Naxal stronghold in attempts to strengthen democracy in India. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections seems to embolden democracy in all its spirit by deciding to send polling personnel by road to the Manatu Chak Road in Mansuriya Panchayat of Chatra Lok Sabha constituency to caste their votes after 20 years.
This is the first time that polling personnel will been able to reach there by road since 2004. The area is a 14-kilometer road connecting Palamu to Gaya in Bihar. It is considered to be extremely sensitive and dangerous with more than 30 Naxal attacks taking place here.
As many as eight soldiers have been martyred in this region. The then Palamu Superintendent of Police (SP), Anoop T Mathew, himself experienced a narrow escape in the the Naxal attack in 2011. Four soldiers were martyred in the land mines explosion in 2009-10 as well.
In the Lok Sabha elections panning 2004 to 2019, polling personnel were sent there through helicopters to cast their votes. Back then, elections were conducted around 12 polling stations in the presence of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Palamu SP Rishma Ramesan said that the situation has changed in the area since 2019. "People now live in a safe environment due to the presence of security forces. Manatu Chak Road was built on the orders of the Union Home Ministry after the government floated eight tenders. Due to fear of Maoists, no contractor was interested in building this road. In 2017-18, the Union Home Ministry took the initiative and constructed the road available to CRPF for construction."
Residents of the area also said that Naxalites have now become weak in power, and people can walk on the roads safely, as late as 10 PM.
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