Mission group wary as naxalites cause more trouble in Jharkhand

The people of Jharkhand, India, continue to suffer under the hand of the Naxalites, a Maoist rebel group.

In August, conditions such as cerebral malaria and diarrhea affected over 70 people in a village of Jharkhand, and while these illnesses have been brought under control, the Naxalite problem continues to linger and seems to be getting worse day by day, a GFA field correspondent reports.

A two-day bandh, a general strike backed by the threat of violence against anyone not adhering to its conditions, was called by the Naxalites on August 24-25. The reason for the bandh was unknown.

On day one of the bandh, a group of Maoist rebels blew up a portion of a railway track over which an express train had passed just minutes before.

Again, on August 27, the Maoists bombed two cell phone towers in the Palamu district of Jharkhand. No one was injured in either of these incidents.

Targeting cell phone towers is nothing new for the Naxalites. Last year, they blasted three towers in Bihar, India.

"The mobile phone network is proving to be a great headache for the Naxalites as these give away vital information about their location and movements. Their action is apparently aimed at destructing this network to facilitate smooth conduct of their nefarious operations," one online news service reported.

As the conditions continue to worsen, GFA-supported missionaries serving in this area ask for prayers for peace.

"It is terrible for the people of this area to live peaceful lives," a GFA field correspondent wrote. "They are living with fear."