Amid the charged upcoming election atmosphere, fear has resurfaced in parts of Jungle Mahal in the west region of West Bengal after posters allegedly linked to Maoist groups were found in Purulia district, triggering panic among local residents.
Posters written in red ink on white paper were discovered along a jungle path in the Ankro-Barakadam area under Boro police station on Wednesday morning, police sources said. One side of the posters bore the slogan “Khela Hobe” (The game is on), while the other carried a stern warning threatening “death penalty” for those who fail to observe a bandh. The posters also stated, “In 2026, the Maoists will play the game.”
The posters were first noticed by local villagers who regularly use the jungle path. It is suspected that they were put up under the cover of darkness. As news of the posters spread, fear gripped Ankro village, with memories of Jungle Mahal’s violent past resurfacing among residents.
However, police and intelligence sources have raised serious doubts about the involvement of Maoists. Although the posters call for a bandh, they do not mention any specific date or time, a discrepancy that has deepened the mystery. Preliminary police assessments suggest that anti-social elements or miscreants may have used the Maoist name to create panic in the region ahead of the elections.
The district administration has maintained that there is currently no active or organised Maoist presence in Purulia and that Jungle Mahal has remained peaceful for a considerable period. Despite this, security agencies are not taking any chances. Police patrolling has been intensified in the area, and an investigation is underway to identify those responsible and determine whether there is any political motive behind the incident.
Jungle Mahal’s Maoist past remains a source of fear for locals. In 2008, Maoists carried out a landmine blast targeting the convoy of then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on National Highway 6 in Bhadutala, Midnapore, in which he and two Union ministers narrowly escaped death. Following that incident, large parts of Jungle Mahal, including Lalgarh, witnessed prolonged violence marked by explosions, blockades and unrest for over two years.
The situation began to normalise after Maoist leader Kishenji was killed in a joint forces operation in the Burishol forest of Jhargram on November 24, 2011. Years later, the reappearance of posters invoking Maoist threats has once again cast a shadow over the region’s peace.
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