BBC News – India: Maoist rebels kill seven paramilitary soldiers

Tuesday 8 January 2013. Seven paramilitary soldiers have been killed in a clash between security forces and Maoist rebels in India’s eastern Jharkhand state, police say.

At least nine other soldiers and policemen were injured in the battle in Latehar district on Monday.

Maoist rebels have carved out strongholds in a number of states in the north, east and centre of India.

They say they are fighting for communist rule and greater rights for tribal people and the rural poor.

Jharkhand police chief G S Rath told the Associated Press news agency that about 50 security personnel were attacked by the rebels.

Mr Rath said the paramilitary soldiers returned fire and the clash continued for several hours.

The bodies of seven paramilitary soldiers have been recovered from the spot.

India’s Maoist insurgency began in West Bengal state in the late 1960s and has become, according to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the country’s “greatest internal security challenge”.

The Maoists control large areas of several states in a “red corridor” stretching from the north-east to central India.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20942429

The Hindu – Congress gets majority in Haryana Assembly

K. Balchand

New Delhi, 4 December 2011. For a party battling against odds, the Assembly by-elections have given the Congress the consolation of gaining a majority of its own in Haryana.

The Congress won the Ratia (SC) seat, while the Haryana Janhit Congress retained Adampur. The Congress wrested Ratia from the Indian National Lok Dal and secured a majority of its own in the 90-member Assembly, its strength having gone up to 46.

In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress retained the Kolkata South Lok Sabha seat — which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave up after her entry into the Assembly — by defeating the CPI(M).

Results of other by-elections in eight Assembly constituencies were also declared on Sunday.

In Karnataka, the BJP suffered humiliation in the Bellary (ST) constituency, dominated by the Bellary brothers, where an Independent emerged winner.

In Himachal, the Congress and the BJP took a seat from each other. The Congress wrested Nalagarh from the BJP, which returned the compliment winning the Renuka (SC) seat.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), an ally of the BJP, won the by-elections in the Umerkote (Odisha), Laukaha (Bihar) and Mandu constituencies respectively.

In Odisha, the BJD won the Umerkote seat defeating the BJP in a triangular contest. Another triangular contest helped the ruling dispensation retain its seat in Jharkhand, where the JMM, an ally of the BJP, won the Mandu seat defeating the Congress. In Bihar, the ruling JD(U) won the Laukaha seat defeating the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2687242.ece

Keywords: Haryana Assembly, Congress, Ratia (SC) seat

BBC News – Villagers held over India nun Valsa John murder

21 November 2011

Seven people have been detained in connection with the murder of an Indian nun who campaigned for the rights of tribal people in India, police say.

Sister Valsa John was killed after about 50 people broke into her home last week in eastern Jharkand state.

The police said they had picked up seven local villagers for questioning.

Sister John’s brother says she recently spoke of threats from a “mining mafia”. There has been no word from mining officials.

Initially the police believed the killing could be the work of Maoist rebels as political pamphlets were found at the site, but they now believe it is possible the documents were left to mislead investigators.

Sister Valsa, originally from Kerala, was working with the Missionaries of Charity and had gone to Jharkhand to work with tribespeople.

The BBC’s Salman Ravi says she later took up the cause of tribal people displaced by mining around Pakur, about 400km (250 miles) north-east of the state capital Ranchi.

The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15814591