The world has taken notice of the Baloch insurgents' takeover of the Zafar Express in Balochistan, Pakistan. But 16 years ago, in india as well, a Rajdhani Express train was hijacked in jharkhand at night, causing a commotion across the nation. Naxalite violence in the nation peaked during this period. The Naxalites surrounded the train from all sides after taking control of it.
Naxalites seized control of the Bhubaneswar-New delhi Rajdhani Express on october 22, 2009, in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. The train had roughly a thousand people on board. Bhubaneshwar was where the train had begun. About two kilometers ahead of the train, some people began bursting crackers and waving red flags across the track as soon as the train arrived in jharkhand at night in the West Singhbhum district.
How It Happened?
It was odd that people were standing on either side of the track with red flags and lanterns at around 2:30 in the evening. The people on each side of the track signaled the train to stop. To figure out what was wrong, the driver slowed down a little. He noticed that large logs of wood were being stored on the track ahead in the forest between the stations of Bano and Raikera in the West Singhbhum district. The driver had to stop the train. In the bleak woodland, it came to a halt.
Almost immediately after, the train was surrounded and taken over by 200–250 armed Naxalites. This was one of the Naxal-affected areas, where Maoist groups were continuously using violence to keep their influence and presence.
This hijacking was executed in an organized fashion by the Naxalites. To halt the train, they first blocked the railroad track. The train driver had to stop the train because the Naxalites had left stones and wooden planks on the track. Following this, a sizable contingent of armed Naxalites emerged from the forest and dispersed across the train. At gunpoint, they apprehended the train's driver and guard. They prevented them from advancing the train.
To frighten the passengers, the Naxalites shot into the air. They began stepping inside the train cars. They took command of the train's engine and a few of its coaches. They assured the passengers that they wouldn't hurt them, but this was their way of protesting the government. The train's power supply was also impacted by the Naxalites, which might have compromised the security and communication systems.
The duration of the hijack was around four hours. This incident took place while jharkhand was getting ready for its legislative elections. The Naxalites attempted to disrupt the voting process and demonstrate their strength through this takeover.
The tragedy was utilized as propaganda by Naxalites.
This tragedy was also utilized as propaganda by the Naxalites. According to them, this action was a protest against the government's policies, particularly those that disregarded the interests of the tribal people. They caught the public's and media's attention with the hijacking.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and local police acted quickly after the event was reported. However, quick action was postponed because of the thick jungle and the high number of Naxalites. Teams from the jharkhand police and Central Reserve police Force (CRPF) arrived at the location at around 4:00 am. The plan was already in place for the Naxalites. Before the security personnel could arrive, they vanished into the jungle. After inspecting the train, the security personnel securely removed the passengers. The train was then dispatched.
Naxalites seized control of the Bhubaneswar-New delhi Rajdhani Express on october 22, 2009, in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. The train had roughly a thousand people on board. Bhubaneshwar was where the train had begun. About two kilometers ahead of the train, some people began bursting crackers and waving red flags across the track as soon as the train arrived in jharkhand at night in the West Singhbhum district.
How It Happened?
It was odd that people were standing on either side of the track with red flags and lanterns at around 2:30 in the evening. The people on each side of the track signaled the train to stop. To figure out what was wrong, the driver slowed down a little. He noticed that large logs of wood were being stored on the track ahead in the forest between the stations of Bano and Raikera in the West Singhbhum district. The driver had to stop the train. In the bleak woodland, it came to a halt.
Almost immediately after, the train was surrounded and taken over by 200–250 armed Naxalites. This was one of the Naxal-affected areas, where Maoist groups were continuously using violence to keep their influence and presence.
This hijacking was executed in an organized fashion by the Naxalites. To halt the train, they first blocked the railroad track. The train driver had to stop the train because the Naxalites had left stones and wooden planks on the track. Following this, a sizable contingent of armed Naxalites emerged from the forest and dispersed across the train. At gunpoint, they apprehended the train's driver and guard. They prevented them from advancing the train.
To frighten the passengers, the Naxalites shot into the air. They began stepping inside the train cars. They took command of the train's engine and a few of its coaches. They assured the passengers that they wouldn't hurt them, but this was their way of protesting the government. The train's power supply was also impacted by the Naxalites, which might have compromised the security and communication systems.
The duration of the hijack was around four hours. This incident took place while jharkhand was getting ready for its legislative elections. The Naxalites attempted to disrupt the voting process and demonstrate their strength through this takeover.
The tragedy was utilized as propaganda by Naxalites.
This tragedy was also utilized as propaganda by the Naxalites. According to them, this action was a protest against the government's policies, particularly those that disregarded the interests of the tribal people. They caught the public's and media's attention with the hijacking.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and local police acted quickly after the event was reported. However, quick action was postponed because of the thick jungle and the high number of Naxalites. Teams from the jharkhand police and Central Reserve police Force (CRPF) arrived at the location at around 4:00 am. The plan was already in place for the Naxalites. Before the security personnel could arrive, they vanished into the jungle. After inspecting the train, the security personnel securely removed the passengers. The train was then dispatched.
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