CRPF organises football tournament in Maoist-infested area of West Bengal

Ramgarh (West Bengal), Oct 11(ANI): The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), is organizing a five-day soccer tournament to usher confidence among the villagers in an attempt to minimize the unease among locals in the Maoist-infested area of West Bengal's West Medinipur district.

The tournament features 32 teams, representing 27 villages, and was kicked-off on Sunday at Ramgarh in West Medinipur district.

Several personnel of the CRPF said that their aim while organizing such events was to demonstrate to the locals that the area they are living in is free from Naxals and they should enjoy a peaceful environment.

"Our every activity is meant only upon bringing peace in the area," said Pankaj Kumar, Comandant, 66th Battalion of the CRPF.

The venue of the matches, Ramgargh, is around 12 kilometres from Lalgarh, which was declared as liberated zone by the Maoists in June this year.

Meanwhile, local residents hailed such an effort by the CRPF and said that their presence has indeed brought improvement in the area.

"So far we never had any kind of entertainment and games because of the threat of the Maoists and the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), but following the presence of the joint forces in the area, there has been a lot of development. Now we have the recreational entertainment. We really enjoyed this match," said Sibu Soren, one of the players in the tournament.

The venue of the matches, Ramgargh, is around 12 kilometres from Lalgarh, which was declared as liberated zone by the Maoists in June this year. By Ajitha Menon (ANI)