Once venue of key CPI (Maoist) meet, Chormara now a 'model polling booth', Pg10.

Key Highlights:

• In January-February 2007, CPI (Maoist) leaders convened their 9th Congress in Chormara, Jamui district, Bihar.
• Chormara, once a Maoist stronghold, became a "model booth" where villagers voted for the first time in over three decades on Tuesday.
• The districts of Gaya, Jamui, and Rohtas recorded high voter turnouts, with 67.5%, 67.81%, and 60.69% respectively, as of 5 pm.
• Security stabilization since 2022 has encouraged voting in Naxal-affected areas, with many Maoist commanders surrendering.

Detailed Insights:

• Chormara's transformation into a model booth signifies reduced Left Wing Extremism (LWE), enabling 1,011 SC/ST voters to vote at their original location.
• Past incidents include a 2005 landmine blast in Bhimbandh and the blowing up of a primary school in Chormara in 2009, contributing to voter apathy.
• Deployment of CRPF and state police followed a series of incidents in Jamui, Lakhisarai, Munger, Aurangabad, and Rohtas.
• Key Maoist leaders like Ganapati and Prashant Bose attended the 2007 Congress; Bose was arrested in Jharkhand in 2021.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Left Wing Extremism (LWE): Ideology and activities of groups that aim to bring change through violent revolution.
• Model Booth: A polling station designed to encourage voting through improved facilities and security.
• Naxalism: A form of radical communist insurgency, primarily in parts of India.