Maoists' fear triggers mass migration of villagers

Living in constant fear and despair due to the threat posed by Maoist ultras in the region, distressed families of Opa village, situated in Lohardaga district of Jharkhand, have been forced to migrate en masse to safer havens. These hapless villagers, many of whom have lived in here for generations, have been compelled to take such an ultimate step of leaving behind huge tracts of land, ancestral property, livestock and memories, in the wake of a possible Maoist onslaught. Such is the fear of the Maoists that even during the daytime, villagers choose to stay inside the safety of their hutments, venturing out in the open only in search of food for their families. Nights, say the locals, are the worst.