Ranchi, Feb. 18: The Dumaria encounter of last week has clearly put Naxalites on the backfoot. While the Maoists have called a 24-hour bandh on February 21 in Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa, its local unit has been rattled by dissension within its ranks.

The Ghatshila encounter of February 14 dealt a body blow to the rebel outfit which lost seven cadres, including a self-styled “commander” wanted for the murder of MP Sunil Mahto and one Bikas, allegedly involved in the Nandigram violence in Bengal.

The rebels were clearly taken aback as they never imagined security forces to track them down to their hideouts.

The operation also owed it success to the Nagrik Sureksha Samiti (NSS), a local unit of villagers working together to stand up against the Naxalite terror, for informing the police at the right time.

That the Ghatshila police action has rattled Maoists was clear from the way Naxalite sympathisers in nearby villages were fleeing their homes. At least 15 families have reportedly left.

Those associated with NSS believe there is now a growing resentment among a section of the rank and file of the local Maoist unit operating in Ghatshila.

“At least six cadres, all belonging to different hamlets in the Ghatshila belt, are extremely unhappy with the way local Maoist leaders are harassing villagers and targeting youths. This disgruntled group is in touch with us,” claimed a top NSS functionary.

The February 21 bandh call is against the Ghatshila encounter. It was declared by secretary of the Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa regional border committee of the CPI (Maoist) Rakeshji through a news release.

Confirming the bandh call, East Singhbhum superintendent of police Naveen Kumar Singh said that adequate steps would be taken to “foil” the Maoist sponsored bandh.

“Apart from normal police bandobast in rebel-hit districts, additional personnel and special task force jawans will be deployed in vulnerable areas to guard national highways and railway installations,” police officials at the headquarters said.