Bhagalpur, Jan. 27: January 26 could not bring any colour into the lives of children in Munger. Fearing a Naxalite backlash, the primary and middle schools there could not organise any Republic Day function yesterday.

Maoists had earlier called to boycott any flag hoisting ceremony at the schools and panchayat bhavans in the region.

According to reports, about 15-20 armed Naxalites came to Dharhara block and Haveli Kharagpur sub-division on January 25 night and planted black flags outside schools and panchayat bhavans.

They also set a makeshift thatched hut in front of a middle school on fire. The hut was built as a community hall in the village.

Villagers at Goraiya, Ghorabagicha, Khajuria, Sakhol, Lodiyatard, Jagdishpur, Bangalwa, Kathoat saw black flags on the top of school buildings and panchayat bhavans.

Reports coming from Haveli Kharaghpur said the same was the case at Naxalite-hit and highly inaccessible villages like Barki Hathiya, Chotki Hathiya, Sonod, Muradey, Muzaffarganj among others.

“The incident did not surprise us because we have been witnessing such activities for the past five years. What surprised us was the removal of these flags by policemen,” a villager said.

Villagers said the Naxalites also warned them with dire consequences if they allowed their children to participate in any flag hoisting ceremony.

“We did not get the opportunity to visit our schools and enjoy jalebis on Republic Day because our parents asked us not to go,” said Sangita Kumari a student of Ghorabagicha primary school.

The headmaster of a middle school at Dharhara block said the flag hoisting ceremony was organised under strict police cover at the school around 9.30am yesterday. “Only two students were present as the others did not come because of the fear of Maoists,” he said.

Police rushed early in the morning on anti-landmine vehicles to various places where the Naxalites hoisted black flags and brought them down.

Satender Singh, officer-in-charge at Dharhara police station, said the police rushed to the spots and removed black flags early on Wednesday morning.

“We were apprehensive about any retaliation from the Naxalites so we had all arrangements before proceeding,” he said.

Such incidents, however, no longer have an impact on the district administration in Munger.

“Hoisting of black flags and trying to prevent such programmes in a common thing here. We would have tried to take action if something on a bigger magnitude had happened,” a senior district officer said.

Alok Kumar, the superintendent of railway police, Jamalpur who is also in the charge of the superintendent of police of Munger was not available for comment.

Shivdeep Landey, the assistant superintendent of police, Jamalpur, under whose jurisdiction Dharhara block falls, has expressed serious concerns over the incident.

He said investigations have started and soon the culprits would be punished.