Jhajha (Jamui), Aug. 16: Bandana and her classmates were in for a shock to find a black flag fluttering on the campus of the Government Middle School, Barmasia, even before the Tricolour was hoisted on Independen- ce Day.

The Class IV student of the school, situated on the outskirts of Jhajha township, about 180km south-east of Patna, was too young to understand that it was the Maoists’ handiwork and that a boycott call of Independence Day was given by the ultra-Left rebels.

Headmaster Sanjay Kumar said the Maoists had in a handwritten letter on Tuesday asked him not to hoist the Tricolour on the campus to celebrate Independence Day.

Superintendent of police (Jamui) Upendra Sharma said security personnel seized some black flags from the Sono and Chandramani areas.