The holiday kothi where Motilal Nehru used to stay during his visit to Simultala in Jamui. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bindu Devi was able to bring up her children and get them settled even after her husband died as she found employment at a farmhouse in Simultala. But her son Dinesh has to struggle for a livelihood because of the rising Naxalite influence at the village once known as the Shimla of Bihar.

“My husband died in 1991. I was only 21 then and lived in a mud house with my three children. But I have been able to marry off my daughters and set up a grocery shop for my son at Simultala main market. I got work as a gardener in one of the many farmhouses in Simultala. My employer lived in Calcutta but he allowed me to cultivate vegetables in the garden so that I could sustain my family,” said Bindu.

Dinesh, however, is finding it difficult to keep his small business afloat.

“The situation has changed considerably since the arrival of ‘party men’ (read Naxalites) in the area in 1999. Now, residents of the nearby villages do not dare to spend a night in Simultala,” said Dinesh.

A spurt in Naxalite activities and crime has pushed Simultala into a spiralling economic and social decline.

Located on the Howrah-Patna main section of the Eastern Railway, around 45km south of Jamui and around 180km south of Patna, Simultala was once a popular holiday hub. Farmhouses of rich and famous persons — mostly Bengalis — dotted the village. Famous persons like Motilal Nehru, Surendranath Banerjea and social activist Ranu Mukherjee built farmhouses in Simultala, attracted by its pleasant weather and scenic beauty.

But the languid and amiable environment of the village is now only a ghost of the past.

“We preferred to visit Simultala for its weather. But now, things have changed for the worse and we stay away,” said Dr Ashok Sen, a medical practitioner in Calcutta who has a house in Simultala.

Residents recall in the early 1990s, the real estate mafia started to capture the farmhouses. In 1997, the rising crime rate gained notoriety when armed robbers attacked Sen Kothi at the east of the village and assaulted the owner and his family, who had come on a holiday.

“The incident spread fear among the outsiders,” said Bidhan Pal, the owner of one of the farmhouses.

If crime were not enough, growing Naxalite influence in the area has also discouraged the tourists.

On January 25, 2003, suspected Naxalites targeted the Simultala railway station and police station, killing four policemen on the spot, looting firearms and ammunition and railway’s money. They also set fire to government establishments. “Since then, frequent Naxalite incidents, including killing of security personnel, looting firearms and vandalising railway tracks, have become common in Simultala,” said Simon Ghosh, a social worker in the village.

Bhagalpur range inspector-general of police A.K. Ambedkar told The Telegraph: “The rebels found the topography of this region favourable as it is surrounded by hills and dense forests. It is also very close to Jharkhand’s Naxalite-affected Giridih and Deoghar districts. The Maoists manage to escape easily after an committing an incident.”

He is, however, hopeful that the region can stage a turnaround.

“Setting up of a Cobra training centre has given a boost to the area. A new two-lane road connecting Simultala with Jhajha, Chakai and Madhopur and private ventures can certainly restore Simultala’s lost glory,” said Ambedkar.

He also said: “The opening of Simultala Residential School recently has also been a boost to the village.”

The government has taken the initiative to build Simultala Residential School to provide quality education to children studying in classes VI to XII on the line of Netarhat Residential School. After the bifurcation of the state in 2000, Netarhat Residential School — the premier educational institute — went to Jharkhand and since then the government has been planning to build another school in Bihar similar to it.

Residents of nearby villages like Panna, Konoudi, Dodri, Thelwa, Bangama, Chadwari, Ahradha, Khuranda and others echo Ambedkar. “We witnessed sharp decline in our business over the past few years,” said Bombom Kumar, a shopkeeper at Simultala market. “But I am hopeful that the development of infrastructure shall attract tourists and we shall prosper.”

Sandip Singh, a social worker, said renovation work has begun on some of the kothis. “We are hopeful that the Naxalite influence will lessen and Simultala will have a bright future,” he added.