Actors stage Bhatke Log, a play that sheds light on rebel activities, at Kurpania in Bermo on Monday. Picture by Pankaj Singh

Bokaro police is staging a series of street plays in rural areas of the district to expose the anti-people designs of Maoists and cash in on the changing mood of local residents who have of late started helping security forces with vital information on the rebels.

More than three dozen “nukkad natak” troupes made up of artistes from the state and neighbouring Bengal are performing in various Maoist-infested villages like Kurpania, Kanjkiro, Pilpilo Bazartand in Kasmar, Petarwar, Nawadih, Gomia and Bermo.

The play, Bhatke Log, is being staged at various places by artistes from Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Purulia and Asansol (Bengal). It is directed by Anupam Goswami.

The play, which depicts Maoists as a misguided group that cheats innocent people, including youngsters, is drawing fairly large crowds, having become quite popular among local residents.

Bhatke Log seeks to impart that joining or even indirectly supporting Maoists is wrong through the experiences of a farmer’s son who is lured to join the outfit and later made to suffer.

In conclusion, the play portrays Maoists as a group of self-seeking individuals whose only intention is to extort money from people to fill their own coffers.

Bokaro SP Kuldeep Dwivedi vouched for the play. “Bhatke Log is turning out to be very popular and people, after seeing the play, are debating the issues raised by it among themselves. They have started questioning why Maoists, who claim to be friends of the people, kill innocents and ill-treat women.

Coal belt DIG Laxman Singh said the play would now be staged in smaller, remote villages of the district. “The idea is to show people the real face of Maoists who were playing on the sentiments of the rural populace to earn money for themselves,” he said.