Kalyan Mukherjee THE war in Bhojpur is almost a decade old; the media exposure of 'extremism' in this surplus district of south Bihar, however, came only after the violent, peasant-police encounter at Chauri village of Sahar block on May 6, 1973. Subsequently, the institution of the Chauri Firing Commission; Jayaprakash Narayan's visit to the disturbed areas on an abortive, mission of peace in June 1975; the unrelenting overkill of the seek and destroy, paramilitary contingents of 'Operation Thunder' in 1976; and the reiterated prophecies of the rural guerillas of imminent liberation, have succeeded in locating this IADP (Intensive Area Development Project) district as the number one assignment of counter-insurgency forces in Bihar. Bhojpur's war continues to simmer and reports of its spread into the contiguous districts of Rohtas, Gaya and Patna
