The Sone Mahotsava began in Rohtas on 3rd December 2008, in a meeting attended by all local elected representatives of the blocks of Nauhatta, Rohtas and Tilouthu. Several other social groups also attended this meeting. Since the Maoists would not attend such a meeting and since the message was to be delivered deep into their areas of influence, the ones who could be contacted first without controversy happened to be the elected public representatives who were thought of as a bridge between the police and the community at large in order to deliver the new theme of development and peace. The meeting was historical in the sense that no such meeting had earlier been called for by the police. Seeing the Police not speaking about operations and routine, but about positive change in what was their own region, the response was tremendous and encouraging.

The Rohtas Fort was surely understood a symbol of the illustrious past of the Sone Valley. Representatives during the police public meeting brain stormed and discussed about the reasons for the backwardness of the region and wondered that if their ancestors who did not have the benefits of modern technology and science and still could build such a marvelous fort at 1500 ft above sea level, why Rohtas today couldn’t prosper despite the advancements of modern science and thought.  The attendees who spanned a cross section of the community were being made to remember the landmarks of the past. 

To be continued.....