Journalists from the heavily left-wing violence affected district of Bijapur in Chhattisgarh have decided to take out a 247-kilometre bike rally deep in Maoist-dominated territory, two days after posters appeared in the district threatening the state forest minister, officials and journalists. The Bijapur Press Club announced that the bike rally would commence on November 24 and last for three days.

On November 17, posters had appeared in the Usur panchayat of Bijapur threatening not only Chhattisgarh forest minister Mahesh Gagda and local officials, but journalists too who reported on encounters “incorrectly”. Scribes were reminded of the fate of Bijapur-based journalist Sai Reddy, who was killed by Maoists in December 2013. Reddy often faced accusations from both the state and the Maoists of working for the other side. In the aftermath of his killing, journalists had similarly entered the forests in a show of defiance to Maoists.