Chhattisgarh’s police-naxalites caught in crosshairs of war, 14 who surrendered

On JANUARY 6, 28-year-old Nanda Midiyami, one of the 14 tribals whom the police entered as Naxalites, was restless, and scared. The next day, he had to present himself at the SP office in Dantewada, and put his thumb impression on a surrender document. Gumiyapal is a village in Dantewada, 45 km from the district headquarters. It is difficult to reach the village, with the nearest road at least 25 km away.

 14 men, aged 25–40 years, are subsistence farmers and cultivate paddy in small plots around their village for personal consumption. He gathered at the outskirts of the village with his village (tribal head), Sian (elders), women and children to talk to The Indian Express. In addition to the police, more than a dozen men also feared retaliation from the Maoists, who feared they would call them police informers, Those who will get things done by luring money. In an initiative launched in June last, ‘Lone Varattu’ (which in Gondi dialect means ‘return to your village’), the state police appeals to those who have brought back the Naxalites back home.

 They print leaflets and nail posters along with the names and other details of those who are members of Maoist-affiliated organizations in the walls. Under this scheme, each surrendered person gets Rs 10,000 in cash, and it is mentioned in the surrender document / he signs at the police station. Naxalites who carry cash prizes on their head are also paid that amount. However, there are conflicting claims in two cases: whether those who surrender are actually Naxalites, and whether they are actually paid Rs 10,000 cash as promised under the scheme. On 7 January, in addition to Nanda Mediaami, The other 13 people who surrendered were: Somudu Kunjam, Mandavi Ura, Somulu Murami, Kovasi Hidma, Nanda Mandavi, Joga Vanjami, Lakhama Midyami, Baman Midyami, Deva Vanjam, Bhima Midyami, Budhira Murami, Bhim Midyami and Raju Midyam. 

The posters posted by the police described 14 people as Jan Militia or Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan, an unarmed front organization of Maoists or Chetna Natya Mandi, a cultural crime. “They left these pamphlets around our houses, put them on our walls or doors, as if we are some castaway,” Kovasi Hidma, 37, one of 14. Nanda, who lives in about 0.10 acres for his family Cultivates paddy. , And an alleged mass militia member, said they were asked by the police in December to surrender before January 10. “The security forces would collect us while we were grazing the cattle. One of them told me, I will be jailed for over 35 years. He said that my children will forget my face. “For my children, I borrowed money to go to Dantewada on January 7, sign and come with it. But I never got the promise of Rs 10,000, ”he said.

 All others also claimed that they had not received any money. Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava, who is the brain behind the Lone Varatu scheme, said, “We made a list, including the accused in many cases, and whose names came up during interrogation of the Naxalites who were caught earlier.” About 1,600 people have been identified as Naxalites in the list. But village elders in Gumiyapal said that 14 people were not Naxalites. “These people have been charged on the basis of trial. When we received the leaflet, So we asked the police to prove whether these people were involved in any illegal work. But the representatives of our village were pressurized to surrender these men, ”said Unga, cyan or village elder.

 When Gumiyapal Siyans pointed to these claims, Superintendent of Police Pallava said, “All these people, who have surrendered, have been found to be actively working for the banned organization.” According to the Pallavas, the idea is to force all working groups of the Naxalite or Maoist force to surrender. “Many of these grassroots activists are fed up and disillusioned. We are giving them a way to join the mainstream. After surrendering, they can live with the law and live in peace, “They said. But it cannot be a peaceful life for those who surrender. They remain anxious, fearing some kind of retaliation by the Naxalites. “It had not been a week since I surrendered that I started getting messages from him (Naxal cadre) to meet and meet.

 They think we have done this for money. I told a messenger that I did not receive any money, ”said Joga Panjam, one of the 30 people, one of the 14, who the police alleged was a militia member. Others also said that they had not received any money so far. “When we surrendered on January 7, we were told that we would get money for another day. We said it was difficult for us to come again, but we were turned away. These men are suffering more, There is a possibility that the Naxalites will demand money received from them after the surrender. 25-year-old Bhima Midiyami said that the Maoists would not only hand over the money to him, but could also sentence him to a verdict in an adalat (a kangaroo court). “We are getting messages to meet them and participate in Jan Adalat. They can ask us to work for them, now that we have acted as Naxalites. Midiyami said that they can also ask us to leave our village and if we want to save our lives, then we feel that we have become the informers of the police. Under the Lone Varattu campaign, 320-odd people have surrendered so far

. Of these, more than 177 people were paid under government policy. Others, district officials claimed, did not give details of any bank and thus money could not be transferred to them. “We give them 10 on our behalf in cash, 000 rupees. Under government policy, however, all of this is required to be registered, and the money is deposited directly into their accounts. “Some of them do not give us their account numbers, which are mostly out of fear,” said a senior district official. In Gumiyapal, the villagers claim that they do not keep bank accounts, and if they have a single account, they are afraid to access the account. 

The Maoists are still defending themselves in these areas, and may order the tribals to leave the village or even be killed several times if they find their actions suspicious. However, SP Abhishek Pallava believes the villagers are being forced to lie, as they have given Rs 10,000 in cash to each of the cadres who surrendered under the Lone Vartru campaign. “We are straight 10, The reason for paying 000 rupees is to counter this situation. The villagers take money and then live under pressure from the Maoists. I will still send my people and investigate what is there in Gumiyapal. The Pallavas claimed that the plan has shaken the militant organization. However, he believes an entire lobby is out to discredit the campaign.

 “We managed to get many senior leaders to surrender. Earlier these people were arrested again and again. The lawyers used to take big money to drive them away. We are now presenting a better solution, which is why a whole lobby is against it. . He believes that an entire lobby is out to discredit the campaign. “We managed to get many senior leaders to surrender. Earlier these people were arrested again and again. The lawyers used to charge big money to drive them away. We are now presenting a better solution, which is why a whole lobby is against it. . He believes that an entire lobby is out to discredit the campaign. “We managed to get many senior leaders to surrender. Earlier these people were arrested again and again. The lawyers used to charge big money to drive them away. We are now presenting a better solution, which is why a whole lobby is against it. .