Raipur: The meeting, held before the October 4 Abujhmarh encounter in which the security forces gunned down 31 Naxalites, turned out to be the last meeting for Niti alias Urmila (45), a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, the strongest Maoist outfit, who had a reward of Rs 25 lakh on her head. She was also slain in the fierce gunbattle in the forest between Thulthuli and Gawadi villages on the Narayanpur-Dantewada district border.
It seems that the residents of Gawadi have followed the path of the slain rebel, as they oppose any road in the village in fear of a police camp. Thulthuli, Gawadi and surrounding villages were considered the safest hideout for People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Company No. 6 led by Niti before the security personnel breached it last week.
Police said PLGA Company No. 6 is active at the junction of Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Bastar districts, where Maoists often hold meetings to propagate their rights and brainwash the villagers. Niti held a meeting with the villagers at Gawadi two days before the encounter. Her last words were --not to allow the police to set up camps and build roads.
"Water, forest and land will be taken away from us," said a 30-year-old villager on condition of anonymity. Niti was a native of Irmagunda village in the Gangalur area of neighbouring Bijapur. The villager, who claimed to be a farmer, said the security personnel had visited Gawadi twice a year. During their visits, the police questioned the villagers and he denied any links with the Naxalites.
He said on the day of the encounter, he was busy with household chores after lunch when the sound of bullets from the top of the hills echoed in the forest. It was not an unusual sound as this is the core area of the Naxals, but when the firing continued, the villagers realised that something big had happened. After a few hours, he looked up and saw a helicopter landing near the village to airlift an injured jawan. Later the villagers came to know about the fierce encounter.
Gawadi is embroiled in the biggest Naxal encounter since the formation of the state of Chhattisgarh 24 years ago. The anti-terror operation since 2008 has seen the highest number of Maoist deaths. One of the unique villages in Narayanpur district, Gawadi falls in Thulthuli Gram Panchayat under the Orchha development block bordering Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. Located deep inside the Abujhmarh forests, Gawadi is difficult to reach as there is no motorable road beyond Orchha. From Orchha, the last police station in the area, one has to avail a bike for about 30 km through hilly trails and at least seven rivulets. There is no security camp beyond Orchha.
Gawadi has 30 families of the Abujhmadia tribe and has a mobile tower with erratic signals, forcing residents to gather at a particular spot to get a network. Many villages in the Abujhmarh region are marked 'unsurveyed' in revenue records, depriving them of various government schemes. They need better schools, clean drinking water and healthcare facilities, but not roads. It is up to the government to provide facilities for them without building roads.
Vadde, a Class VIII dropout, is the most educated person in Gawadi. He works as the cook for the mid-day meals at the primary school. He has to bring rations from Orchha for himself and the schoolchildren. He denied being intimidated by the Naxalites, saying he had nothing to do with them.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundararaj P said the operation was launched based on the presence of Maoists of Company No. 6 on the hills of Gawadi, Thulthuli and Nendur villages. "Given that this is the core area of Company No. 6, it is not unusual for Maoists to hold meetings of villagers. They often hold such meetings to spread their propaganda and brainwash the villagers," he said.
He further said the police aim to protect the people living in deep forests and difficult geographical locations and only development in the area can get them out of the clutches of Maoists. Out of the 31 Maoists killed, so far 22 have been identified as those carrying a total reward of Rs 1.67 crore on their heads.
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