Kanker: A statue of Naxalite Somji alias Mahadev was inaugurated in the Abujhmad area in Aldand, Kanker district while the villagers claimed that they like to worship him, On 18 February 2021, Somji was installing an explosive plant to blow up the police force but the bomb exploded and he was killed on the spot. A part of the villagers is scared of Naxalites while a part worships them.
When Kanker SP Shalabh Sinha was asked about this matter, he said that "Villagers know how the Naxalites mislead the public and keep them away from development. But there are many areas of the district where the security forces have not reached yet, some areas like Aldand, where our presence is not consistent. We carry out the civic action program and come back hence, the villagers have not seen development."
"When a bridge installation was announced there, the villagers opposed it but now, I think gradually our reach is increasing, as the villagers understand and look after the work of rural administration. For example, in the recruitment of Bastar Fighters, many youths applied from the Naxal areas," said Sinha.
