Outlook India.com: http://www.outlookindia.com/printarticle.aspx?264738 ational / !

o"er #tories / $ssa%s &a'a(ine ) &ar 2*+ 2,-,

.ateline .antewada: /o% with the &aoists essa% 0alkin' 0ith 1he !omrades 2andhians with a 2un? 3rundhati /o% plun'es into the sea o4 2ondi people to 4ind some answers... 3rundhati /o% 1he terse+ t%pewritten note slipped under m% door in a sealed en"elope con4irmed m% appointment with India5s 2ra"est Internal #ecurit% 1hreat. I5d 6een waitin' 4or months to hear 4rom them. I had to 6e at the &a .anteshwari mandir in .antewada+ !hhattis'arh+ at an% o4 4our 'i"en times on two 'i"en da%s. 1hat was to take care o4 6ad weather+ punctures+ 6lockades+ transport strikes and sheer 6ad luck. 1he note said: 70riter should ha"e camera+ tika and coconut. &eeter will ha"e cap+ 8indi Outlook ma'a(ine and 6ananas. 9assword: amashkar 2uru:i.; amashkar 2uru:i. I wondered whether the &eeter and 2reeter would 6e expectin' a man. 3nd whether I should 'et m%sel4 a moustache. 1here are man% wa%s to descri6e .antewada. It5s an ox%moron. It5s a 6order town smack in the heart o4 India. It5s the epicentre o4 a war. It5s an upside down+ inside out town.

Red Shadow: !entenar% cele6rations o4 the adi"asi uprisin' in <astar= #ten 'un at hand In .antewada+ the police wear plain clothes and the re6els wear In .antewada+ the police uni4orms. 1he :ail superintendent is in :ail. 1he prisoners are 4ree >three hundred o4 them escaped 4rom the old town :ail two %ears a'o?. 0omen wear plain clothes+ the who ha"e 6een raped are in police custod%. 1he rapists 'i"e speeches in re6els wear uni4orms. 1he :ail superintendent is the 6a(aar. in :ail= the prisoners are 3cross the Indra"ati ri"er+ in the area controlled 6% the &aoists+ is the 4ree. place the police call @9akistan5. 1here the "illa'es are empt%+ 6ut the 4orest is 4ull o4 people. !hildren who ou'ht to 6e in school run wild. In the lo"el% 4orest "illa'es+ the concrete school 6uildin's ha"e either 6een 6lown up and lie in a heap+ or the% are 4ull o4 policemen. 1he deadl% war that is un4oldin' in the :un'le is a war that the 2o"ernment o4 India is 6oth proud and sh% o4. Operation 2reen 8unt has 6een proclaimed as well as denied. 9. !hidam6aram+ India5s home minister >and !$O o4 the war?+ sa%s it does not exist+ that it5s a media creation. 3nd %et su6stantial 4unds ha"e 6een allocated to it and tens o4 thousands o4 troops are 6ein' mo6ilised 4or it. 1hou'h the theatre o4 war is in the :un'les o4 !entral India+ it will ha"e serious conseAuences 4or us all. I4 'hosts are the lin'erin' spirits o4 someone+ or somethin'+ that has ceased to exist+ then perhaps the new 4ourBlane hi'hwa% crashin' throu'h the 4orest is the opposite o4 a 'host. 9erhaps it is the har6in'er o4 what is still to come. 1he anta'onists in the 4orest are disparate and uneAual in almost e"er% wa%. On one side is a massi"e paramilitar% 4orce armed with the mone%+ the 4irepower+ the media+ and the hu6ris o4 an emer'in' #uperpower. On the other+ ordinar% "illa'ers armed with traditional weapons+ 6acked 6% a super6l% or'anised+ hu'el% moti"ated &aoist 'uerrilla 4i'htin' 4orce with an extraordinar% and "iolent histor% o4 armed re6ellion. 1he &aoists and the paramilitar% are old ad"ersaries and ha"e 4ou'ht older a"atars o4 each other se"eral times 6e4ore: 1elan'ana in the 5C,s= 0est <en'al+ <ihar+ #rikakulam in 3ndhra 9radesh in the late 56,s and 57,s= and then a'ain in 3ndhra 9radesh+ <ihar and &aharashtra 4rom the 58,s all the wa% throu'h to the present. 1he% are 4amiliar with each other5s tactics+ and ha"e studied each other5s com6at manuals closel%. $ach time+ it seemed as thou'h the &aoists >or their pre"ious a"atars? had 6een not :ust de4eated+ 6ut literall%+ ph%sicall% exterminated. $ach time+ the% ha"e reBemer'ed+ more or'anised+ more determined and more in4luential than e"er. 1oda% once a'ain the insurrection has spread throu'h the mineralBrich 4orests o4 !hhattis'arh+ Dharkhand+ Orissa and 0est <en'alEhomeland to millions o4 India5s tri6al people+ dreamland to the corporate world.

It5s easier on the li6eral conscience to 6elie"e that the war in the 4orests is a war 6etween the 2o"ernment o4 India and the &aoists+ who call elections a sham+ 9arliament a pi'st% and ha"e openl% declared their intention to o"erthrow the Indian #tate. It5s con"enient to 4or'et that tri6al people in !entral India ha"e a histor% o4 resistance that predates &ao 6% centuries. >1hat5s a truism o4 course. I4 the% didn5t+ the% wouldn5t exist.? 1he 8o+ the Oraon+ the Fols+ the #anthals+ the &undas and the 2onds ha"e all re6elled se"eral times+ a'ainst the <ritish+ a'ainst (amindars and mone%lenders. 1he re6ellions were cruell% crushed+ man% thousands killed+ 6ut the people were ne"er conAuered. $"en a4ter Independence+ tri6al people were at the heart o4 the 4irst uprisin' that could 6e descri6ed as &aoist+ in axal6ari "illa'e in 0est <en'al >where the word axaliteEnow used interchan'ea6l% with @&aoist5Eori'inates?. #ince then+ axalite politics has 6een inextrica6l% entwined with tri6al uprisin's+ which sa%s as much a6out the tri6als as it does a6out the axalites.

Staying Put: 9eople o4 Fudur "illa'e protest the <odh'hat dam: @It does not 6elon' to the capitalists+ <astar is OGrs5% 1his le'ac% o4 re6ellion has le4t 6ehind a 4urious people who ha"e 6een deli6eratel% isolated and mar'inalised 6% the Indian 'o"ernment. 1he Indian !onstitution+ the moral underpinnin' o4 Indian democrac%+ was adopted 6% 9arliament in -*C,. It was a tra'ic da% 4or tri6al people. 1he !onstitution rati4ied colonial polic% and made the #tate custodian o4 tri6al homelands. O"erni'ht+ it turned the entire tri6al population into sAuatters on their own land. It denied them their traditional ri'hts to 4orest produce+ it criminalised a whole wa% o4 li4e. In exchan'e 4or the ri'ht to "ote+ it snatched awa% their ri'ht to li"elihood and di'nit%. 8a"in' dispossessed them and pushed them into a downward spiral o4 indi'ence+ in a cruel slei'ht o4 hand+ the 'o"ernment 6e'an to use their own penur% a'ainst them. $ach time it needed to displace a lar'e populationE4or dams+ irri'ation pro:ects+ minesEit talked o4 76rin'in' tri6als into the mainstream; or o4 'i"in' them 7the 4ruits o4 modern de"elopment;. O4 the tens o4 millions o4 internall% displaced people >more than 3, million 6% 6i' dams alone?+ re4u'ees o4 India5s @pro'ress5+ the 'reat ma:orit% are tri6al people. 0hen the 'o"ernment 6e'ins to talk o4 tri6al wel4are+ it5s time to worr%. 1he most recent expression o4 concern has come 4rom home minister 9. !hidam6aram who sa%s he doesn5t want tri6al people li"in' in 7museum cultures;. 1he wellB6ein' o4 tri6al people didn5t seem to 6e such a priorit% durin' his career as a corporate law%er+ representin' the interests o4 se"eral

ma:or minin' companies. #o it mi'ht 6e an idea to enAuire into the 6asis 4or his new anxiet%.

The Day of the Bhumkal: Hace to 4ace with IIndiaJs 'reatest #ecurit% 1hreatI. O"er the past 4i"e %ears or so+ the 'o"ernments o4 !hhattis'arh+ Dharkhand+ Orissa and 0est <en'al ha"e si'ned hundreds o4 &oGs with corporate houses+ worth se"eral 6illion dollars+ all o4 them secret+ 4or steel plants+ spon'eBiron 4actories+ power plants+ aluminium re4ineries+ dams and mines. In order 4or the &oGs to translate into real mone%+ tri6al people must 6e mo"ed. 1here4ore+ this war. 0hen a countr% that calls itsel4 a democrac% openl% declares war within its 6orders+ what does that war look like? .oes the resistance stand a chance? #hould it? 0ho are the &aoists? 3re the% :ust "iolent nihilists 4oistin' an outdated ideolo'% on tri6al people+ 'oadin' them into a hopeless insurrection? 0hat lessons ha"e the% learned 4rom their past experience? Is armed stru''le intrinsicall% undemocratic? Is the #andwich 1heor%Eo4 @ordinar%5 tri6als 6ein' cau'ht in the cross4ire 6etween the #tate and the &aoistsEan accurate one? 3re @&aoists5 and @1ri6als5 two entirel% discrete cate'ories as is 6ein' made out? .o their interests con"er'e? 8a"e the% learned an%thin' 4rom each other? 8a"e the% chan'ed each other? 1he da% 6e4ore I le4t+ m% mother called+ soundin' sleep%. 7I5"e 6een thinkin'+; she said+ with a mother5s weird instinct+ 7what this countr% needs is re"olution.; 3n article on the internet sa%s that Israel5s &ossad is trainin' 3, hi'hBrankin' Indian police o44icers in the techniAues o4 tar'eted assassinations+ to render the &aoist or'anisation 7headless;. 1here5s talk in the press a6out the new hardware that has 6een 6ou'ht 4rom Israel: laser ran'eB4inders+ thermal ima'in' eAuipment and unmanned drones+ so popular with the G# arm%. 9er4ect weapons to use a'ainst the poor. 1he dri"e 4rom /aipur to .antewada takes a6out -, hours throu'h areas known to 6e @&aoistB in4ested5. 1hese are not careless words. @In4est/in4estation5 implies disease/pests. .iseases must 6e cured. 9ests must 6e exterminated. &aoists must 6e wiped out. In these creepin'+ innocuous wa%s+ the lan'ua'e o4 'enocide has entered our "oca6ular%. 1o protect the hi'hwa%+ securit% 4orces ha"e @secured5 a narrow 6andwidth o4 4orest on either side. Hurther in+ it5s the ra: o4 the @.ada lo'5. 1he <rothers. 1he !omrades.

On the outskirts o4 /aipur+ a massi"e 6ill6oard ad"ertises Kedanta >the compan% our home minister once worked with? !ancer 8ospital. In Orissa+ where it is minin' 6auxite+ Kedanta is 4inancin' a uni"ersit%. In these creepin'+ innocuous wa%s+ minin' corporations enter our ima'inations: the 2entle 2iants 0ho /eall% !are. It5s called !#/+ !orporate #ocial /esponsi6ilit%. It allows minin' companies to 6e like the le'endar% actor and 4ormer chie4 minister 1/+ who liked to pla% all the parts in 1elu'u m%tholo'icalsEthe 'ood 'u%s and the 6ad 'u%s+ all at once+ in the same mo"ie. 1his !#/ masks the outra'eous economics that underpins the minin' sector in India. Hor example+ accordin' to the recent Loka%ukta report 4or Farnataka+ 4or e"er% tonne o4 iron ore mined 6% a pri"ate compan%+ the 'o"ernment 'ets a ro%alt% o4 /s 27 and the minin' compan% makes /s C+,,,. In the 6auxite and aluminium sector+ the 4i'ures are e"en worse. 0e5re talkin' a6out da%li'ht ro66er% to the tune o4 6illions o4 dollars. $nou'h to 6u% elections+ 'o"ernments+ :ud'es+ newspapers+ 1K channels+ 2Os and aid a'encies. 0hat5s the occasional cancer hospital here or there? I don5t remem6er seein' Kedanta5s name on the lon' list o4 &oGs si'ned 6% the !hhattis'arh 'o"ernment. <ut I5m twisted enou'h to suspect that i4 there5s a cancer hospital+ there must 6e a 4latB topped 6auxite mountain somewhere. 0e pass Fanker+ 4amous 4or its !ounter 1errorism and Dun'le 0ar4are !olle'e run 6% <ri'adier <.F. 9onwar+ /umpelstiltskin o4 this war+ char'ed with the task o4 turnin' corrupt+ slopp% policemen >straw? into :un'le commandos >'old?. 7Hi'ht a 'uerrilla like a 'uerrilla;+ the motto o4 the war4are trainin' school+ is painted on the rocks. 1he men are tau'ht to run+ slither+ :ump on and o44 airB6orne helicopters+ ride horses >4or some reason?+ eat snakes and li"e o44 the :un'le. 1he 6ri'adier takes 'reat pride in trainin' street do's to 4i'ht @terrorists5. $i'ht hundred policemen 'raduate 4rom the war4are trainin' school e"er% six weeks. 1went% similar schools are 6ein' planned all o"er India. 1he police 4orce is 'raduall% 6ein' turned into an arm%. >In Fashmir+ it5s the other wa% around. 1he arm% is 6ein' turned into a 6loated+ administrati"e police 4orce.? Gpside down. Inside out. $ither wa%+ the $nem% is the 9eople. It5s late. Da'dalpur is asleep+ except 4or the man% hoardin's o4 /ahul 2andhi askin' people to :oin the Mouth !on'ress. 8e5s 6een to <astar twice in recent months 6ut hasn5t said an%thin' much a6out the war. It5s pro6a6l% too mess% 4or the 9eople5s 9rince to meddle in at this point. 8is media mana'ers must ha"e put their 4oot down. 1he 4act that the #alwa DudumEthe dreaded+ 'o"ernmentB sponsored "i'ilante 'roup responsi6le 4or rapes+ killin's+ 4or 6urnin' down "illa'es and dri"in' hundreds o4 thousands o4 people 4rom their homesEis led 6% &ahendra Farma+ a !on'ress &L3+ does not 'et much pla% in the care4ull% orchestrated pu6licit% around /ahul 2andhi. I arri"ed at the &a .anteshwari mandir well in time 4or m% appointment >4irst da%+ 4irst show?. I had m% camera+ m% small coconut and a powder% red tika on m% 4orehead. I wondered i4 someone was watchin' me and ha"in' a lau'h. 0ithin minutes a %oun' 6o% approached me. 8e had a cap and a 6ackpack school6a'. !hipped red nailBpolish on his 4in'ernails. o 8indi Outlook+ no 6ananas. 73re %ou the one who5s 'oin' in?; he asked me. o amashkar 2uru:i. I did not know what to sa%. 8e took out a so''% note 4rom his pocket and handed it to me. It said+ 7Outlook nahin mila >couldn5t 4ind Outlook?.; 73nd the 6ananas?; 7I ate them+; he said+ 7I 'ot hun'r%.; 8e reall% was a securit% threat. 8is 6ackpack said Charlie BrownNot your ordinary blockhead. 8e said his name was &an'tu. I soon learned that .andakaran%a+ the 4orest I was a6out to enter+ was 4ull o4 people who had man%

names and 4luid identities. It was like 6alm to me+ that idea. 8ow lo"el% not to 6e stuck with %oursel4+ to 6ecome someone else 4or a while. 0e walked to the 6us stand+ onl% a 4ew minutes awa% 4rom the temple. It was alread% crowded. 1hin's happened Auickl%. 1here were two men on motor6ikes. 1here was no con"ersationE:ust a 'lance o4 acknowled'ment+ a shi4tin' o4 6od% wei'ht+ the re""in' o4 en'ines. I had no idea where we were 'oin'. 0e passed the house o4 the #uperintendent o4 9olice >#9?+ which I reco'nised 4rom m% last "isit. 8e was a candid man+ the #9: 7#ee &a5am+ 4rankl% speakin' this pro6lem can5t 6e sol"ed 6% us police or militar%. 1he pro6lem with these tri6als is the% don5t understand 'reed. Gnless the% 6ecome 'reed%+ there5s no hope 4or us. I ha"e told m% 6oss+ remo"e the 4orce and instead put a 1K in e"er% home. $"er%thin' will 6e automaticall% sorted out.; In no time at all we were ridin' out o4 town. o tail. It was a lon' ride+ three hours 6% m% watch. It ended a6ruptl% in the middle o4 nowhere+ on an empt% road with 4orest on either side. &an'tu 'ot o44. I did too. 1he 6ikes le4t+ and I picked up m% 6ackpack and 4ollowed the small internal securit% threat into the 4orest. It was a 6eauti4ul da%. 1he 4orest 4loor was a carpet o4 'old. In a while we emer'ed on the white+ sand% 6anks o4 a 6road 4lat ri"er. It was o6"iousl% monsoonB 4ed+ so now it was more or less a sand 4lat+ at the centre a stream+ ankle deep+ eas% to wade across. 3cross was @9akistan5. 7Out there+ ma5am+; the candid #9 had said to me+ 7m% 6o%s shoot to kill.; I remem6ered that as we 6e'an to cross. I saw us in a policeman5s ri4leBsi'htsEtin% 4i'ures in a landscape+ eas% to pick o44. <ut &an'tu seemed Auite unconcerned+ and I took m% cue 4rom him. 0aitin' 4or us on the other 6ank+ in a limeB'reen shirt that said HorlicksN+ was !handu. 3 sli'htl% older securit% threat. &a%6e twent%. 8e had a lo"el% smile+ a c%cle+ a :err% can with 6oiled water and man% packets o4 'lucose 6iscuits 4or me+ 4rom the 9art%. 0e cau'ht our 6reath and 6e'an to walk a'ain. 1he c%cle+ it turned out+ was a red herrin'. 1he route was almost entirel% nonBc%clea6le. 0e clim6ed steep hills and clam6ered down rock% paths alon' some prett% precarious led'es. 0hen he couldn5t wheel it+ !handu li4ted the c%cle and carried it o"er his head as thou'h it wei'hed nothin'. I 6e'an to wonder a6out his 6emused "illa'e 6o% air. I disco"ered >much later? that he could handle e"er% kind o4 weapon+ 7except 4or an L&2;+ he in4ormed me cheer4ull%. 1hree 6eauti4ul+ so((led men with 4lowers in their tur6ans walked with us 4or a6out hal4 an hour+ 6e4ore our paths di"er'ed. 3t sunset+ their shoulder 6a's 6e'an to crow. 1he% had roosters in them+ which the% had taken to market 6ut hadn5t mana'ed to sell. !handu seems to 6e a6le to see in the dark. I ha"e to use m% torch. 1he crickets start up and soon there5s an orchestra+ a dome o4 sound o"er us. I lon' to look up at the ni'ht sk%+ 6ut I dare not. I ha"e to keep m% e%es on the 'round. One step at a time. !oncentrate. I hear do's. <ut I can5t tell how 4ar awa% the% are. 1he terrain 4lattens out. I steal a look at the sk%. It makes me ecstatic. I hope we5re 'oin' to stop soon. 7#oon+; !handu sa%s. It turns out to 6e more than an hour. I see silhouettes o4 enormous trees. 0e arri"e. 1he "illa'e seems spacious+ the houses 4ar awa% 4rom each other. 1he house we enter is 6eauti4ul. 1here5s a 4ire+ some people sittin' around. &ore people outside+ in the dark. I can5t tell how man%. I can :ust a6out make them out. 3 murmur 'oes around. Lal Salaam Kaamraid >/ed #alute+ !omrade?. Lal #alaam+ I sa%. I5m 6e%ond tired. 1he lad% o4 the house calls me inside and 'i"es me chicken curr% cooked in 'reen 6eans and some red rice. Ha6ulous. 8er 6a6% is asleep next to me+ her sil"er anklets 'leam in the 4ireli'ht. 34ter dinner+ I un(ip m% sleepin' 6a'. It5s a stran'e intrusi"e sound+ the 6i' (ip. #omeone puts on the radio. <<! 8indi ser"ice. 1he !hurch o4 $n'land has withdrawn its 4unds 4rom Kedanta5s

i%am'iri pro:ect+ citin' en"ironmental de'radation and ri'hts "iolations o4 the .on'ria Fondh tri6e. I can hear cow6ells+ snu44lin'+ shu44lin'+ cattleB4artin'. 3ll5s well with the world. &% e%es close. 0e5re up at 4i"e. On the mo"e 6% six. In another couple o4 hours+ we cross another ri"er. 0e walk throu'h some 6eauti4ul "illa'es. $"er% "illa'e has a 4amil% o4 tamarind trees watchin' o"er it+ like a clutch o4 hu'e+ 6ene"olent+ 'ods. #weet+ <astar tamarind. <% --+ the sun is hi'h+ and walkin' is less 4un. 0e stop at a "illa'e 4or lunch. !handu seems to know the people in the house. 3 6eauti4ul %oun' 'irl 4lirts with him. 8e looks a little sh%+ ma%6e 6ecause I5m around. Lunch is raw papa%a with masoor dal+ and red rice. 3nd red chilli powder. 0e5re 'oin' to wait 4or the sun to lose some o4 its "ehemence 6e4ore we start walkin' a'ain. 0e take a nap in the 'a(e6o. 1here is a spare 6eaut% a6out the place. $"er%thin' is clean and necessar%. o clutter. 3 6lack hen parades up and down the low mud wall. 3 6am6oo 'rid sta6ilises the ra4ters o4 the thatched roo4 and dou6les as a stora'e rack. 1here5s a 'rass 6room+ two drums+ a wo"en reed 6asket+ a 6roken um6rella and a whole stack o4 4lattened+ empt%+ corru'ated card6oard 6oxes. #omethin' catches m% e%e. I need m% spectacles. 8ere5s what5s printed on the card6oard: Ideal 9ower *, 8i'h $ner'% $mulsion $xplosi"e >!lassB2? #. !31 OO. 0e start walkin' a'ain at a6out two. In the "illa'e we are 'oin' to meet a .idi >#ister+ !omrade? who knows what the next step o4 the :ourne% will 6e. !handu doesn5t. 1here is an econom% o4 in4ormation too. o6od% is supposed to know e"er%thin'. <ut when we reach the "illa'e+ .idi isn5t there. 1here is no news o4 her. Hor the 4irst time+ I see a little cloud o4 worr% settlin' o"er !handu. 3 6i' one settles o"er me. I don5t know what the s%stems o4 communication are+ 6ut what i4 the%5"e 'one wron'?

Spare Beauty: 9ots+ ri4les+ :hillies... $"er%thin' in these "illa'es is clean and necessar% 0e5re parked outside a deserted school 6uildin'+ a little wa% out o4 the "illa'e. 0h% are all the 'o"ernment "illa'e schools 6uilt like concrete 6astions+ with steel shutters 4or windows and slidin' 4oldin' steel doors? 0h% not like the "illa'e houses+ with mud and thatch? <ecause the% dou6le up as 6arracks and 6unkers. 7In the "illa'es in 36u:hmad+; !handu sa%s+ 7schools are like this....; 8e scratches a 6uildin' plan with a twi' in the earth. 1hree octa'ons attached to each other like a hone%com6. 7#o the% can 4ire in all directions.; 8e draws arrows to illustrate his point+ like a cricket 'raphicEa 6atsman5s wa'on wheel. 1here are no teachers in an% o4 the schools+ !handu sa%s. 1he%5"e all run awa%. Or ha"e %ou chased them awa%? o+ we onl% chase police. <ut wh% should teachers come here+ to the :un'le+ when the% 'et their salaries sittin' at home? 2ood point.

8e in4orms me that this is a @new area5. 1he 9art% has entered onl% recentl%. 36out 2, %oun' people arri"e+ 'irls and 6o%s. In their teens and earl% 2,s. !handu explains that this is the "illa'eBle"el militia+ the lowest run' o4 the &aoists5 militar% hierarch%. I ha"e ne"er seen an%one like them 6e4ore. 1he% are dressed in saris and lun'is+ some in 4ra%ed oli"eB'reen 4ati'ues. 1he 6o%s wear :eweller%+ head'ear. $"er% one o4 them has a mu((leBloadin' ri4le+ what5s called a bharmaar. #ome also ha"e kni"es+ axes+ a 6ow and arrow. One 6o% carries a crude mortar 4ashioned out o4 a hea"% threeB4oot 2I pipe. It5s 4illed with 'unpowder and shrapnel and read% to 6e 4ired. It makes a 6i' noise+ 6ut can onl% 6e used once. #till+ it scares the police+ the% sa%+ and 'i''le. 0ar doesn5t seem to 6e uppermost on their minds. 9erhaps 6ecause their area is outside the home ran'e o4 the #alwa Dudum. 1he% ha"e :ust 4inished a da%5s work+ helpin' to 6uild 4encin' around some "illa'e houses to keep the 'oats out o4 the 4ields. 1he%5re 4ull o4 4un and curiosit%. 1he 'irls are con4ident and eas% with the 6o%s. I ha"e a sensor 4or this sort o4 thin'+ and I am impressed. 1heir :o6+ !handu sa%s+ is to patrol and protect a 'roup o4 4our or 4i"e "illa'es and to help in the 4ields+ clean wells or repair housesEdoin' whate"er5s needed. #till no .idi. 0hat to do? othin'. 0ait. 8elp out with some choppin' and peelin'. 34ter dinner+ without much talk+ e"er%6od% 4alls in line. !learl%+ we are mo"in'. $"er%thin' mo"es with us+ the rice+ "e'eta6les+ pots and pans. 0e lea"e the school compound and walk sin'le 4ile into the 4orest. In less than hal4 an hour+ we arri"e in a 'lade where we are 'oin' to sleep. 1here5s a6solutel% no noise. 0ithin minutes e"er%one has spread their 6lue plastic sheets+ the u6iAuitous @:hilli5 >without which there will 6e no /e"olution?. !handu and &an'tu share one and spread one out 4or me. 1he% 4ind me the 6est place+ 6% the 6est 're% rock. !handu sa%s he has sent a messa'e to .idi. If she 'ets it+ she will 6e here 4irst thin' in the mornin'. I4 she 'ets it. It5s the most 6eauti4ul room I ha"e slept in+ in a lon' time. &% pri"ate suite in a thousandBstar hotel. I5m surrounded 6% these stran'e+ 6eauti4ul children with their curious arsenal. 1he%5re all &aoists 4or sure. 3re the% all 'oin' to die? Is the :un'le war4are trainin' school 4or them? 3nd the helicopter 'unships+ the thermal ima'in' and the laser ran'eB4inders? 0h% must the% die? 0hat 4or? 1o turn all o4 this into a mine? I remem6er m% "isit to the open cast ironBore mines in Feon:har+ Orissa. 1here was 4orest there once. 3nd children like these. ow the land is like a raw+ red wound. /ed dust 4ills %our nostrils and lun's. 1he water is red+ the air is red+ the people are red+ their lun's and hair are red. 3ll da% and all ni'ht trucks rum6le throu'h their "illa'es+ 6umper to 6umper+ thousands and thousands o4 trucks+ takin' ore to 9aradip port 4rom where it will 'o to !hina. 1here it will turn into cars and smoke and sudden cities that sprin' up o"erni'ht. Into a @'rowth rate5 that lea"es economists 6reathless. Into weapons to make war. $"er%one5s asleep except 4or the sentries who take oneBandBaBhal4Bhour shi4ts. Hinall%+ I can look at the stars. 0hen I was a child 'rowin' up on the 6anks o4 the &eenachal ri"er+ I used to think the sound o4 cricketsEwhich alwa%s started up at twili'htEwas the sound o4 stars re""in' up+ 'ettin' read% to shine. I5m surprised at how much I lo"e 6ein' here. 1here is nowhere else in the world that I would rather 6e. 0ho should I 6e toni'ht? Famraid /ahel+ under the stars? &a%6e .idi will come tomorrow. 1he% arri"e in the earl% a4ternoon. I can see them 4rom a distance. 36out -C o4 them+ all in oli"eB 'reen uni4orms+ runnin' towards us. $"en 4rom a distance+ 4rom the wa% the% run+ I can tell the% are the hea"% hitters. 1he 9eople5s Li6eration 2uerrilla 3rm% >9L23?. Hor whom the thermal ima'in' and laserB'uided ri4les. Hor whom the :un'le war4are trainin' school. 1he% carr% serious ri4les+ I #3#+ #L/+ two ha"e 3FB47s. 1he leader o4 the sAuad is !omrade &adha" who has 6een with the 9art% since he was nine. 8e5s 4rom 0aran'al+ 3ndhra 9radesh. 8e5s upset and extremel% apolo'etic. 1here was a ma:or miscommunication+ he sa%s a'ain and a'ain+

which usuall% ne"er happens. I was supposed to ha"e arri"ed at the main camp on the "er% 4irst ni'ht. #omeone dropped the 6aton in the :un'leBrela%. 1he motorc%cle drop was to ha"e 6een at an entirel% di44erent place. 70e made %ou wait+ we made %ou walk so much. 0e ran all the wa% when the messa'e came that %ou were here.; I said it was oka%+ that I had come prepared+ to wait and walk and listen. 8e wants to lea"e immediatel%+ 6ecause people in the camp were waitin'+ and worried. It5s a 4ew hours5 walk to the camp. It5s 'ettin' dark when we arri"e. 1here are se"eral la%ers o4 sentries and concentric circles o4 patrollin'. 1here must 6e a hundred comrades lined up in two rows. $"er%one has a weapon. 3nd a smile. 1he% 6e'in to sin': Lal lal salaam, lal lal salaam, aane aale saathiyon ko lal lal salaam >red salute to the comrades who ha"e arri"ed?. It is sun' sweetl%+ as thou'h it was a 4olk son' a6out a ri"er+ or a 4orest 6lossom. 0ith the son'+ the 'reetin'+ the handshake+ and the clenched 4ist. $"er%one 'reets e"er%one+ murmurin' Lalslaam+ mlalslaa mlalslaam.... Other than a lar'e 6lue :hilli spread out on the 4loor+ a6out -C 4eet sAuare+ there are no si'ns o4 a @camp5. 1his one has a :hilli roo4 as well. It5s m% room 4or the ni'ht. I was either 6ein' rewarded 4or m% da%s o4 walkin'+ or 6ein' pampered in ad"ance 4or what la% ahead. Or 6oth. $ither wa% it was the last time in the entire trip that I was 'oin' to ha"e a roo4 o"er m% head. O"er dinner I meet !omrade armada+ in char'e o4 the Frantikari 3di"asi &ahila #an'athan >F3&#?+ who has a price on her head= !omrade #aro:a o4 the 9L23 who is onl% as tall as her #L/= !omrade &aase >which means <lack 2irl in 2ondi?+ who has a price on her head too= !omrade /upi+ the tech wi(ard= !omrade /a:u+ who5s in char'e o4 the di"ision I5d 6een walkin' throu'h= and !omrade Kenu >or &urali or #onu or #ushil+ whate"er %ou would like to call him?+ clearl% the seniormost o4 them all. &a%6e central committee+ ma%6e e"en polit6uro. I5m not told+ I don5t ask. <etween us we speak 2ondi+ 8al6i+ 1elu'u+ 9un:a6i and &ala%alam. Onl% &aase speaks $n'lish. >#o we all communicate in 8indiN? !omrade &aase is tall and Auiet and seems to ha"e to swim throu'h a la%er o4 pain to enter the con"ersation. <ut 4rom the wa% she hu's me+ I can tell she5s a reader. 3nd that she misses ha"in' 6ooks in the :un'le. #he will tell me her stor% onl% later. 0hen she trusts me with her 'rie4. <ad news arri"es+ as it does in this :un'le. 3 runner+ with @6iscuits5. 8andwritten notes on sheets o4 paper+ 4olded and stapled into little sAuares. 1here5s a 6a' 4ull o4 them. Like chips. ews 4rom e"er%where. 1he police ha"e killed 4i"e people in On'naar "illa'e+ 4our 4rom the militia and one ordinar% "illa'er: #anthu 9ottai >2C?+ 9hoolo Kadde >22?+ Fande 9ottai >22?+ /amoli Kadde >2,?+ .alsai Foram >22?. 1he% could ha"e 6een the children in m% starBspan'led dormitor% o4 last ni'ht. 1hen 'ood news arri"es. 3 small contin'ent o4 people with a plump %oun' man. 8e5s in 4ati'ues too+ 6ut the% look 6rand new. $"er%6od% admires them and comments on the 4it. 8e looks sh% and pleased. 8e5s a doctor who has come to li"e and work with the comrades in the 4orest. 1he last time a doctor "isited .andakaran%a was man% %ears a'o.

Performing Arts: &em6ers o4 the !hetna at%a &anch+ the cultural win' o4 the part%+ waitin' in the win's On the radio there5s news a6out the home minister5s meetin' with chie4 ministers o4 states @a44ected 6% Le4tB0in' $xtremism5. 1he chie4 ministers o4 Dharkhand and <ihar are 6ein' demure and ha"e not attended. $"er%6od% sittin' around the radio lau'hs. 3round the time o4 elections+ the% sa%+ ri'ht throu'h the campai'n+ and then ma%6e a month or two a4ter the 'o"ernment is 4ormed+ mainstream politicians all sa% thin's like 7 axals are our children;. Mou can set %our watch to the schedule o4 when the% will chan'e their minds+ and 'row 4an's. I am introduced to !omrade Famla. I am told that I must on no account 'o e"en 4i"e 4eet awa% 4rom m% :hilli without wakin' her. <ecause e"er%6od% 'ets disoriented in the dark and could 'et seriousl% lost. >I don5t wake her. I sleep like a lo'.? In the mornin' Famla presents me with a %ellow pol%thene packet with one corner snipped o44. Once it used to contain 36is 2old /e4ined #o%a Oil. ow it was m% Loo &u'. othin'5s wasted on the /oad to the /e"olution. >$"en now I think o4 !omrade Famla all the time+ e"er% da%. #he5s -7. #he wears a homemade pistol on her hip. 3nd 6o%+ what a smile. <ut i4 the police come across her+ the%5ll kill her. 1he% mi'ht rape her 4irst. o Auestions will 6e asked. <ecause she5s an Internal #ecurit% 1hreat.? 34ter 6reak4ast+ !omrade Kenu >#ushil+ #onu+ &urali? is waitin' 4or me+ sittin' crossBle''ed on the :hilli+ lookin' 4or all the world like a 4rail "illa'e schoolteacher. I5m 'oin' to 'et a histor% lesson. Or+ more accuratel%+ a lecture on the histor% o4 the last 3, %ears in the .andakaran%a 4orest+ which has culminated in the war that5s swirlin' throu'h it toda%. Hor sure+ it5s a partisan5s "ersion. <ut then+ what histor% isn5t? In an% case+ the secret histor% must 6e made pu6lic i4 it is to 6e contested+ ar'ued with+ instead o4 merel% 6ein' lied a6out+ which is what is happenin' now. !omrade Kenu has a calm+ reassurin' manner and a 'entle "oice that will+ in the da%s to come+ sur4ace in a context that will completel% unner"e me. 1his mornin' he talks 4or se"eral hours+ almost continuousl%. 8e5s like a little store mana'er who has a 'iant 6unch o4 ke%s with which to open up a ma(e o4 lockers 4ull o4 stories+ son's and insi'hts. !omrade Kenu was in one o4 the se"en armed sAuads who crossed the 2oda"ari 4rom 3ndhra 9radesh and entered the .andakaran%a 4orest >.F+ in 9art%speak? in Dune -*8,+ 3, %ears a'o. 8e is one o4 the ori'inal 4ort%Bniners. 1he% 6elon'ed to 9eople5s 0ar 2roup >902?+ a 4action o4 the !ommunist 9art% o4 India >&arxistBLeninist? or !9I>&L?+ the ori'inal axalites. 902 was 4ormall% announced as a separate+ independent part% in 3pril that %ear+ under Fondapalli #eetharamiah. 902 had decided to 6uild a standin' arm%+ 4or which it would need a 6ase. .F was

to 6e that 6ase+ and those 4irst sAuads were sent in to reconnoitre the area and 6e'in the process o4 6uildin' 'uerrilla (ones. 1he de6ate a6out whether communist parties ou'ht to ha"e a standin' arm%+ and whether or not a @people5s arm%5 is a contradiction in terms+ is an old one. 9025s decision to 6uild an arm% came 4rom its experience in 3ndhra 9radesh+ where its @Land to the 1iller5 campai'n led to a direct clash with the landlords+ and resulted in the kind o4 police repression that the part% 4ound impossi6le to withstand without a trained 4i'htin' 4orce o4 its own. ><% 2,,4+ 902 had mer'ed with the other !9I>&L? 4actions+ 9art% Gnit% >9G? and the &aoist !ommunist !entre >&!!?Ewhich 4unctions 4or the most part out o4 <ihar and Dharkhand. 1o 6ecome what it is now+ the !ommunist 9art% o4 IndiaB&aoist.? .andakaran%a is part o4 what the <ritish+ in their 0hite &an5s wa%+ called 2ondwana+ land o4 the 2onds. 1oda% the state 6oundaries o4 &adh%a 9radesh+ !hhattis'arh+ Orissa+ 3ndhra 9radesh and &aharashtra slice throu'h the 4orest. <reakin' up a trou6lesome people into separate administrati"e units is an old trick. <ut these &aoists and &aoist 2onds don5t pa% much attention to thin's like state 6oundaries. 1he% ha"e di44erent maps in their heads+ and like other creatures o4 the 4orest+ the% ha"e their own paths. Hor them+ roads are not meant 4or walkin' on. 1he%5re meant onl% to 6e crossed+ or as is increasin'l% 6ecomin' the case+ am6ushed. 1hou'h the 2onds >di"ided 6etween the Fo%a and .orla tri6es? are 6% 4ar the 6i''est ma:orit%+ there are small settlements o4 other tri6al communities too. 1he nonBadi"asi communities+ traders and settlers+ li"e on the ed'es o4 the 4orest+ near the roads and markets. 1he 902 were not the 4irst e"an'elicals to arri"e in .andakaran%a. <a6a 3mte+ the wellBknown 2andhian+ had opened his ashram and lepros% hospital in 0arora in -*7C. 1he /amakrishna &ission had 6e'un openin' "illa'e schools in the remote 4orests o4 36u:hmad. In north <astar+ <a6a <ihari .as had started an a''ressi"e dri"e to 76rin' tri6als 6ack into the 8indu 4old;+ which in"ol"ed a campai'n to deni'rate tri6al culture+ induce sel4Bhatred+ and introduce 8induism5s 'reat 'i4tEcaste. 1he 4irst con"erts+ the "illa'e chie4s and 6i' landlordsEpeople like &ahendra Farma+ 4ounder o4 the #alwa DudumEwere con4erred the status o4 .wi:+ twiceB6orn+ <rahmins. >O4 course+ this was a 6it o4 a scam+ 6ecause no6od% can 6ecome a <rahmin. I4 the% could+ we5d 6e a nation o4 <rahmins 6% now.? <ut this counter4eit 8induism is considered 'ood enou'h 4or tri6al people+ :ust like the counter4eit 6rands o4 e"er%thin' elseE6iscuits+ soap+ matches+ oilEthat are sold in "illa'e markets. 3s part o4 the 8indut"a dri"e+ the names o4 "illa'es were chan'ed in land records+ as a result o4 which most ha"e two names now+ people5s names and 'o"ernment names. Innar "illa'e+ 4or example+ 6ecame !hinnari. On "oters5 lists+ tri6al names were chan'ed to 8indu names. >&assa Farma 6ecame &ahendra Farma.? 1hose who did not come 4orward to :oin the 8indu 4old were declared @Fatwas5 >6% which the% meant untoucha6les? who later 6ecame the natural constituenc% 4or the &aoists. 1he 902 4irst 6e'an work in south <astar and 2adchiroli. !omrade Kenu descri6es those 4irst months in some detail: how the "illa'ers were suspicious o4 them+ and wouldn5t let them into their homes. o one would o44er them 4ood or water. 1he police spread rumours that the% were thie"es. 1he women hid their :eweller% in the ashes o4 their wood sto"es. 1here was an enormous amount o4 repression. In o"em6er -*8,+ in 2adchiroli+ the police opened 4ire at a "illa'e meetin' and killed an entire sAuad. 1hat was .F5s 4irst @encounter5 killin'. It was a traumatic set6ack+ and the comrades retreated across the 2oda"ari and returned to 3dila6ad 6ut in -*8- the% returned. 1he% 6e'an to or'anise tri6al people to demand a rise in the price the% were 6ein' paid 4or tendu lea"es >which are used to make 6eedis?. 3t the time+ traders paid three paise 4or a 6undle o4 a6out C, lea"es. It was a 4ormida6le :o6 to or'anise people entirel% un4amiliar with this kind o4 politics+ to lead them on strike. $"entuall% the strike was success4ul and the price was dou6led+ to six paise a 6undle. <ut the real success 4or the part% was to ha"e 6een a6le to demonstrate the "alue o4 unit% and a new wa% o4 conductin' a political ne'otiation. 1oda%+ a4ter se"eral strikes and a'itations+ the price o4 a 6undle o4 tendu lea"es is /e -. >It seems a little impro6a6le at these rates+ 6ut the turno"er

o4 the tendu 6usiness runs into hundreds o4 crores o4 rupees.? $"er% season+ the 'o"ernment 4loats tenders and 'i"es contractors permission to extract a 4ixed "olume o4 tendu lea"esEusuall% 6etween -+C,, and C+,,, standard 6a's known as manak boras. $ach manak 6ora contains a6out -+,,, 6undles. >O4 course+ there5s no wa% o4 ensurin' that the contractors don5t extract more than the%5re meant to.? <% the time the tendu enters the market+ it is sold in kilos. 1he slipper% arithmetic and the sl% s%stem o4 measurement that con"erts 6undles into manak 6oras into kilos is controlled 6% the contractors+ and lea"es plent% o4 room 4or manipulation o4 the worst kind. 1he most conser"ati"e estimate puts their pro4it per standard 6a' at a6out /s -+-,,. >1hat5s a4ter pa%in' the part% a commission o4 /s -2, per 6a'.? $"en 6% that 'au'e+ a small contractor >-+C,, 6a's? makes a6out /s -6 lakh a season and a 6i' one >C+,,, 6a's? upto /s CC lakh. 3 more realistic estimate would 6e se"eral times this amount. &eanwhile+ the 2ra"est Internal #ecurit% 1hreat makes :ust enou'h to sta% ali"e until the next season.

Gathered Storm: .ance troupes o4 "arious Danatana #arkars per4orm on <humkal .a% 0e5re interrupted 6% some lau'hter and the si'ht o4 ilesh+ one o4 the %oun' 9L23 comrades+ walkin' rapidl% towards the cookin' area+ slappin' himsel4. 0hen he comes closer+ I see that he5s carr%in' a lea4% nest o4 an'r% red ants that ha"e crawled all o"er him and are 6itin' him on his arms and neck. ilesh is lau'hin' too. 78a"e %ou e"er eaten ant chutne%?; !omrade Kenu asks me. I know red ants well+ 4rom m% childhood in Ferala+ I5"e 6een 6itten 6% them+ 6ut I5"e ne"er eaten them. >1he cha!oli turns out to 6e nice. #our. Lots o4 4olic acid.? ilesh is 4rom <i:apur+ which is at the heart o4 #alwa Dudum operations. ilesh5s %oun'er 6rother :oined the Dudum on one o4 its lootin' and 6urnin' sprees and was made a #pecial 9olice O44icer >#9O?. 8e li"es in the <asa'uda camp with his mother. 8is 4ather re4used to 'o and sta%ed 6ehind in the "illa'e. In e44ect+ it5s a 4amil% 6lood 4eud. Later on+ when I had an opportunit% to talk to him+ I asked ilesh wh% his 6rother had done that. 78e was "er% %oun'+; ilesh said+ 7he 'ot an opportunit% to run wild and hurt people and 6urn houses. 8e went cra(%+ did terri6le thin's. ow he is stuck. 8e can ne"er come 6ack to the "illa'e. 8e will not 6e 4or'i"en. 8e knows that.; 0e return to the histor% lesson. 1he part%5s next 6i' stru''le+ !omrade Kenu sa%s+ was a'ainst the <allarpur 9aper &ills. 1he 'o"ernment had 'i"en the 1hapars a 4CB%ear contract to extract -.C lakh tonnes o4 6am6oo at a hu'el% su6sidised rate. >#mall 6eer compared to 6auxite+ 6ut still.? 1he tri6als were paid -, paise 4or a 6undle which contained 2, culms o4 6am6oo. >I won5t %ield to the "ul'ar temptation o4 comparin' that with the pro4its the 1hapars were makin'.? 3 lon' a'itation+ a strike+ 4ollowed 6% ne'otiations with o44icials o4 the paper mill in the presence o4 the people+ tripled the price to 3, paise per 6undle. Hor the tri6al people+ these were hu'e achie"ements. Other political

parties had made promises+ 6ut showed no si'ns o4 keepin' them. 9eople 6e'an to approach the 902 askin' i4 the% could :oin up. <ut the politics o4 tendu+ 6am6oo and other 4orest produce was seasonal. 1he perennial pro6lem+ the real 6ane o4 people5s li"es+ was the 6i''est landlord o4 all+ the Horest .epartment. $"er% mornin'+ 4orest o44icials+ e"en the most :unior o4 them+ would appear in "illa'es like a 6ad dream+ pre"entin' people 4rom plou'hin' their 4ields+ collectin' 4irewood+ pluckin' lea"es+ pickin' 4ruit+ 'ra(in' their cattle+ 4rom li in". 1he% 6rou'ht elephants to o"errun 4ields and scattered 6a6ool seeds to destro% the soil as the% passed 6%. 9eople would 6e 6eaten+ arrested+ humiliated+ their crops destro%ed. O4 course+ 4rom the 4orest department5s point o4 "iew+ these were ille'al people en'a'ed in unconstitutional acti"it%+ and the department was onl% implementin' the /ule o4 Law. >1heir sexual exploitation o4 women was :ust an added perk in a hardship postin'.? $m6oldened 6% the people5s participation in these stru''les+ the part% decided to con4ront the 4orest department. It encoura'ed people to take o"er 4orest land and culti"ate it. 1he 4orest department retaliated 6% 6urnin' new "illa'es that came up in 4orest areas. In -*86+ it announced a ational 9ark in <i:apur+ which meant the e"iction o4 6, "illa'es. &ore than hal4 o4 them had alread% 6een mo"ed out+ and construction o4 national park in4rastructure had 6e'un when the part% mo"ed in. It demolished the construction and stopped the e"iction o4 the remainin' "illa'es. It pre"ented the 4orest department 4rom enterin' the area. On a 4ew occasions+ o44icials were captured+ tied to trees and 6eaten 6% "illa'ers. It was cathartic re"en'e 4or 'enerations o4 exploitation. $"entuall%+ the 4orest department 4led. <etween -*86 and 2,,,+ the part% redistri6uted 3+,,+,,, acres o4 4orest land. 1oda%+ !omrade Kenu sa%s+ there are no landless peasants in .andakaran%a. Hor toda%5s 'eneration o4 %oun' people+ the 4orest department is a distant memor%+ the stu44 o4 stories mothers tell their children+ a6out a m%tholo'ical past o4 6onda'e and humiliation. Hor the older 'eneration+ 4reedom 4rom the 4orest department meant 'enuine 4reedom. 1he% could touch it+ taste it. It meant 4ar more than India5s Independence e"er did. 1he% 6e'an to rall% to the part% that had stru''led with them. 1he se"enBsAuad team had come a lon' wa%. Its in4luence now ran'ed across a 6,+,,, sA km stretch o4 4orest+ thousands o4 "illa'es and millions o4 people. <ut the departure o4 the 4orest department heralded the arri"al o4 the police. 1hat set o44 a c%cle o4 6loodshed. Hake @encounters5 6% the police+ am6ushes 6% the 902. 0ith the redistri6ution o4 land came other responsi6ilities: irri'ation+ a'ricultural producti"it% and the pro6lem o4 an expandin' population ar6itraril% clearin' 4orest land. 3 decision was taken to separate @mass work5 and @militar% work5. 1oda%+ .andakaran%a is administered 6% an ela6orate structure o4 Danatana #arkars >people5s 'o"ernments?. 1he or'anisin' principles came 4rom the !hinese re"olution and the Kietnam war. $ach Danatana #arkar is elected 6% a cluster o4 "illa'es whose com6ined population can ran'e 4rom C,, to C+,,,. It has nine departments: Frishi >a'riculture?+ K%aparBGd%o' >trade and industr%? 3rthik >economic?+ %a% >:ustice?+ /aksha >de4ence?+ 8ospital >health?+ Dan #ampark >pu6lic relations?+ #choolB/iti /i"a: >education and culture?+ and Dun'le. 3 'roup o4 Danatana #arkars come under an 3rea !ommittee. 1hree area committees make up a .i"ision. 1here are -, di"isions in .andakaran%a. 70e ha"e a #a"e the Dun'le department now+; !omrade Kenu sa%s. 7Mou must ha"e read the 'o"ernment report that sa%s 4orest has increased in axal areas?; Ironicall%+ !omrade Kenu sa%s+ the 4irst people to 6ene4it 4rom the part%5s campai'n a'ainst the 4orest department were the mukhias >"illa'e chie4s?Ethe .wi: 6ri'ade. 1he% used their manpower

and their resources to 'ra6 as much land as the% could while the 'oin' was 'ood. <ut then people 6e'an to approach the part% with their 7internal contradictions;+ as !omrade Kenu put it Auaintl%. 1he part% 6e'an to turn its attention to issues o4 eAuit%+ class and in:ustice within tri6al societ%. 1he 6i' landlords sensed trou6le on the hori(on. 3s the part%5s in4luence expanded+ theirs had 6e'un to wane. Increasin'l%+ people were takin' their pro6lems to the part% instead o4 to the mukhias. Old 4orms o4 exploitation 6e'an to 6e challen'ed. On the da% o4 the 4irst rain+ people were traditionall% supposed to till the mukhia5s land instead o4 their own. 1hat stopped. 1he% no lon'er o44ered them the 4irst da%5s pickin' o4 mahua or other 4orest produce. O6"iousl%+ somethin' needed to 6e done. $nter &ahendra Farma+ one o4 the 6i''est landlords in the re'ion and at the time a mem6er o4 the !ommunist 9art% o4 India >!9I?. In -**,+ he rallied a 'roup o4 mukhias and landlords and started a campai'n called the Dan Da'ran 36hi%aan >pu6lic awakenin' campai'n?. 1heir wa% o4 @awakenin'5 the @pu6lic5 was to 4orm a huntin' part% o4 a6out 3,, men to com6 the 4orest+ killin' people+ 6urnin' houses and molestin' women. 1he then &adh%a 9radesh 'o"ernmentE!hhattis'arh had not %et 6een createdEpro"ided police 6ackBup. In &aharashtra+ somethin' similar called @.emocratic Hront5 6e'an its assault. 9eople5s 0ar responded to all o4 this in true 9eople5s 0ar st%le+ 6% killin' a 4ew o4 the most notorious landlords. In a 4ew months+ the Dan Da'ran 36hi%aan+ the @white terror5E!omrade Kenu5s term 4or itE4aded. In -**8+ &ahendra Farma+ who had 6% now :oined the !on'ress part%+ tried to re"i"e the Dan Da'ran 36hi%aan. 1his time it 4i((led out e"en 4aster than 6e4ore.

Armed Strugglers: 3 "illa'e militia+ the @6ase 4orce5 o4 the 9eople5s Li6eration 2uerrilla 3rm% 1hen+ in the summer o4 2,,C+ 4ortune 4a"oured him. In 3pril+ the <D9 'o"ernment in !hhattis'arh si'ned two &oGs to set up inte'rated steel plants >the terms o4 which are secret?. One 4or /s 7+,,, crore with $ssar #teel in <ailadila+ and the other 4or /s -,+,,, crore with 1ata #teel in Lohandi'uda. 1hat same month+ 9rime &inister &anmohan #in'h made his 4amous statement a6out the &aoists 6ein' the 72ra"est Internal #ecurit% 1hreat; to India. >It was an odd thin' to sa% at the time+ 6ecause actuall% the opposite was true. 1he !on'ress 'o"ernment in 3ndhra 9radesh had :ust outmanoeu"red the &aoists+ decimated them. 1he% had lost a6out -+6,, o4 their cadre and were in complete disarra%.? 1he 9&5s statement sent the share "alue o4 minin' companies soarin'. It also sent a si'nal to the media that the &aoists were 4air 'ame 4or an%one who chose to 'o a4ter them. In Dune 2,,C+ &ahendra Farma called a secret meetin' o4 mukhias in Futroo "illa'e and announced the #alwa Dudum >the 9uri4ication 8unt?. 3 lo"el% melan'e o4 tri6al earthiness and .wi:/ a(i sentiment. Gnlike the Dan Da'ran 36hi%aan+ the #alwa Dudum was a 'roundBclearin' operation+ meant to mo"e

people out o4 their "illa'es into roadside camps+ where the% could 6e policed and controlled. In militar% terms+ it5s called #trate'ic 8amletin'. It was de"ised 6% 2eneral #ir 8arold <ri''s in -*C, when the <ritish were at war a'ainst the communists in &ala%a. 1he <ri''s 9lan 6ecame "er% popular with the Indian arm%+ which has used it in a'aland+ &i(oram and in 1elan'ana. 1he <D9 chie4 minister o4 !hhattis'arh+ /aman #in'h+ announced that as 4ar as his 'o"ernment was concerned+ "illa'ers who did not mo"e into the camps would 6e considered &aoists. #o+ in <astar+ 4or an ordinar% "illa'er+ :ust sta%in' at home 6ecame the eAui"alent o4 indul'in' in dan'erous terrorist acti"it%. 3lon' with a steel mu' o4 6lack tea+ as a special treat+ someone hands me a pair o4 earphones and switches on a little &93 pla%er. It5s a scratch% recordin' o4 &r &anhar+ the then #9 <i:apur+ 6rie4in' a :unior o44icer o"er the wireless a6out the rewards and incenti"es the state and central 'o"ernments are o44erin' to @:a'rit5 >awakened? "illa'es+ and to people who a'ree to mo"e into camps. 8e then 'i"es clear instructions that "illa'es that re4use to surrender should 6e 6urnt and :ournalists who want to @co"er5 axalites should 6e shot on si'ht. >I5d read a6out this in the papers lon' a'o. 0hen the stor% 6roke+ as punishmentEit5s not clear to whomEthe #9 was trans4erred to the #tate 8uman /i'hts !ommission.? 1he 4irst "illa'e the #alwa Dudum 6urnt >on Dune -8+ 2,,C? was 3m6eli. <etween Dune and .ecem6er 2,,C+ it 6urned+ killed+ raped and looted its wa% throu'h hundreds o4 "illa'es o4 south .antewada. 1he centre o4 its operations were the districts o4 <i:apur and <hairam'arh+ near <ailadila+ where $ssar #teel5s new plant was proposed. ot coincidentall%+ these were also &aoist stron'holds+ where the Danatana #arkars had done a 'reat deal o4 work+ especiall% in 6uildin' waterB har"estin' structures. 1he Danatana #arkars 6ecame the special tar'et o4 the #alwa Dudum5s attacks. 8undreds o4 people were killed in the most 6rutal wa%s. 36out 6,+,,, people mo"ed into camps+ some "oluntaril%+ others out o4 terror. O4 these+ a6out 3+,,, were appointed #9Os on a salar% o4 /s -+C,,. Hor these paltr% crum6s+ %oun' people+ like ilesh5s 6rother+ ha"e sentenced themsel"es to a li4eB sentence in a 6ar6ed wire enclosure. !ruel as the% ha"e 6een+ the% could end up 6ein' the worst "ictims o4 this horri6le war. o #upreme !ourt :ud'ement orderin' the #alwa Dudum to 6e dismantled can chan'e their 4ate. 1he remainin' hundreds o4 thousands o4 people went o44 the 'o"ernment radar. ><ut the de"elopment 4unds 4or these 644 "illa'es did not. 0hat happens to that little 'oldmine?? &an% o4 them made their wa% to 3ndhra 9radesh and Orissa where the% usuall% mi'rated to work as contract la6our durin' the chilliBpickin' season. <ut tens o4 thousands 4led into the 4orest+ where the% still remain+ li"in' without shelter+ comin' 6ack to their 4ields and homes onl% in the da%time. In the slipstream o4 the #alwa Dudum+ a swarm o4 police stations and camps appeared. 1he idea was to pro"ide carpet securit% 4or a @creepin' reoccupation5 o4 &aoistBcontrolled territor%. 1he assumption was that the &aoists would not dare to attack such a lar'e concentration o4 securit% 4orces. 1he &aoists+ 4or their part+ realised that i4 the% did not 6reak that carpet securit%+ it would amount to a6andonin' people whose trust the% had earned+ and with whom the% had li"ed and worked 4or 2C %ears. 1he% struck 6ack in a series o4 attacks on the heart o4 the securit% 'rid. On Danuar% 26+ 2,,6+ the 9L23 attacked the 2an'alaur police camp and killed se"en people. On Dul% -7+ 2,,6+ the #alwa Dudum camp at $ra6or was attacked+ 2, people were killed and -C, in:ured. >Mou mi'ht ha"e read a6out it: 7&aoists attacked the relie4 camp set up 6% the state 'o"ernment to pro"ide shelter to the "illa'ers who had 4led 4rom their "illa'es 6ecause o4 terror unleashed 6% the axalites.;? On .ecem6er -3+ 2,,6+ the% attacked the <asa'uda @relie45 camp and killed three #9Os and a consta6le. On &arch -C+ 2,,7+ came the most audacious o4 them all. One hundred and twent% 9L23 'uerrillas attacked the /ani <odili Fan%a 3shram+ a 'irls5 hostel that

had 6een con"erted into a 6arrack 4or 8, !hhattis'arh 9olice >and #9Os? while the 'irls still li"ed in it as human shields. 1he 9L23 entered the compound+ cordoned o44 the annexe in which the 'irls li"ed+ and attacked the 6arracks. #ome CC policemen and #9Os were killed. one o4 the 'irls was hurt. >1he candid #9 o4 .antewada had shown me his 9ower9oint presentation with horri4%in' photo'raphs o4 the 6urned+ disem6owelled 6odies o4 the policemen amidst the ruins o4 the 6lownB up school 6uildin'. 1he% were so maca6re+ it was impossi6le not to look awa%. 8e looked pleased at m% reaction.? 1he attack on /ani <odili caused an uproar in the countr%. 8uman ri'hts or'anisations condemned the &aoists not :ust 4or their "iolence+ 6ut also 4or 6ein' antiBeducation and attackin' schools. <ut in .andakaran%a+ the /ani <odili attack 6ecame a le'end: son's+ poems and pla%s were written a6out it. 1he &aoist counterBo44ensi"e did 6reak the carpet securit% and 'a"e people 6reathin' space. 1he police and the #alwa Dudum retreated into their camps+ 4rom which the% now emer'eEusuall% in the dead o4 ni'htEonl% in packs o4 3,, or -+,,, to carr% out cordon and search operations in "illa'es. 2raduall%+ except 4or the #9Os and their 4amilies+ the rest o4 the people in the #alwa Dudum camps 6e'an to return to their "illa'es. 1he &aoists welcomed them 6ack and announced that e"en #9Os could return i4 the% 'enuinel%+ and pu6licl%+ re'retted their actions. Moun' people 6e'an to 4lock to the 9L23. >1he 9L23 had 6een 4ormall% constituted in .ecem6er 2,,,. O"er the last 3, %ears+ its armed sAuads had "er% 'raduall% expanded into sections+ sections had 'rown into platoons+ and platoons into companies. <ut a4ter the #alwa Dudum5s depredations+ the 9L23 was rapidl% a6le to declare 6attalion stren'th.? 1he #alwa Dudum had not :ust 4ailed+ it had 6ack4ired 6adl%. 3s we now know+ it was not :ust a local operation 6% a smallBtime hood. /e'ardless o4 the dou6lespeak in the press+ the #alwa Dudum was a :oint operation 6% the state 'o"ernment o4 !hhattis'arh and the !on'ress part% which was in power at the !entre. It could not 6e allowed to 4ail. ot when all those &oGs were still waitin'+ like wiltin' hope4uls on the marria'e market. 1he 'o"ernment was under tremendous pressure to come up with a new plan. 1he% came up with Operation 2reen 8unt. 1he #alwa Dudum #9Os are called Fo%a !ommandos now. It has deplo%ed the !hhattis'arh 3rmed Horce >!3H?+ the !entral /eser"e 9olice Horce >!/9H?+ the <order #ecurit% Horce ><#H?+ the IndoB1i6etan <order 9olice >I1<9?+ the !entral Industrial #ecurit% Horce >!I#H?+ 2re%hounds+ #corpions+ !o6ras. 3nd a polic% that5s a44ectionatel% called 083&E 0innin' 8earts and &inds. #i'ni4icant wars are o4ten 4ou'ht in unlikel% places. Hree &arket !apitalism de4eated #o"iet !ommunism in the 6leak mountains o4 34'hanistan. 8ere in the 4orests o4 .antewada+ a 6attle ra'es 4or the soul o4 India. 9lent% has 6een said a6out the deepenin' crisis in Indian democrac% and the collusion 6etween 6i' corporations+ ma:or political parties and the securit% esta6lishment. I4 an%6od% wants to do a Auick spot check+ .antewada is the place to 'o. 3 dra4t report on #tate 3'rarian /elations and the Gn4inished 1ask o4 Land /e4orm >Kolume -? said that 1ata #teel and $ssar #teel were the 4irst 4inanciers o4 the #alwa Dudum. <ecause it was a 'o"ernment report+ it created a 4lurr% when it was reported in the press. >1hat 4act has su6seAuentl% 6een dropped 4rom the 4inal report. 0as it a 'enuine error+ or did someone recei"e a 'entle+ inte'rated steel tap on the shoulder?? On Octo6er -2+ 2,,*+ the mandator% pu6lic hearin' 4or 1ata5s steel plant+ meant to 6e held in Lohandi'uda where local people could come+ actuall% took place in a small hall inside the !ollectorate in Da'dalpur+ man% miles awa%+ cordoned o44 with massi"e securit%. 3 hired audience o4 C, tri6als was 6rou'ht in a 'uarded con"o% o4 'o"ernment :eeps. 34ter the meetin'+ the district

collector con'ratulated @the people o4 Lohandi'uda5 4or their cooperation. 1he local newspapers reported the lie+ e"en thou'h the% knew 6etter. >1he ad"ertisements rolled in.? .espite "illa'ers5 o6:ections+ land acAuisition 4or the pro:ect has 6e'un. 1he &aoists are not the onl% ones who seek to depose the Indian #tate. It5s alread% 6een deposed se"eral times 6% 8indu 4undamentalism and economic totalitarianism. Lohandi'uda+ a 4i"eBhour dri"e 4rom .antewada+ ne"er used to 6e a axalite area. <ut it is now. !omrade Doori+ who sat next to me while I ate the ant chutne%+ works in the area. #he said the% decided to mo"e in a4ter 'ra44iti had 6e'un to appear on the walls o4 "illa'e houses+ sa%in'+ Na#ali aao, hamein bachao > axals come and sa"e us?N 3 4ew months a'o+ Kimal &eshram+ president o4 the "illa'e pancha%at+ was shot dead in the market. 78e was 1ata5s man+; Doori sa%s. 78e was 4orcin' people to 'i"e up their land and accept compensation. It5s 'ood that he5s 6een 4inished. 0e lost a comrade too. 1he% shot him. .5%ou want more cha!oli?; #he5s onl% 2,. 70e won5t let the 1atas come there. 9eople don5t want them.; Doori is not 9L23. #he5s in the !hetna at%a &anch >! &?+ the cultural win' o4 the part%. #he sin's. #he writes son's. #he5s 4rom 36u:hmad. >#he5s married to !omrade &adha". #he 4ell in lo"e with his sin'in' when he "isited her "illa'e with a ! & troupe.? I 4eel I ou'ht to sa% somethin' at this point. 36out the 4utilit% o4 "iolence+ a6out the unaccepta6ilit% o4 summar% executions. <ut what should I su''est the% do? 2o to court? .o a dharna at Dantar &antar+ ew .elhi? 3 rall%? 3 rela% hun'er strike? It sounds ridiculous. 1he promoters o4 the ew $conomic 9olic%Ewho 4ind it so eas% to sa% 71here Is o 3lternati"e;Eshould 6e asked to su''est an alternati"e /esistance 9olic%. 3 speci4ic one+ to these speci4ic people+ in this speci4ic 4orest. 8ere. ow. 0hich part% should the% "ote 4or? 0hich democratic institution in this countr% should the% approach? 0hich door did the armada <achao 3ndolan not knock on durin' the %ears and %ears it 4ou'ht a'ainst <i' .ams on the armada? It5s dark. 1here5s a lot o4 acti"it% in the camp+ 6ut I can5t see an%thin'. Dust points o4 li'ht mo"in' around. It5s hard to tell whether the% are stars or 4ire4lies or &aoists on the mo"e. Little &an'tu appears 4rom nowhere. I 4ound out that he5s part o4 the 4irst 6atch o4 the Moun' !ommunists &o6ile #chool+ who are 6ein' tau'ht to read and write and tutored in 6asic !ommunist principles. >7Indoctrination o4 %oun' mindsN; our corporate media howls. 1he 1K ad"ertisements that 6rainwash children 6e4ore the% can e"en think are not seen as a 4orm o4 indoctrination.? 1he %oun' !ommunists are not allowed to carr% 'uns or wear uni4orms. <ut the% trail the 9L23 sAuads+ with stars in their e%es+ like 'roupies o4 a rock 6and. &an'tu has adopted me with a 'entl% proprietorial air. 8e has 4illed m% water 6ottle and sa%s I should pack m% 6a'. 3 whistle 6lows. 1he 6lue :hilli tent is dismantled and 4olded up in 4i"e minutes 4lat. 3nother whistle and all hundred comrades 4all in line. Hi"e rows. !omrade /a:u is the .irector o4 Ops. 1here5s a roll call. I5m in the line too+ shoutin' out m% num6er when !omrade Famla who is in 4ront o4 me+ prompts me. >0e count to twent% and then start 4rom one+ 6ecause that5s as 4ar as most 2onds count. 1went% is enou'h 4or them. &a%6e it should 6e enou'h 4or us too.? !handu is in 4ati'ues now+ and carries a sten 'un. In a low "oice+ !omrade /a:u is 6rie4in' the 'roup. It5s all in 2ondi+ I don5t understand a thin'+ 6ut I keep hearin' the word /K. Later /a:u tells me it stands 4or /ende("ousN It5s a 2ondi word now. 70e make /K points so that in case we come under 4ire and people ha"e to scatter+ the% know where to re'roup.; 8e cannot possi6l% know the kind o4 panic this induces in me. ot 6ecause I5m scared o4 6ein' 4ired on+ 6ut 6ecause I5m scared o4 6ein' lost. I5m a directional d%slexic+ capa6le o4 'ettin' lost 6etween m% 6edroom and m% 6athroom. 0hat will I do in 6,+,,, sAuare kilometres o4 4orest? !ome hell or hi'h water+ I5m 'oin' to 6e holdin' on to !omrade /a:u5s pallu. <e4ore we start walkin'+ !omrade Kenu comes up to me: 7Oka%then comrade. I5ll take %our lea"e.; I5m taken a6ack. 8e looks like a little mosAuito in a woollen cap and chappals+ surrounded 6% his

'uards+ three women+ three men. 8ea"il% armed. 70e are "er% 'rate4ul to %ou comrade+ 4or comin' all the wa% here+; he sa%s. Once a'ain the handshake+ the clenched 4ist. 7Lal #alaam !omrade.; 8e disappears into the 4orest+ the Feeper o4 the Fe%s. 3nd in a moment+ it5s as thou'h he was ne"er here. I5m a little 6ere4t. <ut I ha"e hours o4 recordin's to listen to. 3nd as the da%s turn into weeks+ I will meet man% people who paint colour and detail into the 'rid he drew 4or me. 0e 6e'in to walk in the opposite direction. !omrade /a:u+ smellin' o4 Iodex 4rom a mile o44+ sa%s with a happ% smile+ 7&% knees are 'one. I can onl% walk i4 I ha"e had a 4ist4ul o4 painkillers.; !omrade /a:u speaks per4ect 8indi and has a deadpan wa% o4 tellin' the 4unniest stories. 8e worked as an ad"ocate in /aipur 4or -8 %ears. <oth he and his wi4e &alti were part% mem6ers and part o4 its cit% network. 3t the end o4 2,,7+ one o4 the ke% people in the /aipur network was arrested+ tortured and e"entuall% turned in4ormer. 8e was dri"en around /aipur in a closed police "ehicle and made to point out his 4ormer collea'ues. !omrade &alti was one o4 them. On Danuar% 22+ 2,,8+ she was arrested alon' with se"eral others. 1he char'e a'ainst her is that she mailed !.s containin' "ideo e"idence o4 #alwa Dudum atrocities to se"eral mem6ers o4 9arliament. 8er case rarel% comes up 4or hearin' 6ecause the police know their case is 4lims%. <ut the new !hhattis'arh #pecial 9u6lic #ecurit% 3ct >!#9#3? allows the police to hold her without 6ail 4or se"eral %ears. 7 ow the 'o"ernment has deplo%ed se"eral 6attalions o4 !hhattis'arh police to protect the poor mem6ers o4 9arliament 4rom their own mail+; !omrade /a:u sa%s. 8e did not 'et cau'ht 6ecause he was in .andakaran%a at the time+ attendin' a meetin'. 8e5s 6een here e"er since. 8is two school'oin' children+ who were le4t alone at home+ were interro'ated extensi"el% 6% the police. Hinall%+ their home was packed up and the% went to li"e with an uncle. !omrade /a:u recei"ed news o4 them 4or the 4irst time onl% a 4ew weeks a'o. 0hat 'i"es him this stren'th+ this a6ilit% to hold on to his acid humour? 0hat keeps them all 'oin'+ despite all the% ha"e endured? 1heir 4aith and hopeEand lo"eE4or the 9art%. I encounter it a'ain and a'ain+ in the deepest+ most personal wa%s. 0e5re mo"in' in sin'le 4ile now. &%sel4 and one hundred 7senselessl% "iolent;+ 6loodthirst% insur'ents. I looked around at the camp 6e4ore we le4t. 1here are no si'ns that almost a hundred people had camped here+ except 4or some ash where the 4ires had 6een. I cannot 6elie"e this arm%. 3s 4ar as consumption 'oes+ it5s more 2andhian than an% 2andhian+ and has a li'hter car6on 4ootprint than an% climate chan'e e"an'elist. <ut 4or now+ it e"en has a 2andhian approach to sa6ota'e= 6e4ore a police "ehicle is 6urnt+ 4or example+ it is stripped down and e"er% part canni6alised. 1he steerin' wheel is strai'htened out and made into a bharmaar+ the rexine upholster% stripped and used 4or ammunition pouches+ the 6atter% 4or solar char'in'. >1he new instructions 4rom the hi'h command are that captured "ehicles should 6e 6uried and not cremated. #o the% can 6e resurrected when needed.? #hould I write a pla%+ I wonderE2andhi 2et Mour 2un? Or will I 6e l%nched? 0e5re walkin' in pitch darkness and dead silence. I5m the onl% one usin' a torch+ pointed down so that all I can see in its circle o4 li'ht are !omrade Famla5s 6are heels in her scu44ed+ 6lack chappals+ showin' me exactl% where to put m% 4eet. #he is carr%in' -, times more wei'ht than I am. 8er 6ackpack+ her ri4le+ a hu'e 6a' o4 pro"isions on her head+ one o4 the lar'e cookin' pots and two shoulder 6a's 4ull o4 "e'eta6les. 1he 6a' on her head is per4ectl% 6alanced+ and she can scram6le down slopes and slipper% rock pathwa%s without so much as touchin' it. #he is a miracle. It turns out to 6e a lon' walk. I5m 'rate4ul to the histor% lesson 6ecause apart 4rom e"er%thin' else it 'a"e m% 4eet a rest 4or a whole da%. It5s the most 6eauti4ul thin'+ walkin' in the 4orest at ni'ht. 3nd I5ll 6e doin' it ni'ht a4ter ni'ht. 0e5re 'oin' to a cele6ration o4 the centenar% o4 the -*-, <humkal re6ellion in which the Fo%as rose up a'ainst the <ritish. <humkal means earthAuake. !omrade /a:u sa%s people will walk 4or da%s to'ether to come 4or the cele6ration. 1he 4orest must 6e 4ull o4 people on the mo"e. 1here are

cele6rations in all the .F di"isions. 0e are pri"ile'ed 6ecause !omrade Len'+ the &aster o4 !eremonies+ is walkin' with us. In 2ondi+ Len' means @the "oice5. !omrade Len' is a tall+ middleB a'ed man 4rom 3ndhra 9radesh+ a collea'ue o4 the le'endar% and 6elo"ed sin'erBpoet 2adar+ who 4ounded the radical cultural or'anisation Dan at%a &anch >D &? in -*72. $"entuall%+ D & 6ecame a 4ormal part o4 the 902 and in 3ndhra 9radesh could draw audiences num6erin' in the tens o4 thousands. !omrade Len' :oined in -*77 and 6ecame a 4amous sin'er in his own ri'ht. 8e li"ed in 3ndhra throu'h the worst repression+ the era o4 @encounter5 killin's in which 4riends died almost e"er% da%. 8e himsel4 was picked up one ni'ht 4rom his hospital 6ed+ 6% a woman #uperintendent o4 9olice masAueradin' as a doctor. 8e was taken to the 4orest outside 0aran'al to 6e @encountered5. <ut luckil%+ 2adar 'ot the news and mana'ed to raise an alarm. 0hen the 90 decided to start a cultural or'anisation in .F in -**8+ !omrade Len' was sent to head the !hetna at%a &anch. 3nd here he is now+ walkin' with me+ 4or some reason wearin' an oli"eB'reen shirt and purple p%:amas with pink 6unnies on them. 71here are -,+,,, mem6ers in cnm now+; he told me. 70e ha"e C,, son's+ in 8indi+ 2ondi+ !hhattis'arhi and 8al6i. 0e ha"e printed a 6ook with -4, o4 our son's. $"er%6od% writes son's.; 1he 4irst time I spoke to him+ he sounded "er% 'ra"e+ "er% sin'leBminded. <ut da%s later+ sittin' around a 4ire+ still in those p%:amas+ he tells us a6out a "er% success4ul+ mainstream 1elu'u 4ilm director >a 4riend o4 his? who alwa%s pla%s a axalite in his own 4ilms. 7I asked him+; !omrade Len' said in his lo"el% 1elu'uBaccented 8indi+ 7wh% do %ou think axalites are alwa%s like this?;Eand he did a de4t caricature o4 a crouched+ hi'hBsteppin'+ huntedBlookin' man emer'in' 4rom the 4orest with an 3FB47+ and le4t us screamin' with lau'hter. I5m not sure whether I5m lookin' 4orward to the <humkal cele6rations. I 4ear I5ll see traditional tri6al dances sti44ened 6% &aoist propa'anda+ rousin'+ rhetorical speeches and an o6edient audience with 'la(ed e%es. 0e arri"e at the 'rounds Auite late in the e"enin'. 3 temporar% monument+ o4 6am6oo sca44oldin' wrapped in red cloth+ has 6een erected. On top+ a6o"e the hammer and sickle o4 the &aoist 9art%+ is the 6ow and arrow o4 the Danatana #arkar+ wrapped in sil"er 4oil. 3ppropriate+ the hierarch%. 1he sta'e is hu'e+ also temporar%+ on a sturd% sca44oldin' co"ered 6% a thick la%er o4 mud plaster. 3lread%+ there are small 4ires scattered around the 'round+ people ha"e 6e'un to arri"e and are cookin' their e"enin' meal. 1he%5re onl% silhouettes in the dark. 0e thread our wa% throu'h them >lalsalaam+ lalsalaam+ lalsalaam? and keep 'oin' 4or a6out -C minutes until we reB enter the 4orest. 3t our new campsite+ we ha"e to 4allBin a'ain. 3nother roll call. 3nd then instructions a6out sentr% positions and @4irin' arcs5Edecisions a6out who will co"er which area in the e"ent o4 a police attack. /K points are 4ixed a'ain.

Boy, What A Smile: !omrade Famla+ -7+ wearin' a pistol on her hip. 3lso+ a miracle.

3n ad"ance part% has arri"ed and cooked dinner alread%. Hor dessert+ Famla 6rin's me a wild 'ua"a that she has plucked on the walk and sAuirrelled awa% 4or me. Hrom dawn+ there is the sense o4 more and more people 'atherin' 4or the da%5s cele6ration. 1here5s a 6u(( o4 excitement 6uildin' up. 9eople who ha"en5t seen each other in a lon' time meet a'ain. 0e can hear the sound o4 mikes 6ein' tested. Hla's+ 6anners+ posters+ 6untin's are 'oin' up. 3 poster with the pictures o4 the 4i"e people who were killed in On'naar the da% we arri"ed has appeared. I5m drinkin' tea with !omrade armada+ !omrade &aase and !omrade /upi. !omrade armada talks a6out the man% %ears she worked in 2adchiroli 6e4ore 6ecomin' the .F head o4 the Frantikari 3di"asi &ahila #an'athan. /upi and &aase ha"e 6een ur6an acti"ists in 3ndhra 9radesh and tell me a6out the lon' %ears o4 stru''le 6% women within the part%+ not :ust 4or their ri'hts+ 6ut also to make the part% see that eAualit% 6etween men and women is seen as central to a dream o4 a :ust societ%. 0e talk a6out the 57,s and the stories o4 women within the axalite mo"ement who were disillusioned 6% male comrades who thou'ht themsel"es 'reat re"olutionaries 6ut were ho66led 6% the same old patriarch%+ the same old chau"inism. &aase sa%s thin's ha"e chan'ed a lot since then+ thou'h the% still ha"e a wa% to 'o. >1he part%5s central committee and polit6uro ha"e no women %et.? 3round noon+ another 9L23 contin'ent arri"es. 1his one is headed 6% a tall+ lithe+ 6o%ishBlookin' man. 1his comrade has two namesE#ukhde"+ and 2udsa GsendiEneither o4 them his. #ukhde" is the name o4 a "er% 6elo"ed comrade who was mart%red. >In this war+ onl% the dead are sa4e enou'h to use their real names.? 3s 4or 2udsa Gsendi+ man% comrades ha"e 6een 2udsa Gsendi at one point or another. >3 4ew months a'o+ it was !omrade /a:u.? 2udsa Gsendi is the name o4 the part%5s spokesperson 4or .andakaran%a. #o e"en thou'h #ukhde" spends the rest o4 the trip with me+ I ha"e no idea how I5d e"er 4ind him a'ain. I5d reco'nise his lau'h an%where thou'h. 8e came to .F in 588+ he sa%s+ when the 902 decided to send oneBthird o4 its 4orces 4rom north 1elan'ana into .F. 8e5s nicel% dressed+ in @ci"il5 >2ondi 4or @ci"ilian clothes5? as opposed to @dress5 >the &aoist @uni4orm5? and could pass o44 as a %oun' executi"e. I ask him wh% no uni4orm. 8e sa%s he5s 6een tra"ellin' and has :ust come 6ack 4rom the Feshkal 'hats near Fanker. 1here are reports o4 3 million tonnes o4 6auxite that a compan% called Kedanta has its e%e on. <in'o. 1en on ten 4or m% instincts. #ukhde" sa%s he went there to measure the people5s temperature. 1o see i4 the% were prepared to 4i'ht. 71he% want sAuads now. 3nd 'uns.; 8e throws his head 6ack and roars with lau'hter+ 7I told them it5s not so eas%+ 6hai.; Hrom the stra% wisps o4 con"ersation and the ease with which he carries his 3FB47+ I can tell he5s also hi'h up and handsBon 9L23. Dun'le post arri"es. 1here5s a 6iscuit 4or meN It5s 4rom !omrade Kenu. On a tin% piece o4 paper+ 4olded and re4olded+ he has written down the l%rics o4 a son' he promised he would send me. !omrade armada smiles when she reads them. #he knows this stor%. It 'oes 6ack to the 58,s+ around the time when people 4irst 6e'an to trust the part% and come to it with their pro6lemsEtheir @inner contradictions5+ as !omrade Kenu put it. 0omen were amon' the 4irst to come. One e"enin' an old lad% sittin' 6% the 4ire 'ot up and san' a son' 4or the dada lo'. #he was a &aadi%a+ amon' whom it was customar% 4or women to remo"e their 6louses and remain 6areB6reasted a4ter the% were married. $um!er !olo intor %ada, %akoniley &aane tasom intor %ada, %akoniley Bata !a!am kittom %ada, %akoniley %uniya kadile maata %ada, %akoniley

>1he% sa% we cannot keep our 6louses+ .ada+ .akonile% 1he% make us take them o44+ .ada+ In what wa% ha"e we sinned+ .ada+ 1he world5s chan'ed+ has it not .ada? 'atum hatteke %ada, %akoniley 'ada nan"a dantom %ada, %akoniley Id !is al manni %ada, %akoniley (a a koyaturku ehat %ada, %akoniley ><ut when we 'o to market .ada+ 0e ha"e to 'o hal4Bnaked .ada+ 0e don5t want this li4e .ada+ 1ell our ancestors this .ada?. 1his was the 4irst women5s issue the part% decided to campai'n a'ainst. It had to 6e handled delicatel%+ with sur'ical tools. In -*86+ it set up the 3di"asi &ahila #an'athan >3&#? which e"ol"ed into the Frantikari 3di"asi &ahila #an'athan and now has *,+,,, enrolled mem6ers. It could well 6e the lar'est women5s or'anisation in the countr%. >1he%5re all &aoists 6% the wa%+ all *,+,,, o4 them. 3re the% 'oin' to 6e @wiped out5? 3nd what a6out the -,+,,, mem6ers o4 ! &? 1hem too?? F3&# campai'ns a'ainst the adi"asi traditions o4 4orced marria'e and a6duction. 3'ainst the custom o4 makin' menstruatin' women li"e outside the "illa'e in a hut in the 4orest. 3'ainst 6i'am% and domestic "iolence. It hasn5t won all its 6attles+ 6ut then which 4eminists ha"e? Hor instance+ in .andakaran%a+ e"en toda% women are not allowed to sow seeds. In part% meetin's+ men a'ree that this is un4air and ou'ht to 6e done awa% with. <ut+ in practice+ the% simpl% don5t allow it. #o+ the part% decided that women would sow seeds on common land which 6elon's to the Danatana #arkar. On that land+ the% sow seed+ 'row "e'eta6les and 6uild check dams. 3 hal4B"ictor%+ not a whole one. 3s police repression has 'rown in <astar+ the women o4 F3&# ha"e 6ecome a 4ormida6le 4orce and rall% in their hundreds+ sometimes thousands+ to ph%sicall% con4ront the police. 1he "er% 4act that F3&# exists has radicall% chan'ed traditional attitudes and eased man% o4 the traditional 4orms o4 discrimination a'ainst women. Hor man% %oun' women+ :oinin' the part%+ in particular the 9L23+ 6ecame a wa% o4 escapin' the su44ocation o4 their own societ%. !omrade #ushila+ a senior o44iceB6earer o4 F3&# talks a6out the #alwa Dudum5s ra'e a'ainst F3&# women. #he sa%s one o4 their slo'ans was Hum do bibi layen"e) Layen"e) >0e will ha"e two wi"esN 0e willN?. 3 lot o4 the rape and 6estial sexual mutilation was directed at mem6ers o4 F3&#. &an% %oun' women who witnessed the sa"a'er% then :oined the 9L23 and now women make up 4C per cent o4 its cadre. !omrade armada sends 4or some o4 them and the% :oin us in a while. !omrade /inki has "er% short hair. 3 6o6Bcut+ as the% sa% in 2ondi. It5s 6ra"e o4 her+ 6ecause here+ @6o6Bcut5 means @&aoist5. Hor the police+ that5s more than enou'h e"idence to warrant summar% execution. !omrade /inki5s "illa'e+ Forma+ was attacked 6% the a'a 6attalion and the #alwa Dudum in 2,,C. 3t that time+ /inki was part o4 the "illa'e militia. #o were her 4riends Lukki and #ukki+ who were also mem6ers o4 F3&#. 34ter 6urnin' the "illa'e+ the a'a 6attalion cau'ht Lukki and #ukki and one other 'irl+ 'an'Braped and killed them. 71he% raped them on the 'rass+; /inki sa%s+ 76ut a4ter it was o"er+ there was no 'rass le4t.; It5s 6een %ears now+ the a'a 6attalion has 'one+ 6ut the police still come. 71he% come whene"er the% need women+ or chickens.;

Rest Station: 3 &aoist @camp5. 0hen the% mo"e+ all that will remain is the ash 4rom the kitchen 4ire. 3:itha has a 6o6Bcut too. 1he Dudum came to Forseel+ her "illa'e+ and killed three people 6% drownin' them in a nallah. 3:itha was with the militia and 4ollowed the Dudum at a distance to a place close to the "illa'e called 9aral ar 1odak. #he watched them rape six women and shoot a man in his throat. !omrade Laxmi+ who is a 6eauti4ul 'irl with a lon' plait+ tells me she watched the Dudum 6urn 3, houses in her "illa'e+ Do:or. 70e had no weapons then+; she sa%s+ 7we could do nothin' 6ut watch.; #he :oined the 9L23 soon a4ter. Laxmi was one o4 the -C, 'uerrillas who walked throu'h the :un'le 4or threeBandBaBhal4 months in 2,,8+ to a%a'arh in Orissa+ to raid a police armour% 4rom where the% captured -+2,, ri4les and 2+,,+,,, rounds o4 ammunition. !omrade #umitra :oined the 9L23 in 2,,4+ 6e4ore the #alwa Dudum 6e'an its rampa'e. #he :oined+ she sa%s+ 6ecause she wanted to escape 4rom home. 70omen are controlled in e"er% wa%+; she told me. 7In our "illa'e+ 'irls were not allowed to clim6 trees= i4 the% did+ the% would ha"e to pa% a 4ine o4 /s C,, or a hen. I4 a man hits a woman and she hits him 6ack she has to 'i"e the "illa'e a 'oat. &en 'o o44 to the hills 4or months to'ether to hunt. 0omen are not allowed to 'o near the kill+ the 6est part o4 the meat 'oes to men. 0omen are not allowed to eat e''s.; 2ood reason to :oin a 'uerrilla arm%? #umitra tells the stor% o4 two o4 her 4riends+ 1elam 9ar"ati and Famla+ who worked with F3&#. 1elam 9ar"ati was 4rom 9oleka%a "illa'e in south <astar. Like e"er%one else 4rom there+ she too watched the #alwa Dudum 6urn her "illa'e. #he then :oined the 9L23 and went to work in the Feshkal 'hats. In 2,,*+ she and Famla had :ust 4inished or'anisin' the &arch 8 0omen5s .a% cele6rations in the area. 1he% were to'ether in a little hut :ust outside a "illa'e called Kad'o. 1he police surrounded the hut at ni'ht and 6e'an to 4ire. Famla 4ired 6ack+ 6ut she was killed. 9ar"ati escaped+ 6ut was 4ound and killed the next da%. 1hat5s what happened last %ear on 0omen5s .a%. 3nd here5s a press report 4rom a national newspaper a6out 0omen5s .a% this %ear: Bastar re els at for women!s rights #ahar Fhan+ (ail &oday+ /aipur+ &arch 7+ 2,-, 1he 'o"ernment ma% ha"e pulled out all stops to com6at the &aoist menace in the

countr%. <ut a section o4 re6els in !hhattis'arh has more pressin' matters in hand than sur"i"al. 0ith International 0omen5s .a% around the corner+ &aoists in the <astar re'ion o4 the state ha"e called 4or weekBlon' 7cele6rations; to ad"ocate women5s ri'hts. 9osters were also put up in <i:apur+ a part o4 <astar district. 1he call 6% the sel4Bst%led champions o4 women5s ri'hts has le4t the state police astonished. InspectorB'eneral >I2? o4 <astar+ 1.D. Lon'kumer said+ 7I ha"e ne"er seen such an appeal 4rom the axalites+ who 6elie"e onl% in "iolence and 6loodshed.; 3nd then the report 'oes on to sa%: 7I think the &aoists are tr%in' to counter our hi'hl% success4ul Dan Da'ran 36hi%aan >mass awareness campai'n?. 0e started the on'oin' campai'n with an aim to win popular support 4or Operation 2reen 8unt+ which was launched 6% the police to root out Le4tBwin' extremists+; the I2 said. 1his cocktail o4 malice and i'norance is not unusual. 2udsa Gsendi+ chronicler o4 the part%5s present+ knows more a6out this than most people. 8is little computer and &93 recorder are 4ull o4 press statements+ denials+ corrections+ part% literature+ lists o4 the dead+ 1K clips and audio and "ideo material. 71he worst thin' a6out 6ein' 2udsa Gsendi+; he sa%s+ 7is issuin' clari4ications which are ne"er pu6lished. 0e could 6rin' out a thick 6ook o4 our unpu6lished clari4ications a6out the lies the% tell a6out us.; 8e speaks without a trace o4 indi'nation+ in 4act+ with some amusement. 70hat5s the most ridiculous char'e %ou5"e had to den%?; 8e thinks 6ack. 7In 2,,7+ we had to issue a statement sa%in'+ @Nahin bhai, hamne "ai ko hathode se nahin mara > o 6rother+ we did not kill the cows with a hammer?.5 In 2,,7+ the /aman #in'h 'o"ernment announced a 2ai Mo:ana >cow scheme?+ an election promise+ a cow 4or e"er% adi"asi. One da% the 1K channels and newspapers reported that axalites had attacked a herd o4 cows and 6lud'eoned them to deathEwith hammersE6ecause the% were antiB8indu+ antiB<D9. Mou can ima'ine what happened. 0e issued a denial. 8ardl% an%6od% carried it. Later+ it turned out that the man who had 6een 'i"en the cows to distri6ute was a ro'ue. 8e sold them and said we had am6ushed him and killed the cows.; 3nd the most serious? 7Oh+ there are do(ens+ the% are runnin' a campai'n+ a4ter all. 0hen the #alwa Dudum started+ the 4irst da% the% attacked a "illa'e called 3m6eli+ 6urned it down and then all o4 themE#9Os+ the a'a 6attalion+ policeEmo"ed towards Fotrapal...%ou must ha"e heard a6out Fotrapal? It5s a 4amous "illa'e+ it has 6een 6urnt 22 times 4or re4usin' to surrender. 0hen the Dudum reached Fotrapal+ our militia was waitin' 4or it. 1he% had prepared an am6ush. 1wo #9Os died. 0e captured se"en+ the rest ran awa%. 1he next da% the newspapers reported that the axalites had massacred poor adi"asis. #ome said we had killed hundreds. $"en a respecta6le ma'a(ine like *rontline said we had killed -8 innocent adi"asis. $"en F. <ala'opal+ the human ri'hts acti"ist+ who is usuall% meticulous a6out 4acts+ e"en he said this. 0e sent a clari4ication. o6od% pu6lished it. Later+ in his 6ook+ <ala'opal acknowled'ed his mistake.... <ut who noticed?;

Remem ering The "artyrs: 9ictures o4 slain comrades displa%ed on <humkal .a% I asked what happened to the se"en people who were captured. 71he area committee called a :an adalat >people5s court?. Hour thousand people attended it. 1he% listened to the whole stor%. 1wo o4 the #9Os were sentenced to death. Hi"e were warned and let o44. 1he people decided. $"en with in4ormersEwhich is 6ecomin' a hu'e pro6lem nowada%sEpeople listen to the case+ the stories+ the con4essions and sa%+ @Iska hum risk nahin le sakte >0e5re not prepared to take the risk o4 trustin' this person?5+ or @Iska risk hum len"e >0e are prepared to take the risk o4 trustin' this person?5. 1he press alwa%s reports a6out in4ormers who are killed. e"er a6out the man% who are let o44. #o e"er%6od% thinks it is some 6loodthirst% procedure in which e"er%6od% is alwa%s killed. It5s not a6out re"en'e+ it5s a6out sur"i"al and sa"in' 4uture li"es.... O4 course+ there are pro6lems+ we5"e made terri6le mistakes+ we ha"e e"en killed the wron' people in our am6ushes thinkin' the% were policemen+ 6ut it is not the wa% it5s portra%ed in the media.; 1he dreaded @9eople5s !ourts5. 8ow can we accept them? Or appro"e this 4orm o4 rude :ustice? On the other hand+ what a6out @encounters5+ 4ake and otherwiseEthe worst 4orm o4 summar% :usticeEthat 'et policemen and soldiers 6ra"er% medals+ cash awards and outBo4Bturn promotions 4rom the Indian 'o"ernment? 1he more the% kill+ the more the% are rewarded. @<ra"ehearts5+ the% are called+ the @$ncounter #pecialists5. @3ntiBnationals5+ we are called+ those o4 us who dare to Auestion them. 3nd what a6out the #upreme !ourt that 6ra(enl% admitted it did not ha"e enou'h e"idence to sentence &ohammed 34(al >accused in the .ecem6er 2,,- 9arliament attack? to death+ 6ut did so an%wa%+ 6ecause 7the collecti"e conscience o4 the societ% will onl% 6e satis4ied i4 capital punishment is awarded to the o44ender;. 3t least in the case o4 the Fotrapal :an adalat+ the collecti"e was ph%sicall% present to make its own decision. It wasn5t made 6% :ud'es who had lost touch with ordinar% li4e a lon' time a'o+ presumin' to speak on 6ehal4 o4 an a6sent collecti"e. 0hat should the people o4 Fotrapal ha"e done+ I wonder? #ent 4or the police? 1he sound o4 drums has 6ecome reall% loud. It5s <humkal time. 0e walk to the 'rounds. I can hardl% 6elie"e m% e%es. 1here is a sea o4 people+ the most wild+ 6eauti4ul people+ dressed in the most wild+ 6eauti4ul wa%s. 1he men seem to ha"e paid much more attention to themsel"es than the women. 1he% ha"e 4eathered head'ear and painted tattoos on their 4aces. &an% ha"e e%e makeBup and white+ powdered 4aces. 1here5s lots o4 militia+ 'irls in saris o4 6reathtakin' colours with ri4les slun' carelessl% o"er their shoulders. 1here are old people+ children+ and red 6untin's arc across the

sk%. 1he sun is sharp and hi'h. !omrade Len' speaks. 3nd se"eral o44iceBholders o4 the "arious Danatana #arkars. !omrade iti+ an extraordinar% woman who has 6een with the part% since -**7+ is such a threat to the nation that in Danuar% 2,,7 more than 7,, policemen surrounded Innar "illa'e 6ecause the% heard she was there. !omrade iti is considered to 6e so dan'erous and is 6ein' hunted with such desperation not 6ecause she has led man% am6ushes >which she has?+ 6ut 6ecause she is an adi"asi woman who is lo"ed 6% people in the "illa'e and is a real inspiration to %oun' people. #he speaks with her 3F on her shoulder. >It5s a 'un with a stor%. 3lmost e"er%one5s 'un has a stor%: who it was snatched 4rom+ how+ and 6% whom.? 3 ! & troupe per4orms a pla% a6out the <humkal uprisin'. 1he e"il white colonisers wear hats and 'olden straw 4or hair+ and 6ull% and 6eat adi"asis to pulpEcausin' endless deli'ht in the audience. 3nother troupe 4rom south 2an'alaur per4orms a pla% called itir Dudum 9ito >#tor% o4 the <lood 8unt?. Doori translates 4or me. It5s the stor% o4 two old people who 'o lookin' 4or their dau'hter5s "illa'e. 3s the% walk throu'h the 4orest+ the% 'et lost 6ecause e"er%thin' is 6urnt and unreco'nisa6le. 1he #alwa Dudum has e"en 6urned the drums and the musical instruments. 1here are no ashes 6ecause it has 6een rainin'. 1he% cannot 4ind their dau'hter. In their sorrow+ the old couple starts to sin'+ and hearin' them+ the "oice o4 their dau'hter sin's 6ack to them 4rom the ruins: the sound o4 our "illa'e has 6een silenced+ she sin's. 1here5s no more poundin' o4 rice+ no more lau'hter 6% the well. o more 6irds+ no more 6leatin' 'oats. 1he taut strin' o4 happiness has 6een snapped. 8er 4ather sin's 6ack: m% 6eauti4ul dau'hter+ don5t cr% toda%. $"er%one who is 6orn must die. 1hese trees around us will 4all+ 4lowers will 6loom and 4ade+ one da% this world will 'row old. <ut who are we d%in' 4or? One da% our looters will learn+ one da% 1ruth will pre"ail+ 6ut our people will ne"er 4or'et %ou+ not 4or thousands o4 %ears. 3 4ew more speeches. 1hen the drummin' and the dancin' 6e'ins. $ach Danatana #arkar has its own troupe. $ach troupe has prepared its own dance. 1he% arri"e one 6% one+ with hu'e drums and the% dance wild stories. 1he onl% character e"er% troupe has in common is <ad &inin' &an+ with a helmet and dark 'lasses+ and usuall% smokin' a ci'arette. <ut there5s nothin' sti44+ or mechanical+ a6out their dancin'. 3s the% dance+ the dust rises. 1he sound o4 drums 6ecomes dea4enin'. 2raduall%+ the crowd 6e'ins to swa%. 3nd then it 6e'ins to dance. 1he% dance in little lines o4 six or se"en+ men and women separate+ with their arms around each other5s waists. 1housands o4 people. 1his is what the%5"e come 4or. Hor this. 8appiness is taken "er% seriousl% here+ in the .andakaran%a 4orest. 9eople will walk 4or miles+ 4or da%s to'ether to 4east and sin'+ to put 4eathers in their tur6ans and 4lowers in their hair+ to put their arms around each other and drink mahua and dance throu'h the ni'ht. o one sin's or dances alone. 1his+ more than an%thin' else+ si'nals their de4iance towards a ci"ilisation that seeks to annihilate them. I can5t 6elie"e all this is happenin' ri'ht under the noses o4 the police. /i'ht in the midst o4 Operation 2reen 8unt. 3t 4irst+ the 9L23 comrades watch the dancers+ standin' aside with their 'uns. <ut then+ one 6% one+ like ducks who cannot 6ear to stand on the shore and watch other ducks swim+ the% mo"e in and 6e'in to dance too. #oon there are lines o4 oli"eB'reen dancers+ swirlin' with all the other colours. 3nd then+ as sisters and 6rothers and parents and children and 4riends who ha"en5t met 4or months+ %ears sometimes+ encounter each other+ the lines 6reak up and reB4orm and the oli"e 'reen is distri6uted amon' the swirlin' saris and 4lowers and drums and tur6ans. It surel% is a 9eople5s 3rm%. Hor now+ at least. 3nd what !hairman &ao said a6out the 'uerrillas 6ein' the 4ish and people 6ein' the water the% swim in+ is+ at this moment+ literall% true. !hairman &ao. 8e5s here too. 3 little lonel%+ perhaps+ 6ut present. 1here5s a photo'raph o4 him+ up on a red cloth screen. &arx too. 3nd !haru &a(umdar+ the 4ounder and chie4 theoretician o4 the

axalite &o"ement. 8is a6rasi"e rhetoric 4etishises "iolence+ 6lood and mart%rdom+ and o4ten emplo%s a lan'ua'e so coarse as to 6e almost 'enocidal. #tandin' here+ on <humkal da%+ I can5t help thinkin' that his anal%sis+ so "ital to the structure o4 this re"olution+ is so remo"ed 4rom its emotion and texture. 0hen he said that onl% 7an annihilation campai'n; could produce 7the new man who will de4% death and 6e 4ree 4rom all thou'ht o4 sel4Binterest;Ecould he ha"e ima'ined that this ancient people+ dancin' into the ni'ht+ would 6e the ones on whose shoulders his dreams would come to rest? It5s a 'reat disser"ice to e"er%thin' that is happenin' here that the onl% thin' that seems to make it to the outside world is the sti44+ un6endin' rhetoric o4 the ideolo'ues o4 a part% that has e"ol"ed 4rom a pro6lematic past. 0hen !haru &a(umdar 4amousl% said+ 7!hina5s !hairman is our !hairman and !hina5s 9ath is Our 9ath+; he was prepared to extend it to the point where the axalites remained silent while 2eneral Mah%a Fhan committed 'enocide in $ast 9akistan ><an'ladesh?+ 6ecause at the time+ !hina was an all% o4 9akistan. 1here was silence too+ o"er the Fhmer /ou'e and its killin' 4ields in !am6odia. 1here was silence o"er the e're'ious excesses o4 the !hinese and /ussian re"olutions. #ilence o"er 1i6et. 0ithin the axalite mo"ement too+ there ha"e 6een "iolent excesses and it5s impossi6le to de4end much o4 what the%5"e done. <ut can an%thin' the% ha"e done compare with the sordid achie"ements o4 the !on'ress and the <D9 in 9un:a6+ Fashmir+ .elhi+ &um6ai+ 2u:arat.... 3nd %et+ despite these terri4%in' contradictions+ !haru &a(umdar was a "isionar% in much o4 what he wrote and said. 1he part% he 4ounded >and its man% splinter 'roups? has kept the dream o4 re"olution real and present in India. Ima'ine a societ% without that dream. Hor that alone+ we cannot :ud'e him too harshl%. $speciall% not while we swaddle oursel"es with 2andhi5s pious hum6u' a6out the superiorit% o4 7the nonB"iolent wa%; and his notion o4 trusteeship: 71he rich man will 6e le4t in possession o4 his wealth+ o4 which he will use what he reasona6l% reAuires 4or his personal needs and will act as a trustee 4or the remainder to 6e used 4or the 'ood o4 societ%.; 8ow stran'e it is+ thou'h+ that the contemporar% tsars o4 the Indian $sta6lishmentEthe #tate that crushed the axalites so mercilessl%Eshould now 6e sa%in' what !haru &a(umdar said so lon' a'o: !hina5s 9ath is Our 9ath. Gpside .own. Inside Out.

The Damned: Killa'ers 4rom the su6mer'ence area o4 the proposed <odh'hat dam !hina5s 9ath has chan'ed. !hina has 6ecome an imperial power now+ pre%in' on other countries+ other people5s resources. <ut the 9art% is still ri'ht+ onl%+ the 9art% has chan'ed its mind.

0hen the 9art% is a suitor >as it is now in .andakaran%a?+ wooin' the people+ attenti"e to their e"er% need+ then it 'enuinel% is a 9eople5s 9art%+ its arm% 'enuinel% a 9eople5s 3rm%. <ut a4ter the /e"olution how easil% this lo"e a44air can turn into a 6itter marria'e. 8ow easil% the 9eople5s 3rm% can turn upon the people. 1oda% in .andakaran%a+ the 9art% wants to keep the 6auxite in the mountain. 1omorrow+ will it chan'e its mind? <ut can we+ should we let apprehensions a6out the 4uture immo6ilise us in the present? 1he dancin' will 'o on all ni'ht. I walk 6ack to the camp. &aase is there+ awake. 0e chat late into the ni'ht. I 'i"e her m% cop% o4 eruda5s Ca!tain+s ,erses >I 6rou'ht it alon'+ :ust in case?. #he asks+ a'ain and a'ain+ 70hat do the% think o4 us outside? 0hat do students sa%? 1ell me a6out the women5s mo"ement+ what are the 6i' issues now?; #he asks a6out me+ m% writin'. I tr% and 'i"e her an honest account o4 m% chaos. 1hen she starts to talk a6out hersel4+ how she :oined the part%. #he tells me that her partner was killed last &a%+ in a 4ake encounter. 8e was arrested in ashik+ and taken to 0aran'al to 6e killed. 71he% must ha"e tortured him 6adl%.; #he was on her wa% to meet him when she heard he had 6een arrested. #he5s 6een in the 4orest e"er since. 34ter a lon' silence+ she tells me she was married once 6e4ore+ %ears a'o. 78e was killed in an encounter too+; she sa%s+ and adds with heartB6reakin' precision+ 76ut in a real one.; I lie awake on m% :hilli+ thinkin' o4 &aase5s protracted sadness+ listenin' to the drums and the sounds o4 protracted happiness 4rom the 'rounds+ and thinkin' a6out !haru &a(umdar5s idea o4 protracted war+ the central precept o4 the &aoist 9art%. 1his is what makes people think the &aoists5 o44er to enter @peace talks5 is a hoax+ a plo% to 'et 6reathin' space to re'roup+ reBarm themsel"es and 'o 6ack to wa'in' protracted war. 0hat is protracted war? Is it a terri6le thin' in itsel4+ or does it depend on the nature o4 the war? 0hat i4 the people here in .andakaran%a had not wa'ed their protracted war 4or the last 3, %ears+ where would the% 6e now? 3nd are the &aoists the onl% ones who 6elie"e in protracted war? 3lmost 4rom the moment India 6ecame a so"erei'n nation+ it turned into a colonial power+ annexin' territor%+ wa'in' war. It has ne"er hesitated to use militar% inter"entions to address political pro6lemsEFashmir+ 8%dera6ad+ 2oa+ a'aland+ &anipur+ 1elan'ana+ 3ssam+ 9un:a6+ the axalite uprisin' in 0est <en'al+ <ihar+ 3ndhra 9radesh and now across the tri6al areas o4 !entral India. 1ens o4 thousands ha"e 6een killed with impunit%+ hundreds o4 thousands tortured. 3ll o4 this 6ehind the 6eni'n mask o4 democrac%. 0ho ha"e these wars 6een wa'ed a'ainst? &uslims+ !hristians+ #ikhs+ !ommunists+ .alits+ 1ri6als and+ most o4 all+ a'ainst the poor who dare to Auestion their lot instead o4 acceptin' the crum6s that are 4lun' at them. It5s hard not to see that the Indian #tate is an essentiall% upperBcaste 8indu #tate >re'ardless o4 the part% in power? which har6ours a re4lexi"e hostilit% towards the @other5. One that+ in true colonial 4ashion+ sends the a'as and &i(os to 4i'ht in !hhattis'arh+ #ikhs to Fashmir+ Fashmiris to Orissa+ 1amilians to 3ssam and so on. I4 this isn5t protracted war+ what is? Gnpleasant thou'hts on a 6eauti4ul+ starr% ni'ht. #ukhde" is smilin' to himsel4+ his 4ace lit 6% his computer screen. 8e5s a cra(% workaholic. I ask him what5s 4unn%. 7I was thinkin' a6out the :ournalists who came last %ear 4or the <humkal cele6rations. 1he% came 4or a da% or two. One posed with m% 3F+ had himsel4 photo'raphed and then went 6ack and called us Fillin' &achines or somethin'.; 1he dancin' hasn5t stopped and it5s da%6reak. 1he lines are still 'oin'+ hundreds o4 %oun' people still dancin'. 71he% won5t stop+; !omrade /a:u sa%s+ 7not until we start packin' up.; On the 'rounds I run into !omrade .octor. 8e5s 6een runnin' a little medical camp on the ed'e o4 the dance 4loor. I want to kiss his 4at cheeks. 0h% can5t he 6e at least 3, people instead o4 :ust one? 0h% can5t he 6e one thousand people? I ask him what it5s lookin' like+ the health o4 .andakaran%a. 8is repl% makes m% 6lood run cold. &ost o4 the people he has seen+ he sa%s+ includin' those in the

9L23+ ha"e a haemo'lo6in count that5s 6etween 4i"e and six >when the standard 4or Indian women is --.? 1here5s 1< caused 6% more than two %ears o4 chronic anaemia. Moun' children are su44erin' 4rom 9rotein $ner'% &alnutrition 2rade II+ in medical terminolo'% called Fwashiorkor. >I looked it up later. It5s a word deri"ed 4rom the 2a lan'ua'e o4 !oastal 2hana and means 7the sickness a 6a6% 'ets when the new 6a6% comes;. <asicall% the old 6a6% stops 'ettin' mother5s milk+ and there5s not enou'h 4ood to pro"ide it nutrition.? 7It5s an epidemic here+ like in <ia4ra+; !omrade .octor sa%s+ 7I ha"e worked in "illa'es 6e4ore+ 6ut I5"e ne"er seen an%thin' like this.; 3part 4rom this+ there5s malaria+ osteoporosis+ tapeworm+ se"ere ear and tooth in4ections and primar% amenorrheaEwhich is when malnutrition durin' pu6ert% causes a woman5s menstrual c%cle to disappear+ or ne"er appear in the 4irst place. 71here are no clinics in this 4orest apart 4rom one or two in 2adchiroli. o doctors. o medicines.; 8e5s o44 now+ with his little team+ on an ei'htBda% trek to 36u:hmad. 8e5s in @dress5 too+ !omrade .octor. #o+ i4 the% 4ind him+ the%5ll kill him. !omrade /a:u sa%s that it isn5t sa4e 4or us to continue to camp here. 0e ha"e to mo"e. Lea"in' <humkal in"ol"es a lot o4 'ood6%es spread o"er time. Lal lal salaam, lal lal salaam, $aane wale saathiyon ko lal lal salaam >/ed #alute to departin' comrades? -hir milen"e, !hir milen"e %andakaranya .un"le mein !hir milen"e >0e5ll meet a'ain+ some da%+ in the .andakaran%a 4orest?. It5s ne"er taken li'htl%+ the ceremon% o4 arri"al and departure+ 6ecause e"er%6od% knows that when the% sa% 7we5ll meet a'ain; the% actuall% mean 7we ma% ne"er meet a'ain;. !omrade armada+ !omrade &aase and !omrade /upi are 'oin' separate wa%s. 0ill I e"er see them a'ain? #o+ once a'ain+ we walk. It5s 6ecomin' hotter e"er% da%. Famla picks the 4irst 4ruit o4 the tendu 4or me. It tastes like chikoo. I5"e 6ecome a tamarind 4iend. 1his time we camp near a stream. 0omen and men take turns to 6athe in 6atches. In the e"enin'+ !omrade /a:u recei"es a whole packet o4 @6iscuits5. ews: 6, people arrested in &anpur .i"ision at the end o4 Dan 2,-, ha"e not %et 6een produced in !ourt. 8u'e contin'ents o4 police ha"e arri"ed in #outh <astar. Indiscriminate attacks are on. On o" 8+ 2,,*+ in Fachlaram Killa'e+ <i:apur Dila+ .irko &adka >6,? and Fo"asi #uklu >68? were killed On o" 24+ &ada"i <aman >-C? was killed in 9an'odi "illa'e On .ec 3+ &ada"i <udram 4rom Foren:ad also killed On .ec --+ 2umiapal "illa'e+ .ar6a .i"ision+ 7 people killed >names %et to come? On .ec -C+ Fotrapal "illa'e+ Keko #om6ar and &ada"i &atti >6oth with F3&#? killed On .ec 3,+ Kechapal "illa'e 9oonem 9andu and 9oonem &otu >4ather and son? killed On Dan 2,-, >date unknown?+ head o4 the Danatana #arkar in Faika "illa'e+ 2an'alaur+ killed On Dan *+ 4 people killed in #urpan'ooden "illa'e+ Da'ar'onda 3rea

 On Dan -,+ 3 people killed in 9ullem 9ulladi "illa'e >no names %et? On Dan 2C+ 7 people killed in 1akilod "illa'e+ Indra"ati 3rea On He6 -, ><humkal .a%?+ Fumli raped and killed in .umnaar Killa'e+ 36u:hmad. #he was 4rom a "illa'e called 9ai"er 2+,,, troops o4 the IndoB1i6etan <order 9olice >I1<9? are camped in the /a:nand'aon 4orests C+,,, additional <#H troops ha"e arri"ed in Fanker 3nd then: 9L23 Auota 4illed. #ome dated newspapers ha"e arri"ed too. 1here5s a lot o4 press a6out axalites. One screamin' headline sums up the political climate per4ectl%: @Khadedo, (aaro, Samar!an Karao >$liminate+ kill+ make them surrender?.5 <elow that: @,aarta ke liye loktantra ka dwar khula hai+ >.emocrac%5s door is alwa%s open 4or talks?.5 3 second sa%s the &aoists are 'rowin' canna6is to make mone%. 1he third has an editorial sa%in' that the area we5"e camped in and are walkin' throu'h is entirel% under police control. 1he %oun' !ommunists take the clips awa% to practice their readin'. 1he% walk around the camp readin' the antiB&aoist articles loudl% in radioBannouncer "oices. ew da%. ew place. 0e5re camped on the outskirts o4 Gsir "illa'e+ under hu'e mahua trees. 1he mahua has :ust 6e'un to 4lower and is droppin' its pale 'reen 6lossoms like :ewels on the 4orest 4loor. 1he air is su44used with its sli'htl% head% smell. 0e5re waitin' 4or the children 4rom the <hatpal school which was closed down a4ter the On'naar encounter. It5s 6een turned into a police camp. 1he children ha"e 6een sent home. 1his is also true o4 the schools in elwad+ &oon:metta+ $dka+ Kedomakot and .hanora. 1he <hatpal school children don5t show up.

Bo #$ut Brigade: In <astar+ women with a 6o6Bcut haircut can 'et %ou killed !omrade iti >&ost 0anted? and !omrade Kinod lead us on a lon' walk to see the series o4 waterB har"estin' structures and irri'ation ponds that ha"e 6een 6uilt 6% the local Danatana #arkar. !omrade iti talks a6out the ran'e o4 a'ricultural pro6lems the% ha"e to deal with. Onl% 2 per cent o4 the land is irri'ated. In 36u:hmad+ plou'hin' was unheard o4 until -, %ears a'o. In 2adchiroli on the other hand+ h%6rid seeds and chemical pesticides are ed'in' their wa% in. 70e need ur'ent help in the a'riculture department+; !omrade Kinod sa%s. 70e need people who know a6out seeds+

or'anic pesticides+ permaculture. 0ith a little help we could do a lot.; !omrade /amu is the 4armer in char'e o4 the Danatana #arkar area. 8e proudl% shows us around the 4ields+ where the% 'row rice+ 6rin:al+ 'on'ura+ onions+ kohlra6i. 1hen+ with eAual pride+ he shows us a hu'e 6ut 6oneBdr% irri'ation pond. 0hat5s this? 71his one doesn5t e"en ha"e water durin' the rain% season. It5s du' in the wron' place+; he sa%s+ a smile wrapped around his 4ace. 7It5s not ours+ it was du' 6% the Looti #arkar >the 'o"ernment that loots?.; 1here are two parallel s%stems o4 'o"ernment here+ Danatana #arkar and Looti #arkar. I think o4 what !omrade Kenu said to me: the% want to crush us+ not onl% 6ecause o4 the minerals+ 6ut 6ecause we are o44erin' the world an alternati"e model. It5s not an 3lternati"e %et+ this idea o4 2ram #wara: with a 2un. 1here5s too much hun'er+ too much sickness here. <ut it has certainl% created the possi6ilities 4or an alternati"e. ot 4or the whole world+ not 4or 3laska+ or ew .elhi+ nor e"en perhaps 4or the whole o4 !hhattis'arh+ 6ut 4or itsel4. Hor .andakaran%a. It5s the world5s 6estBkept secret. It has laid the 4oundations 4or an alternati"e to its own annihilation. It has de4ied histor%. 3'ainst the 'reatest odds it has 4or'ed a 6lueprint 4or its own sur"i"al. It needs help and ima'ination+ it needs doctors+ teachers+ 4armers. It does not need war. <ut i4 war is all it 'ets+ it will 4i'ht 6ack. O"er the next 4ew da%s+ I meet women who work with F3&#+ "arious o44iceB6earers o4 the Danatana #arkars+ mem6ers o4 the .andakaran%a 3di"asi Fisan &a(door #an'athan >.3F&#?+ the 4amilies o4 people who had 6een killed+ and :ust ordinar% people tr%in' to cope with li4e in these terri4%in' times. I met three sistersE#ukhiari+ #ukdai and #ukkaliEnot %oun'+ perhaps in their 4,s+ 4rom ara%anpur district. 1he% ha"e 6een in F3&# 4or -2 %ears. 1he "illa'ers depend on them to deal with the police. 71he police come in 'roups o4 two to three hundred. 1he% steal e"er%thin': :eweller%+ chickens+ pi's+ pots and pans+ 6ows and arrows+; #ukkali sa%s+ 7the% won5t e"en lea"e a kni4e.; 8er house in Innar has 6een 6urned twice+ once 6% the a'a 6attalion and once 6% the !/9H #ukhiari has 6een arrested and :ailed in Da'dalpur 4or se"en months. 7Once the% took awa% the whole "illa'e+ sa%in' the men were all axals.; #ukhiari 4ollowed with all the women and children. 1he% surrounded the police station and re4used to lea"e until the men were 4reed. 70hene"er the% take someone awa%+; #ukdai sa%s+ 7%ou ha"e to 'o immediatel% and snatch them 6ack. <e4ore the% write an% report. Once the% write in their 6ook+ it 6ecomes "er% di44icult.; #ukhiari+ who as a child was a6ducted and 4orci6l% married to an older man >she ran awa% and went to li"e with her sister?+ now or'anises mass rallies+ speaks at meetin's. 1he men depend on her 4or protection. I asked her what the part% means to her. 7Na#al aad ka matlab hamara !ari aar > axal"aad means our 4amil%?. 0hen we hear o4 an attack+ it is like our 4amil% has 6een hurt+; #ukhiari sa%s. I asked her i4 she knew who &ao was. #he smiled sh%l%+ 78e was a leader. 0e5re workin' 4or his "ision.; I met !omrade #omari 2awde. 1went% %ears old+ and she has alread% ser"ed a twoB%ear :ail sentence in Da'dalpur. #he was in Innar "illa'e on Danuar% 8+ 2,,7+ the da% that 74, policemen laid a cordon around it 6ecause the% had in4ormation that !omrade iti was there. >#he was+ 6ut she had le4t 6% the time the% arri"ed.? <ut the "illa'e militia+ o4 which #omari was a mem6er+ was still there. 1he police opened 4ire at dawn. 1he% killed two 6o%s+ #uklal 2awde and Fachroo 2ota. 1hen

the% cau'ht three others+ two 6o%s+ .usri #alam and /anai+ and #omari. .usri and /anai were tied up and shot. #omari was 6eaten within an inch o4 her li4e. 1he police 'ot a tractor with a trailer and loaded the dead 6odies into it. #omari was made to sit with the dead 6odies and taken to ara%anpur. I met !hamri+ mother o4 !omrade .ilip who was shot on Dul% 6+ 2,,*. #he sa%s that a4ter the% killed him+ the police tied her son5s 6od% to a pole+ like an animal and carried it with them. >1he% need to produce 6odies to 'et their cash rewards+ 6e4ore someone else muscles in on the kill.? !hamri ran 6ehind them all the wa% to the police station. <% the time the% reached+ the 6od% did not ha"e a scrap o4 clothin' on it. On the wa%+ !hamri sa%s+ the% le4t the 6od% 6% the roadside while the% stopped at a dha6a to ha"e tea and 6iscuits. >0hich the% did not pa% 4or.? 9icture this mother 4or a moment+ 4ollowin' her son5s corpse throu'h the 4orest+ stoppin' at a distance to wait 4or his murderers to 4inish their tea. 1he% did not let her ha"e her son5s 6od% 6ack so she could 'i"e him a proper 4uneral. 1he% onl% let her throw a 4ist4ul o4 earth in the pit in which the% 6uried the others the% had killed that da%. !hamri sa%s she wants re"en'e. Badla ku badla. <lood 4or 6lood. I met the elected mem6ers o4 the &arskola Danatana #arkar that administers six "illa'es. 1he% descri6ed a police raid: the% come at ni'ht+ 3,,+ 4,,+ sometimes -+,,, o4 them. 1he% la% a cordon around a "illa'e and lie in wait. 3t dawn the% catch the 4irst people who 'o out to the 4ields and use them as human shields to enter the "illa'e+ to show them where the 6oo6%Btraps are. >@<oo6%Btraps5 has 6ecome a 2ondi word. $"er%6od% alwa%s smiles when the% sa% it or hear it. 1he 4orest is 4ull o4 6oo6%Btraps+ real and 4ake. $"en the 9L23 needs to 6e 'uided past "illa'es.? Once the police enter a "illa'e+ the% loot and steal and 6urn houses. 1he% come with do's. 1he do's catch those who tr% and run. 1he% chase chickens and pi's and the police kill them and take them awa% in sacks. #9Os come alon' with the police. 1he%5re the ones who know where people hide their mone% and :eweller%. 1he% catch people and take them awa%. 3nd extract mone% 6e4ore the% release them. 1he% alwa%s carr% some extra axal @dresses5 with them in case the% 4ind someone to kill. 1he% 'et mone% 4or killin' axals+ so the% manu4acture some. Killa'ers are too 4ri'htened to sta% at home.

Dressed To The %ines: 3di"asi 6o%s in colour4ul traditional 'ear 4or <humkal da% cele6rations In this tranAuilBlookin' 4orest+ li4e seems completel% militarised now. 9eople know words like !ordon and #earch+ Hirin'+ 3d"ance+ /etreat+ .own+ 3ctionN 1o har"est their crops+ the% need the 9L23 to do a sentr% patrol. 2oin' to the market is a militar% operation. 1he markets are 4ull o4 mukhbirs >in4ormers? who the police ha"e lured 4rom their "illa'es with mone%. I5m told there5s a mukh6ir mohalla >in4ormers5 colon%? in ara%anpur where at least 4+,,, mukh6irs sta%. 1he men can5t 'o to market an%more. 1he women 'o+ 6ut the%5re watched closel%. I4 the% 6u% e"en a little

extra+ the police accuse them o4 6u%in' it 4or axals. !hemists ha"e 6een instructed not to let people 6u% medicines except in "er% small Auantities. LowBprice rations 4rom the 9u6lic .istri6ution #%stem >9.#?+ su'ar+ rice+ kerosene+ are warehoused in or near police stations+ makin' it impossi6le 4or most people to 6u%. 3rticle 2 o4 the Gnited ations !on"ention on the 9re"ention and 9unishment o4 the !rime o4 2enocide de4ines it as: Any of the following a&ts &ommitted with intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethni&, ra&ial, or religious group, as su&h: killing mem ers of the group' &ausing serious odily or mental harm to mem ers of the group' deli erately infli&ting on the group &onditions of life &al&ulated to ring a out its physi&al destru&tion in whole or part' imposing measures intended to pre(ent irths within the group' )or* for&i ly transferring &hildren of the group to another group+ 3ll the walkin' seems to ha"e 4inall% 'ot to me. I5m tired. Famla 'ets me a pot o4 hot water. I 6athe 6ehind a tree in the dark. <ut I can5t eat dinner and crawl into m% 6a' to sleep. !omrade /a:u announces that we ha"e to mo"e. 1his happens 4reAuentl%+ o4 course+ 6ut toni'ht it5s hard. 0e ha"e 6een camped in an open meadow. 0e5d heard shellin' in the distance. 1here are -,4 o4 us. Once a'ain+ sin'le 4ile throu'h the ni'ht. !rickets. 1he smell o4 somethin' like la"ender. It must ha"e 6een past -- when we arri"ed at the place where we will spend the ni'ht. 3n outcrop o4 rocks. Hormation. /oll call. #omeone switches on the radio. <<! sa%s there5s 6een an attack on a camp o4 $astern Hrontier /i4les in Lal'arh+ 0est <en'al. #ixt% &aoists on motorc%cles. Hourteen policemen killed. 1en missin'. 0eapons snatched. 1here5s a murmur o4 pleasure in the ranks. &aoist leader Fishen:i is 6ein' inter"iewed. 0hen will %ou stop this "iolence and come 4or talks? 0hen Operation 2reen 8unt is called o44. 3n% time. 1ell !hidam6aram we will talk. ext Auestion: it5s dark now+ %ou ha"e laid landmines+ rein4orcements ha"e 6een called in+ will %ou attack them too? Fishen:i: Mes+ o4 course+ otherwise people will 6eat me. 1here5s lau'hter in the ranks. #ukhde" the clari4ier sa%s+ 71he% alwa%s sa% landmines. 0e don5t use landmines. 0e use I$.s.; 3nother luxur% suite in the thousandBstar hotel. I5m 4eelin' ill. It starts to rain. 1here5s a little 'i''lin'. Famla throws a :hilli o"er me. 0hat more do I need? $"er%one else :ust rolls themsel"es into their :hillis. <% next mornin' the 6od% count in Lal'arh has 'one up to 2-+ -, missin'. !omrade /a:u is considerate this mornin'. 0e don5t mo"e till e"enin'. One ni'ht+ people are crowded like moths around a point o4 li'ht. It5s !omrade #ukhde"5s tin% computer+ powered 6% a solar panel+ and the%5re watchin' &other India+ the 6arrels o4 their ri4les silhouetted a'ainst the sk%. Famla doesn5t seem interested. I ask her i4 she likes watchin' mo"ies. 7Nahin didi/ Sirf ambush ideo > o didi. Onl% am6ush "ideos?.; Later+ I ask !omrade #ukhde" a6out these am6ush "ideos. 0ithout 6attin' an e%elid+ he pla%s one 4or me. It starts with shots o4 .andakaran%a+ ri"ers+ water4alls+ the closeBup o4 a 6are 6ranch o4 a tree+ a 6rain4e"er 6ird callin'. 1hen suddenl% a comrade is wirin' up an I$.+ concealin' it with dr% lea"es. 3 ca"alcade o4 motorc%cles is 6lown up. 1here are mutilated 6odies and 6urnin' 6ikes. 1he weapons are 6ein' snatched. 1hree policemen+ lookin' shellBshocked+ ha"e 6een tied up. 0ho5s 4ilmin' it? 0ho5s directin' operations? 0ho5s reassurin' the captured cops that the% will 6e released i4 the% surrender? >1he% were. I con4irm that later.? I know that 'entle+ reassurin' "oice. It5s !omrade Kenu.

7It5s the Fudur am6ush+; !omrade #ukhde" sa%s. 8e also has a "ideo archi"e o4 6urned "illa'es+ testimonies 4rom e%ewitnesses and relati"es o4 the dead. On the sin'ed wall o4 a 6urnt house+ it sa%s+ @ a'aaaN <orn to FillN5 1here5s 4oota'e o4 a little 6o% whose 4in'ers were chopped o44 to inau'urate the <astar chapter o4 Operation 2reen 8unt. >1here5s e"en a 1K inter"iew with me. &% stud%. &% 6ooks. #tran'e.? 3t ni'ht+ on the radio+ there5s news o4 another axal 3ttack. 1his one in Damui+ <ihar. It sa%s -2C &aoists attacked a "illa'e and killed -, people 6elon'in' to the Fora tri6e in retaliation 4or 'i"in' police in4ormation that led to the death o4 six &aoists. O4 course+ we know that the media report ma% or ma% not 6e true. <ut+ i4 it is+ this one5s un4or'i"a6le. !omrade /a:u and #ukhde" look distinctl% uncom4orta6le. 1he news that has 6een comin' 4rom Dharkhand and <ihar is distur6in'. 1he 'ruesome 6eheadin' o4 the policeman Hrancis Indu"ar is still 4resh in e"er%one5s mind. It5s a reminder o4 how easil% the discipline o4 armed stru''le can dissol"e into lumpen acts o4 criminalised "iolence+ or into u'l% wars o4 identit% 6etween castes and communities and reli'ious 'roups. <% institutionalisin' in:ustice in the wa% that it does+ the Indian #tate has turned this countr% into a tinder6ox o4 massi"e unrest. 1he 'o"ernment is Auite wron' i4 it thinks that 6% carr%in' out @tar'eted assassinations5 to render the !9I >&aoist? @headless5+ it will end the "iolence. On the contrar%+ the "iolence will spread and intensi4%+ and the 'o"ernment will ha"e no6od% to talk to. On m% last 4ew da%s+ we meander throu'h the lush+ 6eauti4ul Indra"ati "alle%. 3s we walk alon' a hillside+ we see another line o4 people walkin' in the same direction+ 6ut on the other side o4 the ri"er. I5m told the% are on their wa% to an antiBdam meetin' in Fudur "illa'e. 1he%5re o"er'round and unarmed. 3 local rall% 4or the "alle%. I :ump ship and :oin them. 1he <odh'hat dam will su6mer'e the entire area that we ha"e 6een walkin' in 4or da%s. 3ll that 4orest+ all that histor%+ all those stories. &ore than -,, "illa'es. Is that the plan then? 1o drown people like rats+ so that the inte'rated steel plant in Lohandi'uda and the 6auxite mine and aluminium re4iner% in the Feshkal 'hats can ha"e the ri"er? 3t the meetin'+ people who ha"e come 4rom miles awa% sa% the same thin' we ha"e all heard 4or %ears. 0e will drown+ 6ut we won5t mo"eN 1he% are thrilled that someone 4rom .elhi is with them. I tell them .elhi is a cruel cit% that neither knows nor cares a6out them. Onl% weeks 6e4ore I came to .andakaran%a+ I "isited 2u:arat. 1he #ardar #aro"ar .am has more or less reached its 4ull hei'ht now. 3nd almost e"er% sin'le thin' the armada <achao 3ndolan > <3? predicted would happen has happened. 9eople who were displaced ha"e not 6een reha6ilitated+ 6ut that 'oes without sa%in'. 1he canals ha"e not 6een 6uilt. 1here5s no mone%. #o armada water is 6ein' di"erted into the empt% ri"er6ed o4 the #a6armati >which was dammed a lon' time a'o.? &ost o4 the water is 6ein' 'u((led 6% cities and 6i' industr%. 1he downstream e44ectsEsaltwater in'ress into an estuar% with no ri"erEare 6ecomin' impossi6le to miti'ate.

The ,ong "ar&h: &aoists on the mo"e in <astar+ sin'le 4ile as alwa%s 1here was a time when 6elie"in' that <i' .ams were the @temples o4 modern India5 was mis'uided+ 6ut perhaps understanda6le. <ut toda%+ a4ter all that has happened+ and when we know all that we do+ it has to 6e said that <i' .ams are a crime a'ainst humanit%. 1he <odh'hat dam was shel"ed in -*84 a4ter local people protested. 0ho will stop it now? 0ho will pre"ent the 4oundation stone 4rom 6ein' laid? 0ho will stop the Indra"ati 4rom 6ein' stolen? #omeone must. On the last ni'ht+ we camped at the 6ase o4 the steep hill we would clim6 in the mornin'+ to emer'e on the road 4rom where a motorc%cle would pick me up. 1he 4orest has chan'ed e"en since I 4irst entered it. 1he chiraun:i+ silkBcotton and man'o trees ha"e 6e'un to 4lower. 1he "illa'ers 4rom Fudur send a hu'e pot o4 4reshl%Bcau'ht 4ish to the camp. 3nd a list 4or me+ o4 7- kinds o4 4ruit+ "e'eta6les+ pulses and insects the% 'et 4rom the 4orest and 'row in their 4ields+ alon' with the market price. It5s :ust a list. <ut it5s also a map o4 their world. Dun'le post arri"es. 1wo 6iscuits 4or me. 3 poem and a pressed 4lower 4rom !omrade armada. 3 lo"el% letter 4rom &aase. >0ho is she? 0ill I e"er know?? !omrade #ukhde" asks i4 he can download the music 4rom m% Ipod onto his computer. 0e listen to a recordin' o4 IA6al <ano sin'in' Hai( 3hmad Hai(5s Hum %ekhen"e >0e will 0itness the .a%? at the 4amous concert in Lahore at the hei'ht o4 the repression durin' the OiaBulB8aA %ears. $ab ahl0e0safa0(ardud0e0haram, (asnad !e bithaiye .ayen"e >0hen the heretics and the re"iled will 6e seated on hi'h? Sab taa. uchhale .ayen"e Sab takht "iraye .ayen"e >3ll crowns will 6e snatched awa% 3ll thrones toppled? Hum dekhen"e

Hi4t% thousand people in the audience in that 9akistan 6e'in a de4iant chant: In1ilab 2indabad) In1ilab 2indabad) 3ll these %ears later+ that chant re"er6erates around this 4orest. #tran'e+ the alliances that 'et made. 1he home minister5s 6een issuin' "eiled threats to those who 7erroneousl% o44er intellectual and material support to &aoists;. .oes sharin' music Auali4%? 3t dawn+ I sa% 'ood6%e to !omrade &adha" and Doori+ to %oun' &an'tu and all the others. !omrade !handu has 'one to or'anise the 6ikes+ and will come with me to the main road. !omrade /a:u isn5t comin' >the clim6 would 6e hell on his knees?. !omrade iti >&ost 0anted?+ !omrade #ukhde"+ Famla and 4i"e others will take me up the hill. 3s we start walkin'+ iti and #ukhde" casuall% 6ut simultaneousl% unclick the sa4et% catches o4 their 3Fs. It5s the 4irst time I5"e seen them do that. 0e5re approachin' the @<order5. 7.o %ou know what to do i4 we come under 4ire?; #ukhde" asks casuall%+ as thou'h it was the most natural thin' in the world. 7Mes+; I said+ 7immediatel% declare an inde4inite hun'er strike.; 8e sat down on a rock and lau'hed. 0e clim6ed 4or a6out an hour. Dust 6elow the road+ we sat in a rock% alco"e+ completel% concealed+ like an am6ush part%+ listenin' 4or the sound o4 the 6ikes. 0hen it comes+ the 4arewell must 6e Auick. Lal #alaam !omrades. 0hen I looked 6ack+ the% were still there. 0a"in'. 3 little knot. 9eople who li"e with their dreams+ while the rest o4 the world li"es with its ni'htmares. $"er% ni'ht I think o4 this :ourne%. 1hat ni'ht sk%+ those 4orest paths. I see !omrade Famla5s heels in her scu44ed chappals+ lit 6% the li'ht o4 m% torch. I know she must 6e on the mo"e. &archin'+ not :ust 4or hersel4+ 6ut to keep hope ali"e 4or us all.