Winds of Change : Story of the Forest with a Fort

Sone Mahotsava

A Story of Change driven by the community

Maoist Violence is a major problem being faced by the police in several districts of India. This problem is often worse in areas with a tribal population which happen to be densely forested and have a difficult terrain which provides easy shelter and protection to the Maoists who engage with the forces following the rules of guerrilla warfare. The forces find it difficult to physically dominate the tough terrain in the absence of modern security infrastructure the creation of which is at times difficult owing to certain stringent guidelines required for forest and wildlife conservation. The Maoists who often draw a large membership and extensive support from the tribals residing in these forested areas, thus have a natural advantage over the police forces which enter these remote areas in their pursuit.  The forces are generally new to the terrain while the Maoists are fully familiar with all the exit and entry routes. In a sort of unequal war, several policemen have lost their lives fighting against dangerous ambushes laid by the Maoists. The strategy usually adopted in these conflict zones includes pushing in more numbers of trained forces to pursue the Maoists. But as experience has shown, it does not solve the menace and in fact often leads to a proportionate rise in the Maoist strength as well. A standard solution to the menace has not still emerged in most affected areas despite a large deployment of forces continuously engaged in anti-Maoist operations. 

While different ways of tackling the problem are being discussed and experimented at various levels in different geographical areas, it seems proper to document and thus share my experience in dealing with the problem as the Superintendent of Police in Rohtas between the years 2008 to 2011. Rohtas, badly affected by Maoist activities for almost two decades also had one of the most difficult terrains which was geographically very challenging for regular policing. A large part of the district consisted of hilly areas covered by dense forests. The Kaimur Hills which originate near the Banks of the Sone in Rohtas, further extend to the Sonebhadra district in Uttar Pradesh and thereafter to the Vindhya Ranges. The hills also extended southward to the Chotanagpur plateau, and provided an easy travel zone for Maoists right from Andhra Pradesh via Chattisgarh and Jharkhand to plains of Bihar. The Maoists called this zone as the Sone Ganga Vindhyachal zone. From times immemorial, the Kaimur hills had always proved as a challenge to any invader. The invincibility and strength of the Fort has been mentioned by several chroniclers like Ferishta and travelers like Tavernier. So much so, that the Forts of Rohtasgarh and Shergarh situated on the top of Kaimur Hills, were actually believed to be invincible by means of direct war in history. They had always been captured by deceitful means.

A Story of Change Published in The Week Magazine

Till the advent of the Maoists in recent history, the hills were known for dacoits. The menace of dacoits had also been documented during Mughal Rule. Presently, the hills of the 2 districts of Rohtas and Kaimur are notified as a wildlife sanctuary. The hills presented a tough challenge for policing as there was no police post above the hills in Rohtas district. The only post on Kaimur Hills was at Adhaura in Kaimur district. The distance from Rohtas PS situated at the foot of the Rohtas Fort (at a height of 1500 ft) to Adhaura was about 45 kms. There were only 3 motorable ascents to the hills. Apart from these ascents which were in the form of unmetalled forest roads, all other ascents were possible only by trekking on foot. The first ascent near Rohtas led to the Dhansa Ghati on the hill top. The second ascent was at Tarachandi on the GT Road. From here one could climb via Ghorghat, and reach Dhansa via Budhua. The third ascent was from Bhagwanpur to Adhaura in Kaimur district (metalled till Adhaura). Maoists had been planting landmines on these ascents to avoid police movement above the hills. This made the area out of bounds for regular tourism. Several casualties of security personnel had taken place while trying to ascend the hills. The extremists continued to be in command of the Kaimur Hills and the Rohtas Fort, disturbed only by infrequent raids of the police teams which had a tactical disadvantage in organizing raids on the hills due to geographical, infrastructural and social constraints.

Hilly Terrain of Rohtas

I now start with the story. I got posted as the Superintendent of Police in Rohtas District of Bihar in August, 2008. I had earlier been posted as the Superintendent of Police in Bagaha on the Nepal border. It had been very tense, when I assumed charge in December, 2006, when about 2 persons had been killed in police firing after a protest against perceived police inaction against gangs operating in the Gandak diaras, one of which had recently kidnapped and killed 4 farmers residing in the diara. The police district presented tough topographic and geographic challenges, being on the extreme north-west corner of Bihar, in which while the northern part densely forested and lying in the Himalayan terai provided safe haven to Maoists and criminals popularly known as ‘Jungle parties’, the southern part with extensive sandy and bushy diara of the mighty river Gandak (which entered into India at Valmikinagar) was a den of crime. The diara stretched for several kilometers at places and was approachable only by way of crossing the river and walking through on foot. As I realized pretty eaerly, it was virtually impossible to physically dominate the diara by mere presence of force. The diara with several streams flowing provided safe havens to the criminals who apart from kidnapping persons for ransom also cultivated sugarcane on the captured lands. A mixed strategy worked in Bagaha where the change was most visible in the figures for kidnapping for ransom over the years which stood at 34 in 2002, 15 in 2003, 55 in 2004, 15 in 2005, 27 in 2006 and which got reduced to just 5 in 2007 with no case being reported till the July of 2008.

Peace in Bagaha was the result of sustained action against the criminal gangs with the illegal cultivation of sugarcane over captured lands in the diara having been brought to a halt. A police campaign of cutting of illegal cane which lay as unclaimed property in the diara, by labourers under police presence and subsequent deposition of the money obtained into the government treasury shook the economic backbone of the criminals active in the diaras of Bagaha. Regular raids on the hideouts of criminals and the promotion of the surrender policy of the government in the diara by involving the community led to the surrender of about 25 dreaded criminals in a series which became akin to a movement, resulting in creating an atmosphere of peace in the crime affected areas. Promotion of surrender policy in the naxal affected forest areas led to the surrender of several Maoists, which led to reduction in naxal activity in the police district. Efforts were made for the rehabilitation of surrendered criminals and naxals and thus as the image of the Police increased extensively between the community, at the completion of the tenure, I was leaving on a high note.

As I left my charge as the Superintendent of Police of Bagaha on the Nepal border for joining duties in Rohtas, on the way I met several senior officers who had earlier worked in the district and discussed trying to understand the nature of problems in the district. I was particularly inspired by the words of a senior police officer at Muzaffarpur, who made a mention of the famous Rohtas Fort, which had almost been forgotten for quite some time and was lying neglected and lost not being on the tourist map. The neglect of the Historic Fort was such that even field officers posted in Rohtas did not care to visit a Fort which gave its name to the region. After a murder in the 1980’s of a person who was on a visit to the Fort, it had remained obscure for general visitors. Tourism at the historically famous fort suffered earlier due to the fear of dacoit gangs, and presently it was due to the presence of Maoists who had reportedly also used the Fort Premises occasionally to impart training to newly recruited cadres. The senior cop mentioned that if something could be done which would restore the semblance of Rohtas, it would be great. With these words in mind and with a long cherished dream of seeing the fort in all its majesty, I joined Rohtas.

The Majestic Rohtas Fort

Prior to joining at Rohtas, I had been closely following the news from Rohtas in the media and was aware that owing to the escalated Maoist activities in the region and owing to the tough terrain it was not going to be easy. The Maoists had been on the offensive in Rohtas where only in the preceding July of 2007, the Police Stations of Rajpur and Baghela in the plains of Rohtas had been attacked by the Maoists, resulting in severe damage to the buildings and in heavy casualties. 2 CRPF personnel had also been killed in a landmine blast near Dhansa in the first week of the preceding June during the ascent uphill. The Rohtas Police had lost the DSP of Bikramganj in April, 2006 in an encounter with the Maoists in the plains of Rohtas.  The Story in Rohtas so far had been one tilted heavily in favour of the Maoists who were using the hilly and difficult terrain to their advantage. The Maoists had been using the Hills as a stronghold to launch attacks on the police in the plains. 

In the initial days in 2008, the conditions were not very encouraging. The police had still not overcome the fear of losses suffered during several Maoist incidents which were quite fresh in their memory. The police had not visited major areas on the Kaimur Hills for a long time, and successive efforts for conducting anti Maoist operations on the Kaimur Hills had often resulted in losses for the police. It was in this background that the police activity on the Rohtas Fort started. The history of the Fort was not very well known, and most people knew it only as somewhat related to the activities of the medieval ruler Sher Shah Suri. Even good photographs of the Fort were not publically available, and not much information was available on the internet. I made a study of the History of the Fort from the Shahabad Gazetteer, and from the Journal of Shahabad of Francis Buchanan, kept during his survey in 1812-13. The works of local scholars on Rohtas also enriched my knowledge.

View of the Hills and the Forests from Rohtas Fort - Singh Dwar

As a new Superintendent of Police, my first priority was to properly understand the area and its difficult terrain. I needed to look for safe bases where forces could camp and from where operations could be launched into the forests. I had the experience of having worked earlier in the forests of Bagaha, but the terrain of Rohtas was much different. While Bagaha had not yet witnessed an IED blast on the road, it had been repeated several times in Rohtas resulting in heavy casualty of the forces. Though both the places did not have concrete roads in the operational areas, the danger of IED’s was real in the case of Rohtas. Further, to launch any operation one had to travel uphill into the den of the Maoists having no police presence and using the same mined roads for not less than 22 kms from any access point. Travelling on foot could not advance one daily for more than 10 kms in the hostile territory, and I as a new Superintendent of Police wanted to do it fast in order to see the jurisdiction I had been entrusted with along with its share of problems. The tactical operations could be conducted only after the leader had well understood the area. For the same purpose I extensively used the weapons of surprise and courage, and reached points uphill using vehicles in the wee hours of the night in order to be present in the operational area for not more than 2 hours after daylight, extensively photographing the terrain and always on the move. Never did we use the same route during the return. 

At the Main Gate of Rohtas Fort - Discovery of a motorable route to the Fort

The area domination and understanding exercises were proceeding well as I was about to complete a month in the new district. I had made 3 good vehicular trips to the hills in one of which I could locate a road once planned by the British government which could lead the tourist directly on vehicles to the Rohtasgarh Fort. I had taken photographs of places which had probably never earlier been photographed. I had seen the school buildings at Dhansa and Budhua on the hills along with the blasted Forest Rest House at Rehal. I had also made two camps at Rohtasgarh Fort. The views atop the hills had been mesmerizing and continuously motivated me to visit again. I wanted to visit the school at Soli which I was told could accommodate more than 200 persons during an operation. I had this in mind when I met Kamaljit Singh from the Indian Forest Service who had just joined as the Divisional Forest Officer of Rohtas. We had moved around together in the forests of Bagaha where Kamaljit was then being trained and shared a great rapport. He wanted to see his forests but was concerned about the safety of moving in a forest where one had earlier during 2002 witnessed the killing of the then Divisional Forest Officer by the Maoists. I offered him to join the movement planned for Soli since with the Police he could safely see the forests the conservation of which he was entrusted with. 

Rohtas to Adhaura Forest Road

I can never forget the early morning of 3^rd September, 2008, when I had one of the closest encounters with the Maoists near a village school located on the top of the Rohtas-Kaimur Plateau. This village named Soli was at a distance of about 10 kms from the Dhansa valley junction, where one reached on the plateau after travelling uphill on unmetalled road laden with probable landmines for about 22 kms from Rohtas Police Station downhill. In those days the road to Rohtas itself at a distance of 45 kms from the District Police Headquarters was in a pathetic state of disrepair, and consumed not less than 3 hours of body shaking journey by road. The next 22 kms of unmetalled forest road to Dhansa took about 30 minutes, and then the forest road took about 40 kms to reach Adhaura on the other side of the plateau, where one had access to metalled road and means of communication. For about 40 kms from Dhansa to Adhaura, one was literally left with no communication even in 2008, since the wireless sets could not communicate with the district headquarters and further since there were no mobile towers in the hilly territory about 1500 feet above  sea level, which was also thus understood as a liberated zone by the Maoists. The only Police Station on the hills was at Adhaura reaching which from the side of Rohtas was not easy. We found a solution for communication using satellite phones during later operations on the hills, but on this morning we had none. The biggest weapon and strategy that we had was surprise, which I was quite confident to be safe.

Area Domination Exercises on the Rohtas Hills

Thus an operation was planned at around 8 pm on the night of 2^nd September, 2008. To retain the surprise, I called for a contingent of the Special Task Force to report at my Residence in Dehri-on-Sone at midnight and also asked the Sub Divisional Police Officers of Dehri and Sasaram for the same. Mithilesh Kumar Singh, then SDPO, Dehri, was a seasoned officer having led many successful anti-Maoist operations and was always confident and ready for more. P Kannnan, then SDPO cum ASP of Sasaram was new into the service and was very enthusiastic and sincerely always ready for the next operation. The operation as planned began with a small briefing around midnight. The aim was to reach Dhansa before light in order to maintain the surprise till we reached uphill. For the Maoists, it was difficult to distinguish police vehicles from a distance in the night when their scouts were normally asleep, and we had often used this time. The rain God was also in our favour as he blessed us with slight rain which made our move till Dhansa almost unnoticed by anyone. 

As we reached Dhansa from Rohtas, we could meet some tractors going both uphill and downhill who were looking at us with surprise since they had not seen the police indulging in such risks frequently. As planned we reached Dhansa around 4.30 am and after counting the heads advanced ahead. I along with the DFO and ASP, Sasaram were seated in a civilian Tavera vehicle often used as a tactical mislead for the Maoists in such areas, while SDPO, Dehri moving in the front was seated in a regular police jeep. The forest road we were moving upon was seen like a patch of red between lush green forests with routes into villages quite clearly marked by the absence of patches of vegetation and tire marks. The school of Soli was about a km from the main Rohtas-Adhaura forest road. As we approached Soli, Mithileshji, SDPO, Dehri, having visited the village much earlier got confused and turned into the wrong road. My driver Indradeo Yadav, hailing from a village near Adhaura noticed the mistake and being very familiar with the terrain took the lead bringing my civilian vehicle into the front. A Bullet Proof Gypsy with young constables of Bihar Military Police 1^st Battalion were just behind my vehicle followed by the SDPO, Dehri and his escort vehicle. The STF was behind along with the SAP contingent which was seated in an Anti-Landmine vehicle. The STF was moving in about 4 vehicles which included an Anti-Landmine vehicle. With the contingent of these 9 vehicles and about 60 men, we were moving at good speed on the forest roads as we took a turn for Soli.

The time was about 5 am with clear light as we entered the village and noticed routine activities going on with some people freshening up in the fields and others collecting water or engaged otherwise. The school was in the middle of the village with houses around at a distance. As my vehicle took a turn to approach the main gate of the school from its boundary, it reached the gate within no time and I could notice a man standing with a 7.62mm Self Loading Rifle (SLR) pointed at us. The distance between him and our vehicle was hardy 6 to 8 feet and had he fired we may not have survived to share the experience. But destiny had it otherwise. We were deep inside the so called liberated zone of the Maoists with virtually no communication with the outside world for a distance of not less than 20 kms on either side and had met them. Seeing the armed Maoist cadre looking at us unaware at such a close distance came like an unexpected surprise since it was a school building that was planned to be visited, and Maoist presence in a School was unthought of. For a fraction of a moment on seeing the SLR, I felt as if it was a police constable on sentry duty guarding the premises. But it did not take much time to realise that we had encountered the hostile enemy and had to immediately take recourse to tactics if we were to survive. 

As the driver screamed, the Maoist sentry realized that it was the police which had reached the school in those early hours in that civilian vehicle, and taken by surprise he too probably got very afraid and instead of firing at us started running away from us inside the school to alert his companions. In no time, we jumped out of the vehicle and took cover under whatever seemed like a cover and the fire started from all sides virtually. A Maoist sleeping on the top of the school terrace started firing with automatic weapons to keep us under cover and to probably allow his cadres to escape. We took positions around the school boundary and started firing. Fire was coming from all sides since out of the about 50 Maoists in the village, about 25 had stayed in the school building for the night while the others were staying in different houses of the village and all simultaneously started firing randomly to confuse the police. As everyone got out of the vehicles to take cover, the vehicles were stranded on the only approach road at the locations where they stood at the time when the fire started. The vehicles behind in the carcade included the precious Anti Landmine vehicles which could hear the sounds of firing but could not proceed ahead to reinforce us due to the pathway being blocked with the stranded vehicles. There was almost a sort of total confusion for about 10 minutes with hundreds of rounds being fired from either side and as the Maoists were at times noticed escaping into the nearby forests starting just behind the school. 

Not being familiar with the school terrain, we were not aware about the gate behind the school which led into the forests. I could see some Maoists jumping down the terrace to escape bullets of which 2 seemed to be injured in some way. As the firing continued, the drivers of the Anti-Landmine Vehicles found their way to the school using the fields. Seeing the armoured vehicles approach, the Maoist who had been rallying continuous shots at us also jumped down on the other side and continued firing till he could find his safe retreat into the jungle. After about 15 minutes it could be realized that it was time to barge into the school where about 100 young students were seated huddled with tremendous fear in their eyes in the main compound. These young lots had witnessed all the firing at such close quarters. It was due to these students that we could not use grenades or other automatic burst fire directed at the Maoists retreating from the School in order to avoid collateral damage. One Maoist sympathizer who had hidden himself behind a pillar suddenly emerged and was immediately overpowered and arrested. His interrogation later helped us to understand that the Maoists had been organizing a medical camp at the school building since the last week or so and had been regularly using the school for their activities as a shelter and meeting point. 

Soli School Photographed on a later date

As the sound of bullets silenced, a hurried search was conducted in the school premises from where about a tractor trolley load of items was seized which included 2 looted 0.303 Police Rifles, other weapons, lot of ammunition, medicines, syringes and documents. I ensured that we did not stay at the school for more than 15 minutes after the seizure since our surprise had been lost after the close encounter, and since staying for longer would have given the fleeing Maoists an opportunity to regroup and lay ambush at another place in the probable direction of our retreat. Thus by around 5.40 am we left the place and started for Adhaura, cautious all the way and with full speed possible in the terrain. We reached the village of Lohra at a distance of about 25 kms from Soli where the mobile towers were accessible and I could inform the Police Headquarters about the recent developments. 

Jubilant Police Team after the Encounter at Soli

I was glad that all my forces were safe and that we had actually returned with a booty after attacking one of the safest dens of the Maoists in what they understood as their liberated zone. All the while during the encounter as we could hear bullets speeding away inches from us, we had been continuously looking at our bodies to see that no damage had been done as yet. Miraculously enough, despite the flow of hundreds of bullets at close quarters none of the about 60 men accompanying me had been injured. The surprise had ensured safety and the Maoists who could have damaged us at close quarters were forced to retreat in their own stronghold suffering huge losses in terms of both resources as well as psychology. After all in such hostile territory, the war is fought not just physically but is also a game of mind and wits. We had won this round for sure as we safely arrived at Adhaura at about 8 am accomplishing the Mission of Visiting Soli. 

The Memories were to remain forever in our hearts. After having some breakfast and tea at Adhaura we travelled to the Ancient Site of Mundeshwari Temple and thanked the Almighty for helping us in the most difficult circumstances. The surprise was retained on account of the timing and the slight drizzle as we had reached Soli. The encounter though very dangerous and sudden had served as a morale booster for the forces who had reversed the recent history of the encounters in the district when the Maoists had been on the offensive while the forces caught by surprise suffered losses. The Maoists had been using the Hills as a stronghold to launch attacks on the police in the plains. But this encounter had a different flavor. It was on the Hills and with the reverse results. 

Damaged Anti Landmine Vehicle near Soli after the Encounter in September, 2008

But as it happens in war, the euphoria was shortlived as we lost a SAP Jawan Kanhaiya Singh on 24^th September, 2008, after a landmine blast on the main Rohtas-Adhaura road also near Soli. In this next major operation on the hills which was launched from the side of Adhaura, the Plan was to travel from Adhaura in a continuous guarded movement which was to descend from the Rohtas side after demining the area of Dhansa valley where sources had indicated the plantation of possible landmines in the recent weeks in order to deter the type of movements police had recently indulged in. The combined forces included personnel from the district police along with the CRPF, SAP and STF under the leadership of the then SDPO Dehri, Mithilesh Kumar. At Adhaura the then 2^nd in Command of the CRPF Battalion who then happened to be on a company visit also joined the operation.  The plan was proceeding well and the combined team moved for about 17 kms when they had reached a village on the borders of Kaimur and Rohtas along the river Durgavati. At this point a Bullet Proof Gypsy broke down with its spring having been damaged in the undulating terrain. Due to the difficulty of communication with the district headquarters, in the communication shadow zone, as efforts were being made for the repair of the vehicle, the Commander decided to split the team and send a part of the team ahead under SDPO, Dehri while the other was supposed to either follow them on the event of repair of the vehicle or get back and return via Adhaura safely to Rohtas. The total number of the forces in the operation was about 100 of which about 60 advanced with the SDPO towards the Dhansa valley at a distance of about 16 kms, while the STF stayed back with the Commander and his escort making efforts to repair the vehicle. I received news about the vehicle breakdown in a phone call from Adhaura Police Station which had happened to receive a wireless message from the spot about 17 kms ahead of it. I tried to send communication to the second team to return back via Adhaura and not to proceed ahead after a gap, but in the absence of communication was finding ways and means to do it. Finally I decided to send a choukidar from Adhaura PS on a bike to go and talk to the team members and tell them to return after repair of the vehicle. A team of vehicle technicians was also moved ahead from the District Police Headquarters at Dehri. I thought that upon receiving the communication would be returning safely. But destiny had it otherwise. It was only around 7 pm that I realized that they having somehow repaired the vehicle had decided to proceed after about an hour of the first team’s movement. The first team came down to Rohtas successfully at about 5 pm having recovered two landmines on the way down from Dhansa with one of them containing 100 kgs of explosives good enough to shatter any vehicle with all its men. They had no idea about the second team which they felt must have retreated back to Adhaura.

Forces crossing the Causeway on the Durgawati River atop the Hills

As I was waiting for news from Adhaura about the return of the second team, at about 7 pm I started receiving frantic calls from the men in the team at Dhansa informing about a landmine blast having occurred around 1 pm near Soli and that they having left the damaged Anti-Landmine vehicle behind after removing the wireless set had reached walking after an hour long encounter and were now travelling down the Dhansa valley point. As it was dark, the team members sped down the valley which was a descent of about 3 kms to the plains below. As there was a rare chance of landmine blast with the landmines having been removed by the first team, a group of Maoists had entrenched themselves on the way in an ambush to harass the retreating forces.  As the convoy of about 6 vehicles was moving down in high speed, a burst of shots was heard, one of which injured SAP Jawan Kanhaiya Singh (who was seated behind on a carrier mini Truck with his other companions from the SAP) in his neck resulting in his death as the vehicle reached Rohtas, and also injured another constable of the STF who was seated in another vehicle. A bullet smashed the window pane of a Jeep but could not penetrate the bullet proof vest of the driver who thus remained safe. The operation thus ended after suffering the loss of Kanhaiya Singh and an injured constable who was rushed to the Hospital at Dehri for treatment after first aid at Rohtas. 

The Difficult Terrain of Rohtas Hills

It seems that the Maoists who were camping in a group near Soli became aware of the movement of forces on the hills as the first team crossed them and were alert when they found another police team coming on the main forest road. As the second team moved near Soli, a landmine blast took place just below the Anti-Landmine vehicle which was thrown to a height and came down and rested on the ground with its tires blasted off but with the engine still on. The SAP Jawans seated in the vehicle had injuries from the sudden jolt, but nevertheless were safe. The vehicle though damaged had served its purpose of saving precious human lives. After some firing, the Commander took command of the new situation and decided to proceed on foot till Dhansa to avoid further damage ensuing from another possible IED blast on the way. They started at about 3.30 pm from Soli and reached Dhansa at a distance of about 10 kms on foot at about 7 pm cautious all the way and also slow due to the shock after the physical injuries suffered from the IED blast. It had already become quite dark and instead of walking down on foot, they decided to speed down the hillside from which the other party had descended some time back and were understood to have removed the landmines. 

Operation Vidhwansa

The news of loss of a precious life in the encounter came as a great shock to the forces who had recently felt very encouraged after gains at the Soli encounter. As the Guard of Honour was being laid in the Police Line, the anger and feeling of revenge in the eyes of the Force was quite visible. The Hills which had seen a recent success at Soli had taken another life. A solution needed to be found to somehow end the conflict which was continuously consuming lives. The clear resolve was that the area in the Maoist control had to be reclaimed as a part of the mainstream, but it needed good leadership with courage and wits. Moreover it needed a change in strategy in which nothing had to be left to chance. I thus resolved to plan staying for days together on the hills along with my forces in order to make it clear to the hostile enemy that this time it was not going to be easy. They would be pursued and would pay the price of harming the peace of the region. All necessary arrangements including devices for communication, back up support and emergency evacuation needed to be accounted for in the new operational strategy. A change of operational strategy was also accentuated since any vehicular movement on the Hills could not maintain the desired surprise for long in view of the long distances to be covered. The Maoists were also now more prepared for vehicular movements and they could not be afforded without a corresponding domination of the area on foot.  In the following days several strategies were discussed with Senior Officers including the then IG, Operations, then DIG, Shahabad and other senior officers from the CRPF. 

The Combined Police team vowed to enter into the territory of the Maoists and stay there with full resources in a sort of long range combing operation in the various hill villages in order to send a clear message of area domination and also to fully understand the terrain and build bridges with the residents of the remote villages. It led to one of the biggest operations carried out till date on the Kaimur Hills which was named as ‘Operation Vidhwansa’. The large scale combing and area domination operation was carried out with meticulous planning in several phases with a large number of forces camping on the Hills for days together with all required equipments that could be thought of such as Satellite phones and medical aid. A helicopter used to be kept in standby mode for any need of urgent evacuation. The first phase of the Operation was launched on the morning of the 4^th October, 2008 on the Kaimur Hills. While I led about 300 men with me in a large convoy containing food items on hired tractors along with tentage, lighting and generators for camping from the Tarachandi side on the GT Road near Sasaram, the SP of Kaimur started in another direction from Adhaura with another 300 men with him in order to reach Rohtas. 

On the Hills during Operation Vidhwansa

The first operation had 3 night camps in different villages on the hills which were an experience in themselves. Though part of another detailed story, it is interesting to share that at a village called Bhaukarwa where the first night camp had been organised, young children had probably never seen an electric bulb since the moment the generators in the tents of the camp lit up the bulbs in the night, the young boys could not stop themselves from assembling to gaze at the devices which emitted more light than lamps and which had been created more than a century ago by Edison, but which was still to be seen in their village. The elders who at times happened to visit markets downhill were aware of recent technology, but the young lot which had never ventured out of the villages had not been that lucky. Another surprise awaited us at a settlement near Budhua village where we came across a group of more than 100 villagers assembled together and probably mourning. Finding such a large group together on the hills was a peculiarity since the villagers did not assemble together witnessing the movement of the forces, and watched from a distance. Upon enquiry, it was found that a lady had died due to a probable snake bite and in the absence of any first aid they had taken recourse to a village snake charmer who was supposed to have some knowledge of extracting poison. The other villagers had assembled to watch the developments.

Landmines recovered during Operation Vidhwansa

The first phase of Operation Vidhwansa was quite successful. The Police stayed for 3 nights in 6 different villages which earlier had been the den of Maoist activities. The Police also interacted with the villagers about the hideouts and membership of the Maoists. Some landmines were recovered on the road from Adhaura to Soli. But the Maoists who must have been watching the movements carefully were not directly encountered. The movement increased the confidence of the forces in moving safely upon the hills. The first phase of the operation was followed by more similar phases launched around every fortnight or so which had different modes of travel and different routes including several using no vehicles at all and by trekking hilly ascents on foot. The different phases also included several night camps by the forces in remote villages on the Kaimur Hills. During these operations which were meticulously planned for hours and days to ensure minimal damage to police side, the police camped in the remote villages on the Kaimur Hills and interacted with the villagers to restore confidence. The terrain of the Kaimur Hills being very tough, these successful operations led to rise in the outlook and confidence of police and public at large. This also led to greater understanding of the Hill topography. It was documented properly for training purposes. Due to these operations the pre-requisites for conducting the Lok Sabha Elections on the hills in 2009 was achieved. The then DGP, Bihar commended the Rohtas Police for display of professionalism during the operation.

Dominating Dhansa Valley - A Picture from December, 2008

Conception of Sone Mahotsava – The Rohtas Fort Theme

As I experimented with new and changing operational strategies for different anti-Maoist operations, which also delivered good results in terms of the number of recoveries and arrests, I also discovered that the solution to the crisis lay not just in military-style operations. It needed to be dealt in a different way which could not be successful without properly engaging the community and creating for them a stake in the end of violence. As several phases of the Operation Vidhwansa continued, it was clear in my mind that the military tactic and strategy could not bring in lasting peace in the district. The community needed to be involved into the operation and it required a theme which could unite the purpose of the police and the community. The theme had to be one which could be easily understood and with which one in the affected community could associate without fearing opposition from the Maoists. Any theme which would invite the ire of the Maoists or one with which the community could not connect was sure to receive a death blow with inception. I brainstormed with some concerned locals about the desire to bring in permanent change in the affected region. As I was looking for such themes my attention turned again to the Historic Rohtasgarh Fort, which stood as a cultural symbol of the past prosperity of the region now most affected by Maoist violence and one for which the tribals residing in the area had great respect. I wanted to make some contribution to the neglected Fort which was also very close to my heart.

Forces on the Rohtas Fort

The fort of Rohtas was historically known to have been won over by Sher Shah Suri from a Hindu king by means of some deceit, and the gain of this fort had made him very strong. It was only after winning Rohtas that he could gradually conquer the seat of Delhi, and thus being much impressed by the magnificence of this Fort, he constructed a simlar fort with the same name on the banks of the Jhelum in present Pakistan. The Pakistani Rohtas Fort is included in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites. This Fort quite prominent in historical times was still deeply associated with the several tribes residing on the hills. While the Oraons believed it to have been the place of their origin and also worshipped it and celebrated festivals in it, the Kharwars had retained memories of their rule from the fort which also bore inscriptions of the medieval age attesting Kharwar suzerainty as custodians of the present area of Shahabad and adjoining districts of Palamu and Garhwa. Oraon folk songs mention and remember the rule of Oraons from the fort. Rohtas had also been for some time in the past as the capital of the area which now included the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and W. Bengal and Bangladesh. During Akbar’s reign, Raja Mansingh used the fort as the administrative capital to govern this whole territory. 

Forces Ascending the Rohtas Fort in Summer, 2009

Since I did not want to face opposition from the Maoists in the way of opposing participation of the community in programmes or meetings being called by the Police, the theme of the meetings called for engaging the community was never against the Maoists or did not even name them as a source of disturbance of the region directly, but in fact encouraged people attending the meetings to think of ways to develop peace in their areas so that tourists could think of visiting them without fear which would result in ultimate economic development. The initiative was named as ‘Sone Mahotsava’ and had the stated aim of restoring mainstream tourism on the Rohtas Fort. It was started as a community policing project of Rohtas Police and also had its goal to create a better understanding of the history and culture of the Sone Valley and creating a glorious future by taking inspiration from the works of ancestors who were credited with an illustrious and magnificent past of the Sone Valley and Rohtasgarh. The Sone Mahotsava was conceived to motivate local people to come forward and work together in order to forge social unity amongst the inhabitants of the Sone Valley, and further to remove the atmosphere of fear prevailing in the minds of the people and thus to contribute in the development of the valley. The mission statement which often motivated the local people was that if their ancestors could attain such heights of prosperity in the past as exemplified by the Rohtas Fort, why couldn’t the descendants of such worthy ancestors bring glory and peace to their homeland. 

The Theme drew inspiration from History

The Cultural Theme

The Sone Mahotsava began in Rohtas on 3^rd December 2008, in a meeting attended by all local elected representatives of the blocks of Nauhatta, Rohtas and Tilouthu. Several other social groups also attended this meeting. Since the Maoists would not attend such a meeting and since the message was to be delivered deep into their areas of influence, the ones who could be contacted first without controversy happened to be the elected public representatives who were thought of as a bridge between the police and the community at large in order to deliver the new theme of development and peace. The meeting was historical in the sense that no such meeting had earlier been called for by the police. Seeing the Police not speaking about operations and routine, but about positive change in what was their own region, the response was tremendous and encouraging. The Rohtas Fort was surely understood a symbol of the illustrious past of the Sone Valley. Representatives during the police public meeting brain stormed and discussed about the reasons for the backwardness of the region and wondered that if their ancestors who did not have the benefits of modern technology and science and still could build such a marvelous fort at 1500 ft above sea level, why Rohtas today couldn’t prosper despite the advancements of modern science and thought.  The attendees who spanned a cross section of the community were being made to remember the landmarks of the past. 

The First Meeting at Rohtas in December, 2008 with the Public Representatives

Sharing the Theme with the Community for the First time

In a very cordial setting it was unanimously decided to create the atmosphere for the organization of a major cultural and social event in the premises of the Rohtas Fort in the near future. I consciously avoided naming the Maoists as a problem in the region and made only indirect references about the atmosphere of violence and uncertainty prevailing in the region, which was continuously impeding the development. For I fully understood that if a movement for change was to be started in the area and had to counter Maoist propaganda it could not start with blaming the Maoists who enjoyed a sort of popular support due to reasons which included fear as well as circumstances in the recent past. If I had started with a theme of eradication of the Maoists it would surely have failed with the Maoists targeting it from Day One. The strategy was to keep the Maoists who also drew their numbers from the community confused since they should normally not be opposing a movement which aimed at restoring the cultural heritage and pride of the the community they were a part of. The changed police linguistic was being watched at close quarters by the Maoists planning their next move. But the change in the police strategy was being welcomed by the community at large. This Mahotsava was proposed to serve as a symbol of the yearning for change in the Sone Valley. It would also serve as a symbol of respect for the glory of the past and of the preparation for a promising future of the Sone Valley. It was decided to organize several programmes and community police camps in several areas to minimize the gaps between public and police. Police would serve as a medium for uniting people of various classes and ideas. Thus began the Sone Mahotsava with an encouraging beginning at Rohtas.

Building Bonds for the Future

Nauhatta Camp :- (3^rd January 2009)

This first major community exercise was organized in the most extremist affected block of the district. People were invited from the PS’s of Rohtas, Nauhatta and Chutiya. The camp included blanket distribution to the needy beneficiaries who were identified by help of the local representatives. With the help of Govt. funding under SRE scheme about 2200 blankets had been purchased by the district police for distribution amongst the poorest people in extremist affected areas. 300 blankets were distributed by the police in Nauhatta while several members of the public also contributed to distribute 325 other blankets. Apart from these 625 blankets, a free medical camp was organized with the help of renowned doctors from Dehri on Sone. About 1000 people got treated in the medical camp and benefited from free medicines. A community meal was also organized in which more than 4000 people participated. Bhojpuri singer Ajay Pandey also organized a stage performance with his troop. People from this remote area on the Sone, at the border of Garhwa (Jharkhand) and Sonebhadra(UP) had a rare occasion to see such a gathering. The spirit of change was seen in all the faces that had assembled in the huge gathering. 

Crowd gathered at Nauhatta - A Historic Start to the Mahotsava

Beginning of the Community Policing Exercise

People from all distant villages on the Kaimur Hills who still did not have access to clean drinking water and health facilities till date were overjoyed and shared their grief about the threat shadow of the extremists. Football and Volleyball kits were distributed to all panchayats. The youth saw the light and promise of a better future which had been blocked by extremists under the shadow of the gun. For the first time, the people of Nauhatta block had the rare opportunity to see a cultural show, and get treated by quality doctors. A haemoglobin test carried out for 150 females showed that more than 70 % had a deficiency. With a crowd of numbers never seen together in the extremely sleepy Nauhatta, the Sone Mahotsava had a good start.

Tilouthu Camp ( 10^th and 11^th of  January 2009) :- 

A 2 day camp was organized in Tilouthu on the banks of the Sone. People were invited from the PS’s of Tilouthu, Amjhor, Rohtas and Inderpuri. Free Blanket distribution (more than 800) was organized on the first day along with a brief cultural programme followed by lunch on the first day. A historic Sone Arti was performed on the Sone Banks in the evening. More than 1000 ladies performed the arti along with their male counterparts and delivered diyas as symbols of hope in the sone. The programme set off a new imagination and dream in the minds of the people. It is to be remembered that the new building of Tilouthu PS was blasted off by extremists at the same bank where the arti by all members of the community was done along with the police on the 10^th evening. The next day followed with a free medical camp in which more than 600 people benefited. A cricket match was organized between Sasaram and Tilouthu. Sasaram team won under the leadership of a lady cricketer. The message of Nauhatta and Tilouthu spread like wildfire in the district and more and more people started getting interested in the concept of Sone Mahotsava. The participation level in Tilouthu was more than 6000.

Free Medical Camp at Tilothu

Alampur Camp(16^th January 2009) :-

Alampur is a small village on the foothills of the Kaimur hills. People were invited from the PS’s of Chenari, Darigaon and Baddi. Several people walked long distances from the hills to come down to Alampur. A rich cultural programme was organized with the help of Biraha groups of the locality. A Football match was organized to revive the spirit of sportsmanship in the sleepy area. Free Medical Camp was organized and more than 200 spectacles were distributed amongst the needy. The programme was well received and more than 5000 people came up for the public police meet in this remote part of the district.

Kargahar Camp(17^th January 2009) :-

Kargahar is one of the blocks in the plain areas of Rohtas . It had seen heightened extremist activity in the recent years. The greatest crowd gathered at Kargahar. Along with 300 blankets distributed by the police , public participated by distributing 2200 blankets amongst the poor making it a total of  2500 blankets being distributed in a single day, perhaps the largest such event in the district. The camp was attended by more than 7000 people and good cultural programmes were organized by the local artists and schoolchildren. The programme ended with a football match watched by thousands of spectators.

Nasriganj Camp(20^th January 2009) :-

Apart from the regular features and the distribution of about 1000 blankets among the poor, the main highlight of the Nasriganj Camp was a boat race organized in the Sone. 17 boatsmen along their team participated in the race which was wathched by a cheering crowd of more than 2000. The race aimed to give recognition to the true sons of Sone. For the first time in their lives boatsmen felt that they were important.The camp ended with a volleyball match. The attendance again was more than 5000.

The Crowd at Nasriganj

Viewing the Boat Race

The Boat Race in the Sone

Karakat Camp (21^st January 2009) :-

The main show at Karakat was the Horse Race. 12 horsemen participated in the race, and amazingly the winner was a man who had already crossed 65 years of his life. The old man displayed stamina which could not be matched by his young competitors. The meet which had a good cultural component, was a great one. More than 5000 people participated in this camp.

Winner of the Horse Race

These camps were followed by more of the like at Dawath and other places which increased the public trust in the police. The plan for the Mahotsava was to spread cultural awareness and the yearning for change amongst inhabitants of Rohtas. The programme was scheduled to culminate in an event full of cultural, social, traditional, sports and other interesting components in a 2 day event on the Rohtasgarh Fort in the future. The reception and participation at the various police public meets organized for Sone Mahotsava had been very encouraging. The underlying philosophy was that with larger public participation with the police in organizing an event of such scale, the gaps between police and public should come down to a certain extent. Another aspect was to promote the Rohtas Fort as an icon of tribal magnificence in the past and to encourage its promotion as a tourist destination by the community who could take pride and also economically if the conditions were made suitable for the inflow of tourists to their most important heritage. As a Police representative I often explained that once the community would become aware about the need to create conditions for tourism on the fort, the Government was sure to assist. A plan envisaging a Ropeway to ferry tourists from the bottom to the top of the Rohtas Hill was also conceived. The experiment had thus begun in Rohtas and it was decided to carry it forward even in the face of adversities. 

The extremists had been watching the developments and change from very close quarters and were feeling threatened by the growing respect for police in poor classes. They were seeing it as a dent in their existence base, and reacted on the night of 21^st/22^nd January, 2009, by setting fire to 11 public trucks plying on the Dehri-Rohtas road. The project which aimed to bring about a cultural renaissance in the Sone Valley had just begun. The survival depended on the sustenance of bonds between the police and the public in the face of the continuous challenges posed by the extremists who still had a stronghold in the hilly areas of this bordering district of Bihar. 

Flag Hoisting on the Fort in 2009

The beginning of organization of events on the Fort was made by hoisting the tricolour on the fort on 26^th January 2009 by the Rohtas Police. A 3 day camp was organized under the leadership of the then SDPO, Dehri, Mithilesh Kumar and Asst Commandant of CRPF 62^nd Bn, Prakash Chandra. More than 500 people from villages on the hills participated in the event. A Parade was organized on the fort and was followed by cultural programme and community lunch. The fort had not seen regular flag hoisting for years, and thus the beginning was a great symbolic change. It gradually has become a tradition and now continues with increasing participation of the community every year.

The Historical Flag Hoisting at Rohtasgarh, 26th January, 2009

Conduct of Parliamentary Elections, 2009

As times passed, the Operation on the Hills continued along with the Community Policing Schemes. The Parliamentary elections were to be held in the district on 16^th April, 2009. Conducting free and fair Elections on the Kaimur Hills was a great challenge for the police. It was believed to be very risky to carry out police operations on the Hills. The police had been severely demoralized by repeated losses from naxals. During several previous elections the booths used to be shifted down hill at a large distance from the voting population to ensure safety of the polling parties. It was very important to conduct election on the hills to restore faith of the people in the capability of the state administration, as well as to promote democracy in naxal affected area by larger public participation in the polls. To ensure peaceful elections several night camps by the forces in remote villages on the Kaimur Hills had already been organized in the preceding months as Operation Vidhwansa. During these operations which were meticulously planned for hours and days to ensure minimal damage to police side, the police camped in the remote villages on the Kaimur Hills and interacted with the villagers to restore confidence. The organisation of the Sone Mahotsava had also led to an increase in trust for the police amongst the general public and especially the marginalised sections including the hill tribals.

Challenge of the Hill Polls

The BSF Camp Attack

Meeting after BSF Camp Attack

A camp of the BSF which was set up on the hills for conducting the Polls at Dhansa village was attacked just a day preceding the elections (on the night of 14^th/15^th April 2009). Part of another detailed story, this attack on the BSF Camp due to which polling had to be adjourned on 16^th April at 6 hill booths was taken as a big challenge by the District Administration for the restoration of normalcy in the region.  To conduct proper polls at the same places to ensure proper participation of the villagers, a major operation was planned and worked out jointly with the district administration to dominate the hills in wake of all possible threats for the re-conduct of adjourned polls on 9^th May, 2009. Arrangements had to be made for safe night camps by the police forces, and drilling had to be done to get water as there was scarcity during peak summer. Teams of Public Health and Engineering Department were taken along with the police teams to the hills under proper police escort to provide sanitation facilities for the camping teams. All movements and deployment of forces was worked meticulously with all tactical elements and possible threats, taken into consideration. The major two day operational plan to conduct elections on the hills was started on 8.5.2009 at 0300 hrs. The plan succeeded with the retreat of forces from naxal affected areas to safe areas by 2000 hrs on 9.5.2009. All arrangements for the poll, which included deployment and withdrawal of 14 coys of CPF and 200 men from SAP, apart from regular district police, was done successfully during this period. The people on the hills participated in large numbers in the polls with a 50% turnout at Dhansa, which earlier had witnessed attack on the camp of the BSF. This made the whole experiment a major success. All this planning would not have been possible without good personal topographical knowledge and successive efforts by the Police in domination of the hills. Personally, I consider the conduct of safe, free and fair elections on the hills as the toughest assignment in those times of ongoing struggle on the hills. I was very satisfied after the completion of the polls on the hills.

Media Coverage about the Elections

Confidence of the Community on a High

 

Above : Glimpses of the Historic Elections, 2009

The Tourist Guide Project

The events in the Sone Mahotsava were further continued in 2010 with extended and deeper focus on connection of the hill tribals into the mainstream. The Rohtas Fort theme had become quite popularly known in the district as well as outside. Several Boards were placed at places of prominence including Railway Stations and highways passing through the district as Landmarks inviting tourists to visit Rohtas. This had a message in itself as it portrayed the Historic Rohtas Fort known to be under Maoist control as a tourist destination and thus created confidence about change in the outlook. To encourage the youth residing in the villages near the Fort, a two day workshop was organized on the 14^th and 15^th of March 2010, for 40 selected tribal youth at Dehri-on-Sone to create awareness about the promotion of tourism on the fort. The youth were motivated to act as tourist guides for tourists visiting the fort due to publicity by the police. They were given bicycles and other equipments for supporting the tourists and were also delivered special sessions on hospitality by experts from the Hotel Maurya, Patna. Later, Bicycles and torches were also distributed to a group of another 40 youth in Rohtas to act as messengers of change.   To recognise tribal aspirations, the Police involved the community in celebrating tribals legends and heroes together. During the month of June, 2010, a festival was celebrated in honour of the local hero Nayak Pratapdhaval, known from his historical inscriptions at several places on the hills, which further helped in building bonds.

Cultrual Programmes were an essential part of the drive

Tourist Guide Training Workshop at Dehri

Tourist Guides

Tourist Guides March on the Hills - A Symbol of Change

Change in the Making

 

As the Community got involved with the police, the intelligence of the Police also improved immensely. It led to some of the largest recoveries of explosives and other Maoist items in the region, the information about which arrived from persons who were often the confidants of the Maoists. It gradually led to an overall dominance by the forces in the area and an overall decline in the Maoist activities which could be perceived by the prevailing peace and security.The holistic approach in Rohtas to tackle the problem at various levels by involing the community and by launching planned police operations effectively countered the Maoist propaganda in the area and paved the way for change and ultimate resolution. A resurrection of tribal pride was witnessed in the events organised by the police with the involvement of the community in 2010. 

Event Praising Tribal Culture and Tribal Heroes

Recoveries made from Maoist Dens

The strategy was seen to create wonders and delivered results as the magnitude of the problem in Rohtas reduced to a great extent in just over two and half years when I was transferred for my next posting in February, 2011. Casualties of the police reduced over time, and a sort of community opposition to the Maoists was witnessed in the area. About 15 members of the armed Maoist squads of the plains of Rohtas surrendered before the police resulting in lasting peace in the region. At the time of my transfer from the district, the Maoist strength  which once used to operate in hundreds had shrinked to a group of just about 15-20 persons who were utilising the cover provided by the inaccessible regions on the borders of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. They were now on the target. Starting from a phase when the entire district felt under threat, the Maoist activities had now got localised to a small patch in the Chutia Police Station area. It was their only stronghold from which they could approach and dominate the hills. The wane was clearly in sight and peace was in the air.

Continuation of the drive after my tenure

The community policing activities in the region were further continued along with regular intensive operations by my worthy successor SP as well after I was transferred from the district in February, 2011, which led to continued and further alienation of the Maoists from the community. The change set in since the inception of the Sone Mahotsava in 2008, was now ready for affirmation. Around the Middle of 2011, the circumstances on the Hills were changed enough with the emboldened tribals almost ready for an open revolt as they got organised and were ready to take on the Maoists who had disturbed the peace of the region. Seeing the Maoists as a source of the conflict that hampered growth of their region which had an illustrious history, some of the tribals took it upon themselves and killed the main Zonal Commander named Birendra Yadav @ Rana in cold blood along with an accomplice. With this incident, the Hills had changed forever for the Maoists. What earlier had been a stronghold and a source of permanent shelter was no longer so. The tribals had become friendly with the police and supplied information about every movement of the rebels. The circumstances had changed totally. The Maoists initially responded by killing family members of some prominent tribals who had led the Revolt. There were some phases of major disturbance on the hills which led to a migration of the tribal population downhill for some time, but the transition with continued police effort gradually led to peace in the region. The Maoists gradually realised that it was not possible for them to survive on the hills in wake of the public and tribal hostility. Many of them surrendered before the Police creating an atmosphere of lasting peace in the region.

CM Visit to the Rohtas Fort - Media Coverage

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Bihar made a visit to the Rohtas Fort in December 2011, which was the first CM visit in the remote region. The CM visit indicated that the change in Rohtas was now a reality. There was news in the media about consideration of a proposal for the construction of a ropeway to ferry tourists to the inaccessible hills. If erected in the future, it will greatly enable the promotion of tourism in the region. Rohtas which lies on a detour from the Varanasi- Gaya tourist route has a strong potential for tourist growth. There is also news of proposal for construction of an accessible pucca road leading to the Kaimur Hills. To conclude it must be affirmed that a solution which worked in Rohtas may not fully work in other districts in the same manner, but with a proper identification and understanding of the endemic root causes which lead to a sort of community support for such violence, some way ahead may exist. 

A Hope for the development of Rohtas

Community Driven Change in Rohtas

Assessment and Perspective 

India is a developing country and is also one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Among the problems that the growing democracy faces, the Maoist problem is one of the biggest destabilising factors for the development and growth of the country. Due to the growth of the maoist movement, development of underdeveloped areas is severely impeded. Areas lacking in development and where Maoism has taken roots, are further left behind in the arena of development due to the threat perception of Maoists. As a result the gap between the haves and the have not’s will further increase with the development of the country. People living in tribal forested areas do not feel fully integrated with mainstream Indian democracy due to general segregation from the main population in recent history. They mostly have a separate culture, and have different historical motifs and traditional ideas. When the Maoists succeed in creating bastion in a tribal forested area, the gap further increases, which is detrimental to the unity and integrity of the country. While it is important to preserve the cultural traditions of the tribals, it is also important to integrate them with the mainstream to allow them to reap the fruits of modern development. Maoists have a stake in isolating the tribal population from the main population to make safehouses in the tribal areas and launch attacks on the mainstream targets from the safe shelters. If the problem is not solved then the growth of the nation will be halted due to Maoist problems, and the problem may increase. It is further important to control Maoist activity in tribal hamlets to ensure that the rebels do not find safe shelter to launch attacks on mainstream targets.

To find a cure to Maoist violence it is important to understand that it is different from other types of crime the police usually handle. The people involved in Maoist crimes do not commit crimes against everyone randomly, but are focussed in attacking Government institutions and especially the police which happens to be the most visible Government agency. Maoism has been present in India since 1970’s, though the areas under its influence have been regularly changing. It has been found to be spreading to newer areas when the level of violence gets reduced in the most affected ones. In the political sphere Maoism has developed as an ideology based on the principles of Mao, which believes in the grabbing of political power by sustained or protracted people’s war. The movement develops gradually after a series of systematic propaganda work on the ground. After the development of sympathy amongst the local population, it is difficult for politicians to openly condemn it. Those politicians who speak against or profess an anti-Maoist ideology are targeted. As a result politicians are often seen to somehow avoid the problem and are contented with the short term goals of winning/retaining their seats, while the movement continues its impact on the ground. A political solution is seen to be difficult. Economic disparities exist at the base of all Maoist ideologies. The general population is motivated to target those who are seen to have got richer at the expense of the general population which remains poor. The gap between the exploiter and the exploited is stressed out in the propaganda. Socially, the growth of the Maoist movement is due to a plethora of social malpractices and discrimination, which give rise to the appropriate breeding ground for discontent. It can be seen that Maoism grew up in such areas of India where the discrimination based on caste was high, and was also seen to be linked with the economic status. In tribal areas where it has spread, the tribals were shown the ills of outside intervention by the government and entrepreneurs in their society with a profit motive. Legally, the Maoist outfits are banned with even membership or support of the banned outfits being a cognizable offence. But the organisation of the Maoists continues to operate at various levels and targets all sections of society including NGO’s, media and human rights groups to further their cause. As a result whenever the Police target the Maoists, opposition is felt from several unexpected quarters.

Several ways have been tried to control the Maoist menace in the tribal forest areas. The traditional police solution looked at the problem from a law and order angle. In this approach the problem is seen to be against the law and hence needs to be crushed with absolute force. It relies in carrying out anti Maoist area domination operations and targeting the members and supporters in targeted raids. If we analyse closely as per law, it can be seen that the rebels are indeed on the wrong side of law and thus need to be tackled firmly. The armed members should be engaged in encounters and killed in organised raids. This will also increase the professionalism of the police. But there is a heavy risk of suffering casualties on the police side due to the unequal nature of the combat.  A second approach has been to look at the problem from a economic perspective, and an economic disparity reducing strategy is proposed. This is done in the way of more developmental grants for the Maoist affected areas. But the grants allotted are often siphoned off by the intermediaries, which plagues the actual flow to the affected areas. Also when more developmental projects are launched, then the contractors are targeted and even killed by Maoists to create terror and thereafter extract levy for the maoist organisational cause. This leads to further financial strengthening of the maoist organisation and emerges as a stronger threat. Another method to solve the problem is to use a holistic approach by involving the community and addressing the issue at various levels. The growth of Maoist ideology is traced in the community, and solution is proposed by involving the community at a psychological level. The police involves the community in social welfare schemes and tries to function as a partner for general development and well-being. There is no compromise on the security of police installations, which are well defended, but there is a positive effort to reduce the gap between the community and the police. Arrests of only hardcore cadre members is made, and innocent sympathisers or lay supporters are engaged in a positive manner which allows for change of mind.

Recommendation:-

The holistic community policing approach is the best way to solve the Maoist problem in such difficult areas. One will need to understand the aspirations of the members of the community and also analyse in depth the reasons which have led to alienation of the members of the community who support the rebels against the state institutions. Any other solution will address only a part of the problem while creating more problems in other sectors. The Maoists operate at several levels organisationally. Grievances of the general community will have to be understood in all spheres. The law and order methods and economic methods will be tools in the overall scheme to resolve the situation. Policing will have to be strengthened gradually with the active involvement of the members of the community who should see the police as a companion to realise community aspirations. The police infrastructure should also be strengthened to have a permanent impact. The police should act as a facilitator and the community should be encouraged to solve their problems with police assistance. 

Implementation Strategy of Community Policing Solution :- 

The holistic method to be adopted should be developed gradually. Firstly a dialogue should be developed with community members. Depending on the degree of alienation the strategy should be adopted. To start with, the local elected representatives who often deal with government institutions should be called for a meeting, and, the new intentions of the police should be shared. The resolve to help the community and mission statement should be made. The resolve should be to work for general development of the community without naming the members who are seen to be sympathisers or supporters of the maoist movement. The meeting should also chalk out a plan for further development of the community interaction on a weekly/monthly basis depending on the magnitude of the problem. Areas where the problem is new and weak may require lesser effort than badly affected areas. 

After some time elapses from the initial resolve with active community members (a month at least), several community policing camps should be held with proper planning and focus in affected areas. The security of the camps should be properly planned to take care of all perceived threats. The new face and intention of the police should be explained at these interactions. The camps should also try to involve volunteers and NGO’s working in the area. Officials of other government agencies ahould also be involved. Free medical check-ups should be organised with the distribution of most essential items like blankets in winters etc. 

At a cultural level, the tribal culture should be properly understood. Police should take care of tribal sensibilities while carrying out operations against members of the Maoist armed cadre. The police raids should be gradually seen as a part of the normal duty of the police and not directed against the community. Developmental schemes in the area should be planned with participation of members of the community, and community members should be encouraged to form self-help groups to implement developmental schemes in their areas. As development would progress, a surrender policy should be mooted to encourage those who would like to leave the Maoist movement and join the mainstream. A reward policy should be announced for those who want to join the mainstream. 

Police should associate at a cultural level with the tribals. Historical ideals respected by the tribals should be studied and promoted. Festivals celebrated by the tribals should also be celebrated by the police with community involvement. An idea to be promoted would be that the ancestors of the tribals stood for peace and development in their lives. The ancestors could realise greatness in the past (referring to their historical achievements after a thorough study of their history) when technology and infrastructure was scarce. It should be reiterated that the successors of such illustrious ancestors could definitely chart a new model of development in their areas by promotion of peace and positive outlook and shunning the Maoist idea of continuous conflict which leads nowhere but to underdevelopment and disaster for the community. The holistic approach is in finding solutions with increasing community involvement and has the potential to change the profile of the area over time. Areas known earlier for Maoist violence have the potential to develop as places of interest for historical and eco-tourism, fully integrated in the mainstream.

(PS : All Views expressed are personal)

Flag Hoisting on the Rohtasgarh Fort, 26th January, 2011 - A Community Driven Change in Process !