Bijapur (Chhattisgarh): This story concerns arguably the most powerful force known to mankind – a mother’s affection – and specifically revolves around a Maoist whose love for her only daughter made her abjure the path of violence and return to the mainstream in this restive district.
Nagaram Local Operations Squad ‘Commander’ Somli Sodhi joined the rebels way back in 2003 and played the role of doctor for her ultra comrades. A reward of Rs 5 lakh had been announced on the guerrilla who capitulated on Saturday, a police officer confirmed.
Somli’s daughter Vibha was born after the former’s marriage with another insurgent. Subsequently, the mother took a two-year break and then returned to militancy! However, the parents could not stop thinking of their child’s well-being. Somli’s spouse surrendered six months back in adjoining Sukma district.
In Somli’s own words, “I placed a demand – vis-à-vis my desire to meet my kid – for the consideration of half-a-dozen extremist leaders including Western Bastar Division spokesman Vikalp. The organisation permitted my exit.”
This is the first recorded instance of such leniency.
Somli dreams of eventually making her offspring assume a teacher’s mantle. She has been provided an incentive of Rs 10,000 as part of the state dispensation’s rehabilitation policy.
The woman was active in Madded, Gangaloor, Basaguda, Nagaram and other areas. She stands accused of the 2004 assault on a police party that was providing security along the Aawapalli-Ilmidi road. The following year, she allegedly attacked a bike-borne security team at Tea Point in this district and also participated in the attack on Ranibodli police outpost in 2007 that resulted in the martyrdom of about 50 personnel. In 2011, she targeted security personnel deployed at the under-construction Bheji Police Station building and opened fire on constables at Chintabagu six years later.
Any journalist who has covered Left-wing extremism-affected Bastar division will vouch for the fact that the forest cover-rich region generates a veritable kaleidoscope of emotions – the sudden crackle of gunfire can lead to blood-bespattered scenes that would bring to mind Dante Alighieri’s ‘Inferno’, the scenes of helicopters undertaking ‘casevac’ (casualty evacuation) seem straight out of Oliver Stone’s ‘Platoon’ and the sight of a girl weeping beside the corpse of her martyred father at Ranibodli would have cracked the hardest heart.
The spokesman Vikalp – referred to by Somli in her statement before the law-enforcement authorities – is the selfsame individual who issued a release in early May, on behalf of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), expressing concurrence regarding “conditional” peace parleys with the Chhattisgarh government.
It was a trailblazing development indeed and contained the possibility of heralding an end to decades of bloodshed.
“We are always prepared for negotiation in a conducive atmosphere for which the proscription on our party, the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army and public organisations be lifted. We must be provided the opportunity to work in the open, there should be cessation of ‘air action’, security forces’ camps removed from areas of conflict and our incarcerated leaders released,” Vikalp said in the communiqué.
The militants thus placed the ball in the government’s court by urging Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to make his stand clear regarding the conditions voiced.
“Mr Baghel has spoken of a formula encompassing confidence, development and security,” the two-page release added.
Large parts of the document were withheld from reportage as the words constituted vitriolic criticism of the governments at the Centre and in the state.
The ‘air action’ referred to is alleged use of drones, something dismissed as baseless by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.
“Development is being ushered in by providing basic facilities such as roads, water and electricity to villages located in hypersensitive interior areas. As a direct consequence, even rural residents are becoming aware and extending participation in progress. It is this very sequence of events that is proving to be an eyesore for the insurgents. Individuals adhering to rebel ideology are threatening villagers with dire consequences, opposing growth-related endeavours and police camps,” the Minister – who was on a two-day visit here – told journalists on May 5.
According to IG (Bastar Range) Sundarraj Pattilingam, “For approximately four decades, the proscribed CPI (Maoist) – merely for the sake of maintaining its domination – has been ceaselessly attempting to deprive the region’s populace of basic facilities such as roads, bridges, culverts, power supply, educational and health services. Foiling the rebel conspiracy, the police and other security personnel are imperilling their very lives while dedicatedly and constantly endeavouring to usher in a transformation in the existence of the public. We are confident that – in accordance with the will of the locals – the CPI (Maoist) scourge shall be eliminated in the near future, peace will prevail and Bastar shall receive a fresh identity.” (UNI)
