Bastar tribals first losers in war on naxals

Caught between rebels and the security personnel arriving for Operation Green Hunt against the Maoists, tribals in the Bastar region have started migrating to ‘safe’ areas, some in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Ejaz Kaiser reports.

Caught between rebels and the security personnel arriving for Operation Green Hunt against the Maoists, tribals in the Bastar region have started migrating to ‘safe’ areas, some in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

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Bastar comprises five south Chhattisgarh districts.

Everywhere the young and able-bodied can be seen loading vehicles with their belongings, and rushing to secure identity papers. “People are ensuring they have updated ration or voting cards to avoid trouble,” says 44-year-old Muchika Sukda of Nurkatov village.

“The movement of forces and many encounters might have provoked tribals to vacate their villages,” said SRP Kalluri, the DIG in charge of Naxal operations in Bijapur and Dantewada.