Odisha tribals now losing confidence in Maoists
Maoists operating in Odisha seem to be losing the confidence of the tribals, their principal support base since long. This has been clearly evident from a few recent developments, including the assembly by-poll for the Umarkote constituency in the tribal-dominated Nowrangpur district, a Naxal-infested tribal district in the eastern state.
On the eve of the polling, the Naxals had appealed to the local tribals to boycott the by-election to teach the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) a lesson. However, a record number of voters in the tribal constituency, more than 75 to be precise, turned up to exercise their franchise defying the Maoists’ boycott call.
Significantly, the Raigarh area of the constituency, a stronghold of the Naxals bordering Chhattisgarh recorded the highest number of voters’ participation. Jagabandhu Majhi, the sitting Biju Janata Dal MLA whose death necessitated the by-poll was brutally murdered by suspected Maoists at a public meeting in Raigarh.
The heavy voting saw the Biju Janata Dal nominee Subash Gond winning the by-poll by a record margin of more than 20,000 votes.
During a two-day bandh call recently given by the Maoists to protest the killing of their senior cadre Kishenji, a large number of tribal students, both boys and girls, were seen walking to their schools in Malkangiri, the worst naxal hit district in Odisha, defying the naxals’ bandh call.
They, however, could not attend their classes as teaches did not report for duty fearing the wrath of the Maoists. Never before have the tribals of the district sent their children to the schools during a Maoist bandh.
Similarly, during the same bandh in another naxal hit district of Nuapara, common people were seen clearing the uprooted tree branches placed by the Maoists to block a road much before security personnel reached the spot.
This is the first time locals have removed a road blockade set up by the Maoists for their own convenience without any fear of the red rebels. Usually, the police remove such blockades on the highways.
Observers believe that the tribals’ increasing disapproval of the Maoists’ activities, particularly bandhs and violence at regular intervals, could turn out to be a game changer in the ongoing struggle between the government and the red rebels, if the Centre and the state governments carry forward their anti-naxal operations in a more coordinated manner.
