Chatakpur (Lohardaga), May 4: The rebel attack in Dhardharia forest that claimed 11 security personnel and left 51 injured, also had another casualty: a wedding.
Yesterday morning, Chatakpur, situated on the trough of Dhardharia valley, was all decked up. So was Sursuriya village, perched atop the other side of the hill.
Chatakpur’s Rupu Mahto, daughter of 45-year-old Ghanshyam was to tie the knot with Sursuriya-based Besu Mahto. But just as the ceremony was to begin, a large explosion was heard. Even before anyone could realise what was happening, the police came storming inside the tiny hamlet of Chatakpur. The wedding priest was beaten up, guests interrogated, abused and punched.
A day later, the village wears a war-ravaged look. Though children are found running on fields, they stop when The Telegraph team nears, and scuttle inside homes. Women stare with suspicion. People flee inside homes and lock their doors.
Getting people to talk is a Herculean task, but slowly the floodgates open up. “It was around 11.15am. A large number of forces bombarded every home, asking about Maoists,” says Baswa Oraon (58), a neighbour of the bride whose wedding went horribly awry. These forces were part of the reinforcements dispatched by district police headquarters after the ambush.
“All villagers had gathered for the marriage ceremony. But the priest was beaten up, and then they (the police) started interrogating us. No one knew what was happening. We were scared and started running helter-skelter,” Oraon recalls.
Rupu’s family has disappeared. Locals simply said: “They have gone somewhere.”
Only a handful of people — mostly Oraons and Mahtos — live in the tribal hamlet that shot into sudden limelight after yesterday’s battle between Maoists and security personnel took place a stone’s throw away. Opposite it is Ganeshpur village, and at an elevation is Hurmur, where Maoists were reportedly camping.
Yesterday, the village spent a sleepless night. “Ab ghar se nikalna julum ho gaya. (Venturing out of home is a curse),” a middle-aged woman said.
Peace had made a comeback to this rebel-hit area. Villagers said Naxalite activities had lessened since three years. But now, the shadow of fear is back with a vengeance.
“We are caught between the two (police and rebels). Earlier, Naxalite used to forcibly enter our homes for food. Then, the police interrogated and beat us to find out rebel whereabouts,” said villager Mangru Oraon.
It is a classic Catch-22 situation. “Now, you tell us who should we support? If we back the police, rebels beat and kill us. If we don’t, the police fix us in false cases,” Oraon said.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110505/jsp/jharkhand/story_13941186.jsp
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