Raipur: In the first of its kind development, a large group of unarmed tribals forced the Naxals to release 40 hostages being held captive for a week in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district.
Around 2,000 unarmed adivasis gathered at Polampalli in the district on Wednesday and marched to the jungles of Sisma to free their kin who had been held hostage by Naxals since October 9. The tribals were furious over reports that the Maoists were planning to execute all the 40 hostages after trying them in jan adalat (kangaroo court) for deserting their cadre.
“The tribals of around a dozen villages marched to the forest to free their kin from custody of the Maoists. They forced the captors to release all the 40 hostages,” Sukma district additional SP Harish Rathore said.
“This was the first instance where tribals in Bastar dared to raise a banner of revolt against Naxals,” he said, adding, “It shows the pent up anger of adivasis against Naxals.”
All 40 were former Naxals who had surrendered before police.
