Chhattisgarh: Naxal threat forces 8 tribal families flee home in Bastar

This was the second displacement of these families from their native places, triggered by the Naxal threats, in the last 12 years.

Of them, six families hailed from Kohakwara village and the remaining two families were from Todma.

The two villages, situated along the borders of Dantewada, Bijapur and Narayanpur districts in south Bastar, fall under Abujhmad area where security forces have launched a series of offensives against the Maoists to flush them out.

Eighty-eight Naxals were killed in four major counterinsurgency operations launched by security forces in Abujhmad area in the last seven months.

In October last year, 38 Maoists were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in the forest of Tultul, close to the two villages.

Sources said the Maoist suspected the role of the two families in tipping off the police on the presence of Naxals in Thultul area, leading to the encounter and issued them an ultimatum to leave the villages or get killed.

“The eight families had shifted to Gidam and Barsur areas in Dantewada district from their villages around 12 years due to the threats by the Maoists to kill them. They had returned to their native villages recently to lead a normal life by farming in their agricultural lands. But they were forced to leave their villages once again by the Maoists a couple of days ago”, Dantewada district additional superintendent of police R K Burman told this newspaper on Thursday.

The two families have now shifted to the homes of their relatives in Gidam and Barsur in Dantewada district, he said.

Kohakwara and Todma fall under Barsur police station in Dantewada district, but come under revenue district of Bijapur.