ANTI-NAXAL MOVEMENT: Mahendra Karma, Leader of the Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Assembly, who is leading a peace rally in Bastar forests.

BASTAR: Mahendra Karma knows that he is high on the Maoists' hit list. But that does not deter him from making determined efforts to mobilise tribals against the Maoists.

Undaunted by the growing threat perception and killing of his followers, Mr. Karma would spare no effort to organise more and more Salva Zudoom (peace initiative) rallies in the interior villages of Bastar forests which have been under the control of Maoists for the past two decades.

``Salva Zudoom is not driven by a political objective. The predominant feeling among tribals is that they want to live their own lives. They are vexed with the Maoist violence and they say they do not want to be dictated to by anyone. People are angry at the naxalites and Salva Zudoom is born out of this anger,'' Mr. Karma told The Hindu .

The Maoist reprisals in which 32 people were killed do not seem to prevent the tribals from participating in Salva Zudoom programmes. Armed with bows and arrows and other traditional weapons, more tribals have been attending the rallies. ``The reason is simple. The Maoists have destroyed the ethos and norms of a tribal society in the name of revolution. People have been forced to toe their line under the barrel of a gun. But remember, a tribal is a fiercely independent person living in an independent society. That's why they are revolting against the Maoists,'' Mr. Karma explained while on his way to attend a peace rally at Kodoli. Mr. Karma, elected to the Chhattisgarh Assembly from Dantewada constituency, is the Leader of the Opposition too. His open opposition to the Maoists has come as a boon to the BJP Government led by Raman Singh. The tribal leader does not mince words in questioning the naxalites as to why they were killing people if they had established their total control in Bastar. ``What's the use of any ideology, if it cannot tolerate dissent?''

With the Maoists preventing governmental agencies from functioning, there is absolutely no development at all. ``In the last two decades, the naxals took us back by a century,'' he says. The Maoists would claim that they got wages increased. But the increased wages do not reach the tribals; they are taken away by the Maoists towards party fund. Is this justice? he questions. ``When people began questioning the Maoists, they were killed. And for the media it is no news at all. If a tiger is killed, it would make front page news. Thirty-two people were killed by naxalites in Bastar from July 19. No paper or television channel even condemned the Maoists. Is this fair?" Mr. Karma points out that ``mindless violence'' by Maoists forced people to raise the banner of revolt. ``Salva Zudoom is going to prove that the movement which started in Naxalbari will end in Bastar.''

He claims that he had been successful in smashing the Maoist network in 100 villages in Bastar so far. ``It took twenty years for naxals to establish their control, but it would take only three years to defeat them. That is people's power," Mr. Karma asserts.

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