RED banners strung between sturdy teak tree limbs are the first visible warning signs that you have crossed over into eastern Maharashtra’s ‘Naxal-liberated zone’. One banner on the road to Binagunda village in Gadchiroli’s southern interior sports the message, “Maoists support innocent Adivasis. Stop killing and arrests of Adivasis under Operation Kagar. Stop corporatisation and militarisation,” scribbled in a smattering of the local Madiya Gondi and Hindi. Other posters ask people to boycott the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and banish what the text describes as the ‘‘BrahminHindutvawadi’’ Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Naxal propaganda is the sole indication of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls within the isolated and largely inaccessible region of the hilly, deciduous forests of Bhamragad, which is controlled by the guerrilla army of the Communist Party of India.
“No politician ever comes here. It doesn’t matter who’s elected,” says Brindi Rama Durva from Binagunda, a scenic village with 25 resident families. Electricity poles were set up here only last month, but the power supply hasn’t started full-time. “There was electricity for one day. After that, it stopped,” says a villager, mocking the State government’s half-hearted attempts to provide basic amenities.
The imprint of development and democracy appears to draw to a screeching halt at the threshold of Binagunda’s boundaries.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 11, 2024-Ausgabe von Outlook.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 11, 2024-Ausgabe von Outlook.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Dera, Drugs And Despair
Punjab poll pitch is seeing interesting twists and turns this election season
Allure Of Hatefulness Beyond Hate Speech
Polarisation between the Hindus and the Muslims is an unappetising reality, an ugliness that will not go away even after the votes get counted
Shine Off Sonar Bangla
Since the ant displacement movements against the Left Front government in 2006-08, Bengal has seen increased corruption, communalisation of politics and the rise of welfarism
Carnatic Cauldron
For the BJP-led NDA, 400 paar will remain a dream if the South Indian states choose to look the other way
The Young & the Restless
A new crop of young Dalit leaders shine in Uttar Pradesh's political Armament
In The Name Of Ram
For the people of Hazaribagh, famous for its Ram Navamii, life is a tussle between peace, processions and politics
Shell Company?
The power play between the BJP and the BJD in Odisha appears to be an electoral gimmick. Post elections, they may have each other's back
Peak Season in the Pir Panjal
Politicians excel at stirring up emotions at election time, and Kashmiris are torn between responding with cries or slogans
Seeds of Betrayal
Forget about doubling their income, Haryana's farmers are living a life in penury
Capital Contest
Could an alliance of former foes prevent a hat-trick for the BJP in Delhi?