On a monsoon afternoon as I head towards Mist at The Park tiny rain drops begin to fall. However, before raindrops resemble a polka dot patchwork, I find myself seated at the all-weather Mist; its interplay of white and sky blue beads is like pearls to my tired eyes. Its gleaming white walls are endlessly riveting, they provide nice breathing space. Behind me on a little stretch of green beyond the glass, rain falls a little more forcefully. The lush greens, the sound of rain and all peace and quiet inside. Life could scarcely get any better. It does for with me is Rohit Prasad, a wonderfully successful author who teaches economics at Management Development Institute in Gurgaon, the centre which sponsored his field trips for his latest work, “Blood Red River”. He is here to talk of the book, his forays into the Maoist belt where, to use a Hindi film dialogue, even a bird thinks twice before fluttering its wings. But Prasad, short neither of dering-do nor relentless curiosity, went there any way; talked to a host of locals, many tribal people, a handful from the corporate world, some street-wise politicians too. The first batch of locals asked him, almost derisively, “Do we look like Maoists?” Prasad was wise enough to avoid an answer then. Not so today. Over a buffet lunch spread that opens with Greek salad, Delhi chat platter and invitingly green lettuce and not-so-red carrot, he allows himself more than a modicum of honesty. “I was not scared. I was nervous,” says Prasad. He has quickly learnt to measure his words. Indeed, he has raised it to a fine art as our subsequent conversation proves. Incidentally, his salt and pepper hair, admittedly more pepper than salt, does a fine job of balancing a rather youthful face, and cheerful eyes. Ah, the joys of package in life!
As he digs into a little plate of gram, lettuce, carrot and cucumber, Prasad reveals his story. “I was not very sensitive towards the subject before I started the book. There were a couple of reasons. I had written ‘Start-Up Sutra’ already. I wanted to write a best-seller. Some of my students had become best-selling English authors. They do not write very good fiction, but it works. So, I had asked them how do I become a best selling author. They said the secret is you must constantly churn out books, a book every three-four months. I thought I would do a book on Osama Manzar, wanted to talk of his works in remote parts of the country. I went to Kota, Chanderi, Bhopal, etc. But the book was not happening for me. But when I went to Bhopal, I heard that communication was a solution to the problem of Maoists. It gripped me. Then I went for a language conference on Bundi. I met people who lived in Maoist areas,” he says; now very much eager to reveal the ingredients of the book. The fact that my own ignorance of his first work necessitated a walk down memory lane for him now seems almost superfluous. No complaints though, it is always nice to peep back in time.
The appetisers over, Prasad moves to help himself to the main course where the good old rogan josh is invitingly hot, the vegetarian rice nice and colourful and fish tikka, without being spicy, steers clear of being bland. Of course, risotto and grilled prawns do not provide bad competition.
Prasad and I help ourselves to some bhindi as well, long pieces, sliced quite beautifully; the spice quotient is slightly on the lower side. But never mind. Prasad continues his story. “When I first went there, I did not get positive vibes from the locals. They looked at me as just another guy out to exploit them. As I went a little further, I realised that this was much more news worthy than the original book I had conceived.”
Thus came “Blood Red River, A Journey Into the Heart of India’s Development Conflict”, a richly engrossing book that tells the tale of Soni Sori and the rest, the brave women who faced the worst, but lived to tell the tale.
Prasad continues his, “Then there is a mid-life crisis. I was quite deeply disturbed when Narendra Modi emerged in 2014. In a way, it freed me. The birth of my political consciousness happened with that. Things did not get better in Chhattisgarh with coming of Modi. In the matter of adivasis both Congress and the BJP are equally culpable. Congress basically sponsored Salwa Judum in 2005 but ironically also sponsored the Forest Rights Act in 2006. Then came the Land Acquisition Act in 2013. With Modi things turned for the worse. The failed attempt of Salwa Judum was revived with greater organisation in the form of Samajik Ekta Manch. Now there is a Bastar battalion which is organised version of Salwa Judum. There is something called Operation 2016 which said in 2016 we will wipe out the Maoists.”
Considering we are more than half way through the year, isn’t it easier said than done, particularly with Maoists exercising influence in 100-odd districts across the country? “Maoism that existed in the 50s-60s is dead. What exists today is criminalisation. This problem is much harder to handle. Today there is one Maoist and ten pretenders.”
In the book, Prasad also claims there is no tribal who is a Maoist. Is it true?
“That is right. There are still very dedicated members who believe in their ideology but now there are lumpen elements who have taken over the label. And the government has used this label successfully to kill the cause. The government is attempting to kill the cause that led to insurgency. Today, the level of mechanisation of mines is unprecedented. So the local population benefits less. The speed at which the ecology is destroyed has increased significantly. The local flora and fauna has no time to adapt. Today, the mining is much more subject to global commodity price cycle. That creates significant stress on the local community.”
As Prasad takes time over his food, it is time to look for positives in the situation. “There is a ray of hope. Across the world capitalism is under serious questioning. But the combination of capitalism and organised religion has led to climate change, terrorism and inequality of the kind we have not seen before. It is placing serious strains on society across the world. So things are bound to change. Today, the State has turned the tables on the Maoists by dubbing anyone who supports the cause as Maoists.”
However, every conversation deserves to end on a sweet note. So Prasad helps himself to some dessert, some brownies. Invitng his attention are chocolate mousse and provencal tiramisu. “I love tea with biscuit, cookies. I love chocolate and the rest of the stuff.” That is almost music to my ears after all the talk around “Blood Red River”!
As I step out of Mist, it seems Delhi has been washed afresh by rains. The cars are all gleaming, the pavement sellers are back in business. And playing in my mind after our leisurely conversation over adelectable lunch are Prasad’s words: “The State has turned the tables”.
