Abjuring the usual hard line to combat leftwing extremism, the Chhattisgarh police have resorted to dance-drama to campaign against Maoist activities and earn the local tribals’ support.
Police Natya Chetana Manch (PNCM), comprising 23 police personnel from Sukma district, has for the last month been giving performances, set to the tunes of songs in the local Gondi, urging the tribal people to “stop supporting the Maoists and come over to the government’s side.”
Among the PNCM’s personnel are erstwhile members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) who worked for its propaganda wing, the Natya Chetana Manch.
“We are singing and dancing at the market places in a few towns and villages of Sukma. The aim is to create awareness among tribals over the futility of Maoist violence,” says Rajkumar Kara, head of the PNCM group in Dornapal area.
“Maoists are exploiting Bastar tribals for political gains and not allowing them to benefit from development carried out by the government. Through the PNCM, we are making an effort to bring them on to our [the government’s] side,” claims Bhima, another member of the group, who lost four fingers manufacturing a bomb for the Maoists a few years ago.
Bhima’s colleague Malkam Kalla says: “We want to convey to the tribals that Maoist violence is doing no good to them and how they are being ruled by a handful of ‘Mirchi Seths’ [rich people] from Andhra.”
According to Dornapal Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sanjay Dhruv, the PNCM propaganda has had a “visible effect.” “More than 25 Maoists have surrendered after the launch of PNCM in Sukma,” the SDPO claimed.
“Police is the most visible face of the administration in Bastar. We [the police] have been reaching out to the most interior parts where no other arm of the administration has been able to reach. [So far, the administration has been unable to counter] the Maoists’ propaganda. But now, the PNCM is bridging that gap,” said Sukma district Additional Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh, speaking to The Hindu and added that the initiative for the PNCM came from “higher authorities” of Chhattisgarh police.
