|
The day is December
2, 2001. The place is somewhere in South Bastar. The nearest police station is
12 to 15 kilometers away. The terrain is all jungle and small hills. All around
there are thorny bushes. In this thick of hills, jungle and bushes a small patch
of land is swept clean by the villagers and squad members. People’s Guerrillas
Army (PGA) has been staying here for the last two days.
Like all mornings in
South Bastar this morning too has dawned in the usual way — the chirping of
birds start as the twilight appears. It seems there are only a few birds on the
trees yet they declare the arrival of the morning happily. Just about this time
a whistle pierce the calmness of the morning and soon you see silhoutte like
figures rising up from the earth—someone here another there. They are all
around. The day for the guerrillas has started.
After about half an
hour another whistle comes and men and women in full combat gear line up for the
roll-call. The assemblage though is not like the traditional, professional
armies make, yet there is a semblance in discipline, movements and appearance.
But the major difference that stribes the eye is the presence of uniformed women
who constitute nearly half of the total strength and standing side by side with
the men. Roll-call over and they listen to their commander who reminds them that
today is the martyrdom day of three Central Committee members of CPI (ML)
[People’s War] namely Shyam, Mahesh and Murli. Another significance of the day,
he tells them, is the second anniversary of the raising of People’s Guerrilla
Army (PGA). The commemoration, thus, is double. For the guerrillas the grief has
been converted into strength with the launch of PGA a year ago. They take it as
a great step forward as PGA is the precursor of a regular liberation army of the
Indian people, the PLA [People’s Liberation Army].
For the last two days
the guerrillas have been busy in preparing banners. placards and red flags. for
the ocassion. Though many of them were illiterate and had just learnt the
alphabet yet they were happy to paint slogans on banners. This they did by
running their self-made brushes over pencil scribbled letters. These boys and
girls from the Gond tribes have never been to school. Whatever they know about
reading and writing is the result of hard studies which they carry on almost on
a daily basis in spite of the fact that they are always on the move and seldom
stay at a place for more than a few hours.
CPI (ML) People’s War
carries on armed revolution and conducts literacy campaign for its fighters both
at the same time. The Gond youths study as vigorously during the day as
rigourously they exercise in the morning. Even today, and despite the fact that
they are going to celebrate the PGA Day, you can see many of them studying. They
picked up their primaries and books after cleaning and oiling their guns. To
keep their guns ready they clean them daily. A gun on the shoulder, a pen in the
pocket and a slate and a few books in the kit is what a guerrilla always carry.
The day’s
celebrations are a few hours away. Till then there are many things these young
people will do. Here I take you for a round of the camp. Before doing the round
I must tell you that a group of some 30 to 35 youths from the surrounding
villages had arrived at the camp last night. They brought their traditional
weapons—Vill Khads (bows and arrows)—with them. They joined with the PGA men and
women for the exercise session in the morning. So, the exercise formation was a
combination of uniformed and semiclad youths. The exercise and parade made an
interesting views to look at as many a times the village youth would get out of
time and amid laughter would adjust with the regular once only to be caught on
the wrong foot again when the next exercise commenced. After the exercise they
were tought how to lay a boody trap and attack the enemy in a quick and sudden
operation and then disappear in the thickets after a gun battle. These are the
drills.
Back to the round of
the camp. Some are learning how to read and write. Another group is singing a
chorus. Still another is giving final touches to banners and placards and is
busy preparing flags. A little far away a few persons are discussing some
military affairs. Some mystery surrounds their group. Perhaps some quick
operations are being planned with the potential new recruits. Yet another group
is brooding over something. It appears more secretive. May be, a surprise is
being planned. In another direction a few people are busy in preparing meals for
the whole gathering.
Everywher, everybody
is carrying his or her weapon or the weapon is lying close-by. In case something
happens the whole camp will be ready to take on the new challenge. I was told
that the sentries are keeping a keen watch all around the camp. Of course, I
could see none of the sentries. They must have hid themselves from all eyes. All
I could see was the bustling liveliness of these young men and women busy in
their assignments.
A whistle tells
everyone that it is the meals time. Everyone takes out a plate out of one’s kit
and heads for the kitchen. Those who don’t have plates make one from the tree
leaves. The meal is simple. It is what the Gond people eat—nooka (broken
rice) and kusir (vegetable). It is more rice and less vegetable. They get
their meals and sit in a way as if you are having a picnic. It is a picnic
without snacks and pickles and jams. The special addition is fish but it is not
a special thing for the tribals. Another speciality is a sauce made from red
ants. When the tribals fall short of vegetables and don’t find roots they
collect small insects, make a pulp out of them, mix some salt and chillies and
cook them for a while in a pan lined with oil. This makes a great dish and
everyone enjoys it. Everybody enjoys the meals. These people are one with
everyone else, have a common mission and live a life of shared hardships and
joys.
Meals over and it is
past noon. The celebrations are about to begin. You see streams of people coming
from all directions towards the camp. They are from some ten small villages in
the vicinity. Around 700 people assemble at the place. The meeting place is
named after Koyyur martyrs and is decorated with banners and red flags. Now a
detachment of 25 guerrillas and 50 militia of the Gram Raksha Dals (Village
Defence Squads) and carrying traditional weapans enter the place singing the Red
Army Song —People’s War Ta Lal Fauj....... The detachment marches forward
and the whole gathering follows them for a march through the jungle. A
serpentine path is followed through the jungle which has come alive with
thundering slogans and colourful but simply dressed tribal people.
The march comes to a
halt when it reaches back at the venue. While people take their place in front
of the stage which is nothing but an elevated land mass selected for the
purpose—the village Defence Squad members take up their positions under the
trees all around the venue.
Flag raising ceremony
follows. A man brings forward a freshly cut long bamboo shoot to be used as the
pole. Area Committee Secretary takes out a big red flag, puts it over the pole
and fixes the pole in a hole dug up in the ground. The whole gathering watches
him curiously.
The PGA flag is
raised and the secretary salutes it. Along with are raised twenty five hands of
PGA guerrillas in unison. Not a single sound disturbs the on going ceremony. The
silence, the stillness overwhelms the whole atmosphere. Only the flag flutters
toweringly in the light winds of the jungle. All eyes are fixed on it. The scene
is awe inspiring. It is a strange and rare ocassion in the lives of the tribals.
The look in the eyes of the adivasis is quiet and strange. Perhaps they have
never seen such a majestic ceremony ever before. It goes on for a couple of
minutes and then a voice says : "hands down". The raised arms fall back to their
place.
The salute is over
and the Secretary tells the crowd about the significance of the People’s
Guerrilla Army. He tells them that PGA is the precursor of a regular People’s
Liberation Army that will liberate not only the adivasi people but also the
people of the whole country one day. It is for the first time in the history of
the communist movement in India that a people’s Guerrilla army is being raised.
There is a definite plan to develop it into a people’s liberation army. Its flag
signifies a resolve to overthrow the exploitative and oppressive rule of the
present day ruling classes through the force of arms. He exhorted the people to
come forward and join the ranks of the PGA to realise the dream of liberation.
Then Area Commander
of Kishtaram and the South Bastar Divisional Secretary also addressed the people
telling them that the People’s War is determind to convert the Dandakarnya
region into a base area for the Indian revolution. The Divisional Secretary
explained to the people that why the people have nothing without the people’s
army. She called on the people to take up the task set by the Party and
strengthen the guerrilla forces as well as secure the control of the natural
resources of the region to develop it as a self-sufficient economic unit. She
condemned the US war on Afghanistan. Called on the people to arm themselves and
participate in People’s War of liberation.
At the end of the
function the PGA flag is taken down with full military honours and the
Internationale is sung by the PGA guerrillas.
Meanwhile, the
evening has set in and it is becoming darker and darker. The village people have
left the place and now only the PGA squad and the village Defence Squad team
remains at the scene. Everyday seems tired and exhausted yet they are happy at
the successful conclusion of the PGA Day. The tea is served with a handful of
groundnuts. Suddenly another whistle pierce your ears and all men and women fall
in lines with weopons slung over their shoulders. Area commander speaks a few
words in Gond language. I am told that the order is to leave the place and go
somewhere else for night’s stay. Defence squads depart first and lastly the PGA
marches out to an unknown destination. They will walk for a few hours deep in to
the jungle before settling down to have a nap. A few hours of sleep will
energise them till another morning whistle wakes them up for the next day’s
journey.
|
