|
In 1999 eight
comrades have fallen martyrs in Dandakaranya. These include one Divisional
Committee (DVC) member, two commanders, four professional revolutionaries (PRs)
and one DAKMS member.
On August 7, 99,
Gadchiroli DVC member, Com. Vikram, was killed during a raid on a police
station in Rajanandgaon (MP). Com. Vikram fell to enemy bullets while heroically
leading the assault on the police station. His body, though, was not allowed to
fall into enemy hands. He was carried away by his comrades and was laid to rest
with full party honours. Com. Vikram had a long history of heroic struggles.
Hailing from Husnabad (Karimnagar), he became president of the APRSU (AP Radical
Students Union) in 1988. Later, he went on to become an organiser of the party
in Hyderabad city. He was actively involved in the 1991 kidnap of Sudhir Kumar.
In 1992 he moved to DK. Creatively, taking up all responsibilities given by the
party, Com. Vikram was instrumental in building the movement, wherever he was
allocated.
In the second week of
March 99, Com. Prabhakar, commander of the Perimeli squad (Gadchiroli)
along with Com. Meenakka were martyred, due to information provided by a
treacherous informer. Comrade Prabhakar was one of the rising stars in the
Dandakaranya revolutionary movement from amongst the local tribals. Born in a
poor peasant family as Jurru Vadde, in Alveer village, while working as
compounder in Prakash Amte’s hospital at Hemalkassa, he got educated in their
school. He excelled in the school and became chairman of the student
organisation. In the village, he came in touch with the squads. Inspired by its
politics he became an active member of the DAKMS..... a range committee member
and then a central organiser. As repression was intense in 1991/92 he joined the
squad. Here too he excelled and had become commander at the time of his
martyrdom. There is a lengthy reference to him in the Marathi novel by Vilas
Manohar (Eka Naxalvadi-chi Ghosht), and at the time of his death there was a
long obituary to him in the Nagapur daily, Lokmat. Today, a song in Gondi on
Prabhakar’s life, is one of the most popular, that resounds in the villages
throughout DK. His martyrdom has become a rallying point for all tribals of DK.
Com. Meenakka,
was a tribal girl from Ahiri-Etapalli area of Gadchiroli. She was first active
in KAMS and then joined the squad in 1991. A consistent fighter, she learnt to
read and write within the squad.
The other five
comrades were martyred in the mountains of Abhujmad (MP). With the party having
effectively increased its strength recently in the Abhujmad area the enemy
forces are aggressively seeking to stem the expansion of this movement. They
have set up a vast network of informers and are trying to corrupt the very
backward tribal youth of this area. It is through this network that an entire
LGS (local guerilla squad) and a DAKMS member, Com. Ramesh, were martyred.
The commander of this
squad, 37 year-old Com. Somanna (Atram Goranna), was one of the earliest
local recruits in DK. When the Ahiri squad began work in Gadchiroli, Com.
Somanna was attracted to the movement since 1982. He was one of the original
organisers of the DAKMS in the area and later became a party member. In 1992, he
sacrificed his family life and joined the squad, leaving behind in the village a
wife and four children. On being sent to the Abhujmad area he was effective in
integrating with the even more backward tribals of the area, organising and
leading them. 28-year-old Com. Sabita (Midka Netam) was also an early recruit
from Gadchiroli division. Having first worked in KAMS she joined the squad in
1990. When sent to distant Balaghat she quickly picked up the local language and
effectively integrated and led the people. She returned to Gadchiroli in 1996
and was sent to the Abhujmad area in 1988. 34 years Com. Kavita was, at a young
age, married into a village in Gadchiroli. Since her husband became a full time
activist of the party, she while looking after the two children, actively
sympathised with the movement. Later she took increased responsibility in
assisting a DAKMS organiser. Finally, in 1996 she joined the National Park squad
(from where she belonged) and went to the Abhujmad area in 1998 leaving behind
the children with relatives.
Com. Rakesh (Madkam
Muttal) who joined the squad after being with the Bal Sanghatan in South
Bastar also went to the Abhujmad area in 1998. He was betrayed and killed by a
local trader, turned informer.
All these heroic
martyrs of DK have lived exemplary lives. Their blood has fertilised the soil of
the developing guerilla zone in Dandakaranya. The blood-thirsty rulers think
that by corrupting the people and planting spies throughout the area, they can
stem the tide of the ongoing revolutionary movement. But the growing vigilance
and alertness of the people are soon exposing these criminal agents. Let the
enemy not forget that after the martyrdom of Com. Nirmala in North Bastar last
year a huge nest of spies was discovered and annihilated. Money can buy a
handful of spies and lumpens, it cannot stem the mass upsurge of an awakened
people.
|
