Dantewada . Dantewada Naxal Area: In the interiors of Bastar, Naxalites have built memorials of Naxalites killed in a police encounter. Till now the police has been breaking these monuments, but for the first time on Wednesday, the villagers along with the soldiers have broken the Naxalite memorial in Nilavay village. The memorial was of Naxalite commander Gundadhur.
The villagers said that the Naxalites pressurize the rupees to build the memorial and also collect money for free. A donation of 200-200 rupees was collected from each house for the memorial. Doordarshan’s cameraman was killed in a Naxalite attack during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the same area.
Significantly, in several interior villages of Dantewada, Naxalites have built memorials of the Maoists killed in the encounter and many of these remote villages had no movement of force till now. That is why Naxalites used to make intimidation from innocent villagers and also forcibly work for the construction of memorials. But recently, as road construction work is increasing rapidly in Naxal-affected areas, the force is also reaching in internal areas. Due to which the villagers are also gaining confidence.
Previously, where the force’s soldiers used to finish the Naxalite monuments themselves, now the villagers in these villages are also coming forward and telling themselves where the Naxalites have built the memorial and helping the soldiers in its demolition. Top police officials believe that this indicates that the fear of Naxalites is ending in the minds of villagers.
