Maoism or my baby: A mother’s desperate dilemma in insurgency-hit Chhattisgarh

The small village of Mukaram in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh is surrounded by a faded national highway and a small tributary of the Maley Vagu River.

Like the rest of the region, this village has also witnessed its fair share of encounters between the Maoists and CRPF troops, where both sides, as well as civilians, suffered huge losses — termed 'collateral damage'.

The ideologies of Maoism flow through the veins of the village’s indigenous inhabitants, so much so that they overlook their own basic needs of 'Roti, Kapda aur Makan' in favour of the 'Jal, Jungle and Zameen' motto of the armed Naxalites. In simple terms, many of the villagers are 'Maoist sympathisers', some from conviction, others from desperation.

And sometimes, the cost of this leaning has to be paid by innocent kids — as I was soon to learn.

Why do newborn babies and small kids in this land have to give up their life for the cause that seeks to cover entire Hindustan with red extremism?

Addled with superstitions and with a fear of Maoists, why do the people here draw a Laxman Rekha between themselves, Maoists and much-needed government aid?

These questions occurred in my mind when I came across a six-month-old baby girl who was suffering from PF Malaria for the past 2 months.

Her parents were reluctant to see a doctor — instead choosing to request the services of a 'Wadd', a local 'healer' who would try to expel the ‘ghost’ inside the baby’s body and soul with loud incantations.

The fear of Maoists has in fact reached such heights that the baby’s mother claimed she would be branded a traitor should she seek government aid for the child's treatment — eventually, she would be bludgeoned in the Jan Adalat or the so-called Jantana Sarkar for not towing the Naxal line.

But finally, a mother’s love for her baby defied all odds — and desperate, she brought her child to an undisclosed CRPF camp. The tiny child was a living skeleton but her wide open eyes and the trembling belly gave the CRPF doctors the crucial sign that she was still fighting for her life.

Despite the absence of paediatricians or paediatric medicines, immediate redressal and treatment were given to the baby by the CRPF doctors. After what seemed like a painfully long week, her skeleton-ish face began filling out and often broke into innocent smiles, reminding me of the innocently smiling emoji.

This transformation had a lot do to with the admirable efforts of the Commandant of 201 COBRA battalion, Rakesh Rao. He was instrumental in saving the baby’s life by sending all the vital medicines on short notice and making sure the treatment was not hindered in any way.

Despite still being fearful of the Maoists, the mother was ecstatic that she could now embrace and cuddle her child.

I sincerely hope that the baby’s mother might share this episode of love and care by the CRPF in the Janatana Sarkar (or Jan Adalat). Her act would encourage others like her to shun their superstitions and muddled beliefs in their time of need.

I hope they too understand one day that life, all life, and their own children's lives, should prevail over ideology, always.

Also read: Gadchiroli Maoist attack was not an intelligence failure