M A I N   N E W S

Polls 2008
Chhattisgarh
In Naxal heartland, a call for boycott
Vibha Sharma writes from Jagdalpur

In the tribal heartland of Bastar, Naxalites have issued a call to boycott the assembly elections. To ensure that minimal or absolutely no polling takes place on November 14, when Phase I of Chhattisgarh poll takes place, they have also issued directions to traders to ensure that they do set shops in "Haat Bazaars", a place where tribals buy household essentials for the week.

While “Haat Bazaars”, an important part of the tribal culture in the region are usually held by rotation in different parts of the area on different days, Friday is the day of the week when the maximum number of such local markets are organised.

As Chhattisgarh goes to the polls in two phases on November 14 and November 20, Maoist dominated areas will be the first ones to vote. While the majority of the 39 seats in the Phase I of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections can be classified as Naxalite affected, it is the Bastar region, comprising five districts of Jagdalpur, Kanker, Dantewada, Bijapur and Narayanpur, which is the worst affected. It is in the interiors of this area where fear and alienation are the defining forces of life and where security forces can expect a tough time in order to ensure free and fair poll.

In all there are 12 Assembly constituencies in the Bastar region.

They include Konta, Bijapur and Dantewada in south Bastar, Jagdalpur, Chitrakoot, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Keshkal in central Bastar and Kanker, Antagarh and Bhanupratapur in north Bastar.

Incidentally, among the 12 constituencies in the Bastar region, the most interesting contest is slated in south Bastar at Dantewada where the CPI has fielded a candidate who can be expected to give a tough fight to sitting Congress candidate Mahendra Karma, Leader of the Opposition and one of the strongest supported of the controversial Salwa Judum, the people's force to fight Naxalites.

In the Dantewada Assembly constituency, opposing Karma in a triangular contest that also includes BJP candidate Bhairav Mandavi, is the CPI's Manish Kunjum, who is fighting the elections on the ground that counter-terrorism has only resulted in more terror in the region.

The fight for this seat appears to be poised between anti-Naxalite Salwa Judum supporters and its opponents, making this contest a crucial fight between two ideologies. In the past three years of Salwa Judum, more than 50,000 people have been displaced from their villages and there are opposing views on the movement.

Even though the Naxalites have given a call to boycott the elections, the presence of huge security forces in the area means that those in camps will be able to vote. While polling booths have been set up in the camps, booths will also be established for those who are still living in villages.Whether they will be able to vote or will want to vote is the big question.

Besides the state police forces, as many as 25,000 para-military, including CRPF, BSF and other state battalions, have been deployed. That Naxalite hold remains strong in the region can be witnessed from the fact that in the past three days four incidents involving Naxalites have been reported.