Raipur/Dantewada : For decades, August 15 was like any other day in Ramji Dhruv’s life. Driven out of his village of Konge in 2013 by Maoists, the 42-year-old let Independence Day pass without any fanfare, fearful of the ever-watchful rebels.
India became independent on August 15, 1947, but Abujhmad has received its real freedom only now. Officials said 92 villages across Bastar – including 33 in Bijapur, 50 in Sukma and nine in Narayanpur – will hoist the Tricolour on August 15 for the first time since Independence. More than 500 locations across Bastar, including schools, public squares and community buildings, will also be renamed after martyrs and local icons on August 15. In Koraskodo, Hachekoti, Adnar, Boter, Kumnar, Diwalur, Gundekot, Rekapal and Rasmeta, residents said black flags were hoisted on August 15 and villagers were often ordered to remain inside their homes.
Residents – who largely hailed from the Madiya communities — were forced to undertake arduous journeys for basic necessities to Bijapur either on foot, bicycles or sometimes by tractors. “We have finally returned. Those who disobeyed were branded police informers, attacked or forced to flee. The villages were once part of the Maoists’ military and political network, with senior leaders operating from the dense forests of Abujhmad. For the children of Purangel, Lava and Badepalli, Independence Day will carry a meaning beyond the familiar speeches and ceremonies. The flag will fly above schools that have themselves returned from the shadows.
Masiharam Nureti of Garba village said several local residents spent years away from their homes after being forced to flee. This year, we will hoist the Tricolour with pride,” he said. “It is a moment of great pride for the villagers and especially for the children, who will be able to celebrate the day in their own village,” said Sunita Mandavi, a teacher at the government school in Pademta village in Abujhmad.
