From what they say, it seems the tribals—dependent on the forest for their livelihood—were taxed or fined for everything, from grazing and firewood collection to house-constructions and weddings. The alternative was arrest.

One elderly villager tells us an interesting story: ‘‘Though we had pattas for our land, our patel told us our rights were restricted to the top six inches of that land—and it was government land below that! We were fined if we ploughed a little deeper or dug a pit.’’

Root of Reform

The idea of establishing a guerrilla zone in Dandakaranya was first mooted by Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, founder of People’s War. Way back in 1979, a squad was sent here for a recce; another five squads followed the next year.

But their task was not limited to organising the tribals against atrocities. The Naxalites understood that the tribals—still dependent on gathering food—needed to develop their skill in agriculture. ‘‘Teaching them to plot, plough, manure and weed land was a herculean task,’’ recalls a long-time Maoist leader, showing off rows of nursery fields within the forest.

In the early days, after erratic rains undermined their agricultural efforts, the Naxalites came up with the idea of digging lakes, which would ensure at least one crop a year. That idea laid the foundation of today’s Janatana Sarkar: Since 1995, hundreds of such lakes have been dug in Bastar and Dantewada districts, irrigating land and breeding fish.

The Janatana Sarkar has also experimented with cooperative teams, usually comprising five families each, who work together on their own fields while the landowner claims the harvest. After many trials and errors, the system is now running successfully in many villages.

... contd.