Poonam Masih, TwoCircles.net
Five minors were allegedly injured on December 12 by bullets during a suspected encounter between security forces and Maoists in the border villages of Kummam and Lekawada, situated on the border of Dantewada and Narayanpur districts in South Bastar, Chhattisgarh. This incident occurred just days before Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the region, where he announced that Bastar would be free of Red insurgents by 2026.
Rights activist Soni Sori, who visited the villages following the incident, alleged that four children had been shot at. Two of the children, according to her, are being treated at Dantewada district hospital, while one was referred to Raipur after a bullet lodged in his throat.
Sori explained that according to the villagers, the shooting occurred on the morning of December 11, when an encounter took place between security forces and Maoists. The children, who were working in the fields, were caught in the crossfire. “The children were admitted to the hospital on December 14. Their wounds were filled with pus, and they were in a lot of pain,” she told TwoCircles.net.
Chetram, one of the injured children, shared his account. He explained that while his mother and father were working in the fields, his father sent him to fetch water. While on his way, Chetram was shot. He was treated at home by his family, and his father was also injured in the same attack. At present, Chetram and the other children are receiving medical treatment.
Sori said that the hospital reports confirmed the bullet injuries, but no FIR has been filed in connection with the incident. Villagers reported that the District Reserve Guard (DRG) arrived in the area around 8-9 AM on December 11, while most of the villagers were working in the fields. During the gunfire, many villagers fled and became separated from their families, with some going missing.
A tragic aspect of the incident was the case of a breastfeeding infant, Rainu, who lost his father to gunfire while in the field. The child was found three days later, 30 kilometers away, by his mother in another village.
The injured children have been identified as Ramali Oyamm, Sonu Oyam, Chaitram Oyam and Raju Nandam.
The incident occurred during the “Maoist-free Aki” campaign in Bastar, a joint operation involving CRPF, DRG, and the local police forces from Dantewada and Narayanpur. The police later claimed that during the encounter, Maoists had sent villagers and children forward to shield their leader, Ramchandra, which resulted in the children being caught in the crossfire. According to Bastar IG Sundarraj P., six days after the encounter, the police received information that the Maoists had used the villagers as human shields. “During this firing, four minors got shot, and three boys are being treated in Jagdalpur hospital,” he said.
The police further stated that the Maoists had used villagers to transport their supplies, which led to the encounter when security forces surrounded them. This resulted in gunfire from both sides, injuring the children.
In the aftermath of the incident, Chhattisgarh PCC Chief Deepak Baij visited the victims receiving treatment in Raipur. He criticized the government’s response, stating, “Out of the seven people killed, only two were Maoists. Five innocent tribals were killed. The administration tried to suppress this incident.”
The encounter and its aftermath have sparked considerable controversy. FACAM (Federation Against Child and Adivasi Malpractices) issued a statement alleging that only two of the seven people killed were Maoists, with the rest being innocent villagers. “It is important to understand why the Maoists, who always accept the loss of their cadres as a sacrifice, have alleged that only two out of seven killed were their members. It is equally important to ask how the allegations made by Maoists match the testimonies of the injured villagers,” FACAM said.
FACAM also reported that the children sustained severe bomb shrapnel injuries to their heads, necks, thighs, and buttocks. “The children were apparently hit while working in the fields and were taken aback when the firing suddenly started,” the organization added.
In a broader context, Chhattisgarh authorities have recently banned the Adivasi youth group, Moolwasi Bachao Manch, in an effort to curb the Maoist movement in the region. This move has drawn criticism from various tribal groups who view it as an attempt to silence indigenous voices.
As the investigation continues, the situation in South Bastar remains tense, with innocent civilians, particularly children, once again bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict between security forces and Maoists.