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A veteran of the Maoist party, earlier in the PLGA squad and now in the Jan Milita,
rests with his Barmar (a country-made weapon).
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An iron archway enroute to interior villages of Abujmarh with the slogan: “Adivasis are your own people. Denounce this war.” On the other side, a call to arms. “All the youth of Bastar, come together and defend Maad.”
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Toke, a village of 37 huts, targeted during Operation Hakka. A Maoist memorial stands at the entrance of the village, not far from a government school.
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A Maadia tribal in Abujmarh
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Aidma Kaher, a farmer in Kodenar village, was beaten and detained by the forces. “Come with us or we’ll shoot,” troops said as he was dragged out of his hut.
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Aite Gota, wife of Dunga Gota, stands beside her husband’s grave. Villagers say Dunga was beaten to death by forces in Toke village. His grave, as per the Maadia custom, is his body covered in mud, buried under stones, with all his material possessions beside him - a cane bed, clothes and spectacles. Pieces of torn saree cloth are hung from trees all around.
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Sannu Dhurva sits inside his house set to fire by troops as they entered Toke village
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A maadia tribal woman in Kodenar village
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A child in a government ashram school in Toke. Contrary to popular perception, government schools function
deep inside Abujmarh
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A child in Abujmarh plays with radio – usually sign of the maoist party’s influence area
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Villagers from Hikonaar and Godelmarka trek through the jungles of Abujmarh
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Maoist memorials paying homage to martyrs are a familiar sight in the Abujmarh
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Mase Pave, 50, holds up pieces of cloth torn by the forces. She fled on hearing news of the troops entering Jatwar village. She returned to her hut to find blankets thrown out, clothes strewn, torn into. Three cocks and sickles stolen. One hen cooked and eaten. Fifty kilograms rice spilled outside the house.
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Pig meat cooked by villagers in Abujmarh
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A child in a government ashram school in Toke. Contrary to popular perception, government schools function deep inside Abujmarh
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The cook at the government school in Toke village
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Children play carrom in a government school in Abujmarh. The carrom board is supplied by the
education department of Chhattisgarh
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Sonu, a villager in Kacchapal and a former member of the Maoist people’s government, shot at by the forces while trying to flee. He lives with a bullet inside his leg. Treatment by the Maoist party did not locate the bullet. He cannot risk going to town for treatment.
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A hut in Kodenar village deep inside Abujmarh
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A maadia tribal woman in Toke village
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A village enroute to Abujmarh. From here on, the red dirt track disappears into thick jungle. There are no roads ahead.
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Maoist memorials paying homage to martyrs are a familiar sight in Abujmarh
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