Police identifies the woman Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre killed in an encounter with Security Forces (SFs) in Dabbakonta area of Sukma District of Chhattisgarh on July 9, as Kuram Bhime hailing from Gaganpalli village in the Sukma District, reports newkerala.com. Bhime, a ‘section commander’ of Maoist company number-2 of PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) battalion number-1 headed by Hidma, and carried a cash reward of INR 800,000 on her head.
Earlier, South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) had reported, a woman CPI-Maoist cadre was killed in an encounter with SFs at a forest near Dabbakonta village in Sukma District of Chhattisgarh early on July 9.
Meanwhile, unhappy with the success of Government’s Police recruitment drives over the past five years in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, the Maoists have reportedly detained the young boys and threatened them with dire consequences in case they decide to join forces, reports News18 on July 9. According to sources, senior Maoist ‘commanders’ have been seen in several Bastar villages and are reportedly profiling the youth who have applied for the posts in Police department and are being threatened with dire consequences in case they decide to join the Police Force. In one such input, Lakhma, a ‘commander’ of Local Organisational Squad (LOS) based in Usur tehsil (revenue unit), is said to have visited several villages in South Bastar's Bijapur District with at least 30 armed guerillas. "According to information available with us, he rounded up all the boys who have studied up to 12th standard and threatened them to stay away from the recruitment drives. Those who were found to have participated in these drives last year aren't being allowed to leave their villages," a source said.
Locals in Bastar have repeatedly come forward to fight the Maoists as part of Police and paramilitary formations. The all-women Danteshwari Tigers is one such recent anti-Maoist formation that consists of 30 local women, some of who are surrendered Maoists. The force has already been part of many encounters in coordination with District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) of the Police. Bastariya battalion is another such example where battalions consisting of local men have been trained by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to fight Naxals [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs], at the paramilitary's site in Ambikapur city in Surguja District of Chhattisgarh.