Team News Riveting
Raipur, May 25
Hands that once pulled the trigger of guns are now gently greeting the visitors as one walks into the resort in the picturesque Chitrakote of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.
Clad in saree, Dasmi Kuhrami welcomes the tourists with cool; coupled with a smile that hardly appeared on her face a few years ago. A hardcore Maoist, Dasmi has surrendered before the Bastar Inspector General of Police, Sundarraj P and senior officers of the CRPF in July 2020. She was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh.
Now in her mid-twenties, Dasmi was inducted in Chetna Natya Mandali (CNM), a frontal organisation of outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), when she was just 13 in 2011. She is a resident of Chandameta and has been living in deprivation that propelled her to become active in the organisation that basically was a cultural wing of the Maoists. Initially, she was unaware of the brutality inflicted by the members as she was concentrating on promoting the cultural activities among the villagers.
She was later elevated in the party and was involved in many deadly attacks on security personnel. While working with the organisation, she met Vargesh, an active Maoist and they decided to enter into a wedlock to live a peaceful married life. But fate willed otherwise as Vargesh was killed in an encounter with security forces in Katekalyan on the day he was supposed to tie nuptial knot.
Dasmi was already prickly with the violent activities of the Maoist; the death of Vargesh devastated her. She decided to shun violence and return to the mainstream of the society. The enticing surrender and rehabilitation policy of the Chhattisgarh government boosted her wish to go ahead.
After surrender, the administration provided her all the benefits under the policy and skilled her in human resources. She is now working as receptionist at Chitrakote Eco-Tourism Resort, managed by the state-run Chhattisgarh Tourism Board at the enchanting destination that has found place in the world tourism map because of beautiful waterfalls.
On Tuesday, Dasmi had an eminent visitor at her counter. It was Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is on a campaign “bhet-mulaqat”, covering each assembly constituency to get the ground reality of governance.
Dasmi thanked the Chief Minister for all the schemes and efforts that has created a conducive environment in Bastar that has been impelling Maoists to leave the party.
