NILAMBUR: Every day, Mathi, 35, a tribal woman of Poolakkapara in Moothedam panchayat visits the deep recesses of the jungle, in search of honey and medicinal plants. After all, she has a 12-year-old son to feed. Chengan, another Poolakkapara tribesman, too, does this to provide for his wife and two children.
Not on Friday, though.
A day after two Maoists, including a woman, were killed in a police shootout, Mathi and Chengan chose to remain inside their homes, fearing retaliation from Maoists if they stepped out. Not just them, but around 100 tribals in the region, who are no stranger to travelling into jungle almost every day to collect items that they could sell and earn a livelihood, said they believed that going into the forest would be suicidal now.
“We always travel into the forest to collect honey, firewood and medicinal plants. Though this is where the naxals mostly hide, we never felt threatened. Now we do,” said Mathi.
She said the insurgents often visit their colonies and other households to collect food and many give them rice and vegetables under threats. “However, they never actually harmed local residents,” she said.Chengan said it was really dangerous for them to go to the forest now.
“How do we go there now? They would be looking for an opportunity to retaliate,” he said, adding, “However, our livelihood is under threat, as we cannot live without going into the forest.” Claiming that he had once seen a group of men carrying guns in the inner forest area, while he was collecting honey, Chengan said he was planning to risk his life for the sake of his family.
Echoing the sentiments of the tribals, V Assaianar, president of Karulai panchayat, said, “They would feel more threatened than ever. Those having to go into the forest to make a living may even face the wrath of Maoists, who would try to regroup and attack.”