The lighter shade of red: High voter turnout in Gadchiroli indicates Maoist impact is waning away

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) issued a decree asking the tribals of Gadchiroli to boycott the Lok Sabha elections.

Maharashtra’s Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reason to cheer, as he has an example to cite that his anti-Maoist policy is yielding results. Just a week before Gadchiroli went to the polls on  April 19, the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) issued a decree asking the tribals of Gadchiroli to boycott the Lok Sabha elections.

The statement circulated by the South Sub-Zonal Bureau of the red outfit urged people to abstain from the “false” election, as none of the parties have been of assistance to tribals in the last 77 years. The consequence of defying Maoists ranges from minor beatings to severing of fingers or even death. In the last Lok Sabha elections held in 2019, there were six incidents of violence, and 15 cops were killed in an ambush. Despite the turbulent history of elections in the constituency, voters have turned out in significant numbers to exercise their democratic rights.

Apart from the guerrilla threat, another challenge was the heatwave which has gripped the state. However, it couldn't deter the tribals from turning out in large numbers to vote. Long queues were witnessed outside the polling stations in the remote parts of the district. Although polling percentages from the remaining seats in Maharashtra were available by the end of the day, for Gadchiroli-Chimur it took over two days as the polling parties in the remote areas took time to return. Some had to be airlifted via helicopters, while others had to trek several kilometers through the forest. When the final voting percentage was calculated, it brought a smile to the faces of election officials. It was 71.88 percent, nearly identical to the last elections.

The high polling percentage is an indication of a shift in attitude towards the state. Previously, the tribals refrained from voting due to the Maoist threat, disillusionment, and lack of awareness. However, the scenario has changed over the last few years. The polling percentage of this seat has remained above 70 percent since 2014. In 2014, it was 70.04 percent, which increased to 72.33 percent in 2019.

One of the reasons for the high turnout has been enhanced security measures adopted by the Gadchiroli police, instilling confidence among the electorate. This time, over 11,000 police personnel were deployed on election duty, which, besides the local forces, included central armed forces, state reserved police, and personnel from neighboring districts and states.

Apart from the high police deployment during the elections, the government has taken several steps to restore the confidence of tribals in democracy and to combat disinformation spread by Maoists. Over the years, health and educational facilities have improved.

The legal restrictions on the usage of forest produce have been relaxed and streamlined. The oppression by forest officials has diminished. It is not just the BJP-Shiv Sena government which made concerted efforts for change in Gadchiroli, but even the previous Congress governments had played their roles successively, which has led to diminishing the Maoist impact in the region. The establishment of the C-60 commando force during Sharad Pawar's tenure as CM in the 1990s is one such example. He had allocated a Rs hundred crore fund for Gadchiroli.

Although the influence of the Maoists is dwindling, Gadchiroli is yet to become Maoist-free. In the last year, there have been around four violent incidents where the Reds have made their presence felt. Abhujhmad, the last bastion of Maoists, is adjacent to Gadchiroli, and it is one reason why the eradication of Maoists in Gadchiroli is taking time.

(J Kumar is a journalist, an author and a political commentator based in Mumbai)