Sunday, July 24, 2011

Untold story of India's Maoist movement

The untold story of the Maoists in Bastar Rahul Pandita's book, 'Hello, Bastar' tells the untold story of India's Maoist movement. With direct access to the top Maoist leadership, the author gives us a graphic account of how the radical Reds entered Bastar in 1980 and set up their elaborate network there. He speaks with Jyoti Sharma on how the book came about and more.

Why Hello, Bastar?
Being an independent citizen of India, it is my right to write on issues I want to write about. Hello, Bastar is the story of the Maoist guerillas who entered the region for the first time in 1980. This area has since become the nerve centre of the entire Maoist movement.

How and when did you start working on this project?
I have been working on the subject for about 12 years. New Delhi now calls the Maoist movement as India's biggest internal security threat. I felt many people are confused about this. For a middle-class person in Delhi or Mumbai, there is no difference between a terrorist killed on the Line of Control and a naxal killed in the jungles of Bastar. I think this book will ensure that there is a difference.

Full interview here Times of India 

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