Hush-hush campaign in Naxal land

Dantewada (Chhattisgarh): Political parties rely on the primitive way of communication — whispering — as an effective means of campaigning during polls in Chhattisgarh’s Naxal-stronghold Bastar.

The weekly haats (tribal markets) in remote areas in south Bastar, particularly falling under the “Naxal-ruled liberated zone”, suddenly become active during election period with “agents” of political parties slyly “striking deals” with their “sources” to drum up support for their candidates.

The agents and their “points men” take extreme care not to catch rebels’ notice at the markets. “We rely on whisperings and cellphones as means of campaign in Naxal-strongholds since more than fifty per cent areas in south Bastar remain uncovered by political parties during their poll campaigns. We mostly adopt the whispering campaign since 75 percent areas of south Bastar have not been covered by mobile network”, said Dantewada district Congress president Avdesh Gautam.

The cellphone campaign involves sending SMSes to the workers of political parties residing in remote areas to canvass for their candidates in their respective villages in a hush-hush manner to avoid ultras’ attentions. The activists launch campaign covertly in their villages under the garb of socialisation.

The style of campaign in weekly haats differs according to security perceptions.