C’garh: Tribal ayurveda practitioner, a Padma Shri awardee, gets threat from Maoist, provided Y plus category security

Raipur: Tribal ayurveda practitioner and Padma Shri award winner Hemchand Majhi, a resident of Abujhmad in Bastar in Chhattisgarh, has threatened to return the honour unless he gets ‘adequate’ security after finding him in the ‘hit list’ of Maoists.

Seventy two-year-old 'Vaidyaraj' Mr Majhi, famous in the region as a traditional medicine practitioner, faced threat to his life from the Naxals for not opposing mining activities in the area.

Maoists have issued threats at least half-a-dozen times to eliminate him unless he voices against the mining operations in the area, leading the local police to shift him to district headquarters of Narayanpur from his village of Chhote Dongar in the district.

Chhote Dongar is considered the gateway to Abhujhmad, a Naxal stronghold.

“He has been shifted to district headquarters six months ago following threats to him by Maoists and provided Y plus category security”, Narayanpur district superintendent of police Prabhat Kumar told this newspaper on Monday. According to the police officer, Mr Majhi has been given three personal security officers (PSOs) for his security.

Besides, a company of district reserve guard (DRG) comprising 40 security personnel escorts him whenever he goes to his villager or outside the district. Mr Kumar however described the threat to Mr Majhi as mere propaganda by Maoists for publicity. According to him, a mine in the nearby area is going to be opened and Maoists have given a call to the people to oppose it.

“The Maoists have issued threats to 15 eminent persons in the area including Mr Majhi who are not connected to the issue. This is Maoist propaganda (to gain publicity)”, he added.Mr Kumar said that all these 15 persons have been shifted to district headquarters and provided necessary security. Mr Majhi however wanted to return to his village to resume treatment to his patients.

Mr Majhi has gained expertise on the medicinal plants found in the forests of Abujhmad and has been doing traditional medicine practice for the last 50 years.