The Chhattisgarh Police has fulfilled a long standing demand of the villagers of the remote village of Abujhmad to restart a weekly market in the area. In a positive initiative, the police helped to restart the market which was earlier shut down under pressure from Naxals. Fear had prevented the locals from restarting the market for years.
Indian Masterminds spoke to Narayanpur district’s SP, Mr. Girija Shankar Jaiswal, in this regard and got to know about the importance of this market and how the initiative will usher in change in the area.
MARKET REOPENING
Abujhmad, which falls in Narayanpur district, is a stronghold of Naxalites. Kadmeta is one such area in Abujhmad, where for years, the rural tribals were not able to even set up a weekly market due to the fear of Naxalites. But now, with the help of the police, this problem has been solved and the market has been restarted.
The purpose of reopening the market is also to combat Naxalism by connecting the local people with employment opportunities. Villagers who had to walk several kilometers to buy daily necessities will now get a relief.
The Kadmeta area is a confluence of five districts. This area is situated at the center of Dantewada, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Jagdalpur and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh. Thousands of tribals of these five districts stand to gain from the restart of this market. They will be able to buy and also sell their produce and other goods here.
WHERE IS ABUJHMAD
The name ‘Abujhmad’ itself suggests the meaning. Abuj means ‘that which is not possible to understand’ and Maad means ‘deep valleys and mountains’. It is a mountainous forest area, spread over an area of about 5000 square kilometres. It is home to some indigenous tribes of India, including the Gonds, Murias, Abuj Marias and Halbass.
Abujhmad is a very remote area. There were no paved roads till a while ago. Some parts of Abujhmad with dense forests also falls in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
POLICE HELP
Police personnel, under the leadership of SP Girija Shankar Jaiswal, prepared the market placefor reopening themselves. From cleaning to starting,all the preparations were done by them. The market is located at a distance of 60 km from the district headquarter deep inside a Naxal-affected area. The villagers had tried to start the market earlier also, but the Naxalites did not allow it to happen.But after the opening of a police camp here last year, there was a sense of confidence in the people. And now with police help, they will be opening their weekly market every Saturday.
ENSURING SECURITY
Police is also taking every necessary step to protect people and the market from any harm from the Naxals. SP Jaiswal said, “The police will be present at all times for security. Our camp is near the market, our police personnel will be stationed for the safety of the people. Thousands of people from dozens of villages will benefit from this market. Along with this, employment opportunities will also increase,as all rural products will be on sale at one place.”
BUILDING POLICE-PUBLIC TIES
The officer also believes that this initiative will increase the trust of the common tribal people towards the administration. “It will not be just a market, but it will make life accessible to common people and they will connect with each other. Our personnel are constantly making efforts to ensure that there is no fear among the people, and they can do all their business without any pressure,” he said.
With the establishment of a police camp in the area in 2020, the local population have started developing confidence in the police. They themselves submitted an application to police and the district administration demanding setting up of the weekly market. And police fulfilled their genuine demand and went out of their way to help in reopening the market, and today, it is finally open.
