Sudipto Sen's "Bastar" to present one of bloodiest Maoist attacks on paramilitary forces: Know about it-

As reported earlier, the makers of the Kerala Story - Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah and director Sudipto Sen - have reunited for another movie 'Bastar' to uncover the 'hidden truth' from another part of the country and will release on April 5, 2024. The makers also released a poster. The poster has trees in a forest fallen on the ground, a communist flag in the corner and gun pointing towards the forest.

 

 

Giving details about the movie 'Bastar', the director said, "76 CRPF jawan and 8 poor villagers were killed in an bloodiest attack by the terrorists, in Chintalner village of Dantewada District of Bastar, Chhattisgarh. After exactly 14-years, the poetic justice will be delivered."

 

 

On this day in 2010, April 6, 76 CRPF jawans were killed in an ambush by Naxals near Chintalnar village in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. The attack occurred in the Tademetla forests when over 80 officers from the central paramilitary force Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and a local police group were conducting an area domination exercise in the Bastar tribal region of Chhattisgarh.

 

It was reported how Maoists, who waited on hilltops, opened indiscriminate fire and triggered an IED blast as the convoy appeared. Later, the reinforcements that were rushed to the site were also blown up. The CRPF team, which comprised only 120 personnel were heavily outnumbered by almost 1000 Maoists who attacked and killed the jawans and fled the scene with weapons, including bulletproof jackets, guns and ammunition.

 

A fierce gunbattle was on between the security forces and Naxals in the jungles of Dantewada. Rescue operations were reported to have been hampered because of heavy firing by the Naxals. Helicopters that were rushed in to rescue injured CRPF jawans had been fired at by the Naxals using anti-aircraft guns. The heavy firing had, however, made it difficult for the rescue helicopters to land. The cowardly attack by Naxalites had then resulted in the martyrdom of 76 CRPF soldiers, while 50 others were said to be seriously wounded.

 

By far, the Dantewada attack remains the worst-ever attack in the history of Maoist insurgency, inflicting severe casualties on the Indian forces.

 

Reports suggested that the attack was planned by Kosa, Leader of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the CPI Maoist, and was executed by three Maoist companies led by Ganeshanna and Ramanna, two top leaders from the same Committee. The Maoists trailed the security forces for the better part of two days before working out the route of return and laying the ambush.

 

The Maoist leader Gopal stated that the attack was conducted as a "direct consequence" to the government's Operation Green Hunt. Operation Green Hunt is the name used by the Indian media to describe the "all-out offensive by paramilitary forces and the forces of the state" against the Naxalites. The operation is believed to have begun in November 2009 along with five states in the "Red Corridor." The term was coined by the Chhattisgarh police officials to describe one successful drive against the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the state.

 

The attack was a blow to the Indian government as it came days after Home Minister P Chidambaram described the rebels as "cowards enacting dramas". Chidambaram has said troops will intensify the offensive if the rebels do not renounce violence and enter peace talks. Running away from such a situation, on 9 April, Chidambaram offered his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue, which the Prime Minister rejected.