* Suspicious seniors, internal rift in CPI (Maoist), and his love falling to bullets in encounter, left Gopi frustrated
By Kartik Lokhande
After
his 12-year stint as a Maoist, participation in violent activities,
living life in the shadow of fear, and losing his love to the armed
conflict, Gopi realised that being a part of Communist Party of India
(Maoist) led him nowhere. Once the realisation dawned upon him, Gopi
took an important decision of his life -- to surrender in favour of
mainstream of development.
 |
| Gopi |
A native of Korchi tehsil in Gadchiroli
district, Gopi alias Nirangsay Madavi joined the then Naxalite movement
in 2002. Starting as a Dalam Member, Gopi climbed his way up to the
position of Dalam Commander. Considering his ‘performance’ in execution
of violent activities and orders given, he was inducted as a Member of
Divisional Committee. While rising in the Maoist organisation, he got
acquainted with Shamko alias Shanta Korcha, a native of Todsapetha in
Etapalli tehsil of Gadchiroli district. Soon, love blossomed between
them.
However, love has no place in Maoist organisation. Gopi and
Shanta’s love affair irked the party seniors. Soon, both were kept under
watch. Fed up of suspicious colleagues and seniors, he started thinking
about a peaceful life. But, the Maoist terrorists do not think of
anything but violence as they believe in the ideology that ‘power flows
from the barrel of a gun’. Those having belief in killing, cannot digest
the thought of life. Milind Teltumbde, Secretary of Maharashtra
Committee and Member of Central Committee of CPI (Maoist), wrote a
letter to Pahad Singh alias Kumarsay Katlami, Commander of
Gadchiroli-Gondia Division, on June 28, 2013. In the letter, Teltumbde
asked Pahad Singh not to keep Gopi and Shanta together.
The
separation enforced by the Maoist seniors made the lovelorn couple
disappointed. Gopi and Shanta both were depressed by the diktat of
Maoists. Both had started thinking of shunning the path of violence and
starting a beautiful life. Sadly, on February 17 earlier this year, in
an encounter at Betkathi in Korchi tehsil on the border of Gadchiroli
and Gondia districts, Shanta got killed. This shattered Gopi. Suspicious
seniors, constantly being under watch, life full of violence, and lost
love, all these factors crystallised his decision to surrender before
the police.
 |
| Shanta |
The cops also were in touch with him and several others
through mediators. On November 11, finally, Gopi laid down the arms at
an undisclosed location in the forests near Sawargaon in Kurkheda tehsil
of Gadchiroli district. At the time of surrender, Gopi was running high
fever. The Maoists had not cared for his health also. When the cops
realised that he had fever, they immediately rushed him to hospital.
“Now, Gopi has recovered and is helping us. In fact, several other
cadres who are fed up of Maoist violence and exploitative organisation,
are likely to surrender in days to come,” said a senior police officer.
Comments
Post a Comment