Product Review

It brings alive the issues through real-life human stories of tribal villagers, Maoists and security forces. This book is based on extensive field visits, court testimonies, government documents and an active participant role in the events she writes about. It vividly tracks the shocking failures of Indian democracy through the responses of political parties, the media, human rights activists and the judiciary to the ongoing crisis. There have been a number of books on the Maoists in recent years, but none approaching this one in the beautiful quality of writing and depth of knowledge and research. Starting from 2005 when a government-sponsored vigilante movement, Salwa Judum, killed hundreds and drove thousands of villagers into camps, to the present day when it is the most militarized area in the country, the war in Bastar has taken a heavy toll on the people of Bastar, the security forces, the Maoists and human rights activists. This book chronicles how the armed conflict between the government and the Maoists has devastated the lives of some of India s poorest, most vulnerable citizens. The fact that Bastar has some of India s biggest mineral reserves has made the conflict even more intense and also destroyed the ecology and culture of Bastar.