by David Singh
Vir Bhadra Singh was impeccably dressed in an expensive three piece pin-striped black suite. His neatly trimmed thick beard over almost fair, lean face was giving him a very gentlemanly look which he indeed was, a gentleman. His brown eyes, over a long, strong nose with a mouth that was just thin grim line little above his tapering chin provided him a natural air of authority.
THE CRIMSON CONSPIRACY 67 After the exchange of pleasantries Retd. Col. had come to the business. 'Our Defence Minister, in response to the great unrest shown by the PM on this cross border terror menace, and being the supreme commander of armed forces, had summoned a clandestine meeting exactly on the day when you were busy foiling Pak's mission in Turtuk. The agenda of the meeting was to create Elite 5.'
Samarjeet was trying to follow what the old officer was speaking. 'Director General of Directorate of Military Intelligence, Chief of Naval Intelligence, Director General of Directorate of Air Intelligence and Chiefs of RA&W are the autonomous chiefs of Elite Five, in short E Five - a compact but deadly force of select commandos to take up covert missions within and across border to contain any kind of threat to the nation well before it goes beyond control. E Five exists like a ghost. The five deserving warriors that make E Five are recruited from our various defense forces and related bodies. You pass the prime criteria of selection with distinction.'
Vir Bhadra Singh paused to catch the breath when Samarjeet guessed. 'You expect me to come in as one of …..Elite….Five, Sir?' Retired Colonel's eyes lit up. 'Yes Major, otherwise we probably would never have met. We have four on board already. The training is commencing in a month. We need just one more – you – to complete the team.'
'But that is what our RAW is for, already.' 'RAW is not counter-offensive. It has its own well defined key role in national security. It is an intelligence and counter-intelligence agency. We need RAW as Elite Five's eyes, ears and nose. The ground for offensive by Elite Five will be paved by RAW. All prerequisite as well as real time intelligence from RAW will be fed to Elite Five to execute the offensive against the emerging threat.'
'And its modus operandi?'
'All fives of Elite Five would execute their current duties conspicuously as usual but when mission calls, they would come together, execute the mission, disappear from action zone and report back to their usual duties. Simple.'
'But funding and other support?'
'An ad hoc parliamentary committee, in consultation with President, support from all defense bodies and combined agreement of representatives of both the Houses has already passed the resolution of having Elite 5 in place. Hierarchical structure, relation with RAW and other security agencies, budget, vision and charter, everything has already been accomplished. All I need is E Five's fifth member. Fifth and the youngest. You. And, I forgot to mention, you can call me VB. Elite 5 has no norm of designations.'
Samarjeet repeated, 'Elite 5……... very compelling. As I think of it, it feels like I am in. And, VB, you can call me Samar.'
'E Five Five. Meet your handler.' Retired Colonel smiled and proffered his hand which Major shook firmly, returning the smile. 'And yes, accept my congratulations for your act of valor in Turtuk.'
'Oh Col…VB,' Major Samarjeet Sapru smiled back, 'that was just a day in a soldier's life.'
PART – 2
THE SNATCH
CHAPTER SEVEN
May 26, 2013, Chhattisgarh
'You are the only choice RK! Party would disintegrate otherwise. It's only you who can take your father's place.' Jagat Lal Verma, sixty five, senior most in the party, blinked at Rajeshwar Karma through his bi-focal.
The news had broken almost instantly. A troop of 250 armed men had attacked the convoy of twenty when it reached Darbha Valley at NH221 in Sukma. The deadly explosion had left two of the vehicles a burnt wreck and their passengers charred remains of unidentifiable dead bodies, followed by a heavy shower of bullets from either sides of the road from behind the hills. The personal security and policemen in the convoy had returned the fire but, by the end of one hour, fight turned one sided in favour of the attackers as defenders had ran out of limited firepower.
Then attackers had come out of the hiding and identified the quarries by their names and faces. Twenty eight such singled out quarries were shot at point blank range.
The attackers were the Naxal insurgents and the victims included ten ruling party leaders and workers, a dozen policemen and half a dozen other supporters who were the part of the convoy that was returning after a meeting as the part of the rally being carried out in the state. What shook entire nation was the fact that Maheshwar Karma – state's chief minister – was among the victims too.
The responsibility of the massacre was not taken by any particular Naxal faction but the rumours had it that the operation was the response of Naxal's People's War Group's (PWG) military wing - People Guerilla Army (PGA) to the recent killing of innocent tribals, including three children, by the armed forces in the name of attacking a Naxal's meeting in Dandakaranya – forest tribal region of the state.
Rajeshwar Karma, RK – Mahendra Karma's son and party's state chief and spokesperson – was lucky to live since he had postponed accompanying his father in the convoy due to some pressing reason at the eleventh hour.
'No, Verma Ji.' Rajeshwar Karma replied in a calm whisper, 'tomorrow we shall declare your name for the Chief Minister succeeding my father.'
'But RK…'
Rajeshwar Karma held his hand up indicating no further arguments. 'I am both, party's national chief and state spokesperson. Release my formal statement,' Rajeshwar's calm tone caught an icy edge. 'Prime agenda of our party, now, is to locate and eliminate Bhanu Majumdar and his entire army of goons.'
Bhanu Majumdar was the leader of Naxal's People's War Group. ?
Somewhere in Abujhmad Hills area, Dandakaranya, Chhattisgarh
'You are like that ugly scar on your face. A dirty, menacing blot on our mission, our ideology and our entire vision.' Bhanu Majumdar, leading force of Naxal's People's War Group, was in his late forties with a neatly done crew cut, a well bred, manicured, thick beard had more hair than were on his head. Thick white moustache was just
THE CRIMSON CONSPIRACY 73 poised over the lips. Lines on the forehead and crow-claws on the corner of the eyes were the tell tale signs of the man's struggle in the jungle for several years gone. His face was as dark and hard as the same rock he was sitting on now. At this moment his eyes were burning with rage.
Approximately 4000 square kilometers in area, Abujhmad is a dense forest – a hilly piece of land in Chhattisgarh fed by several small rivers and tributaries. Dotted with several small villages, it is an isolated, inaccessible and unmapped part of nation – allegedly called Liberated Zone ruled by Naxal-Maoist insurgents running their own parallel government – Junta Sarkar. This area, also termed Maad division by Naxals, is one of their five divisions in Dandakaranya.
Established as the most deadly threat to democracy – Naxal's People's War Group and, as reported by media, its military wing People's Guerilla Army has been fighting years-long battle pitched against the nexus of corporate business houses and ruling parties for preserving the rights, lands and culture of tribals.
The man, with a long scar of a wound on his face, looked at Majumdar and then glared at the young girl standing beside him with a Kalashnikov in her hand. 'So this bitch has already barked.'
The girl cocked her rifle. 'I tell you dada, (big bro) he has become a monster, thirsty for blood. One day he will get us all killed.'
'I know Venu but he is one of our own.' Bhanu's voice shook with anguish when he addressed the scar-face again. 'Rajanna! We talked about this earlier too. Bullets will only damage our cause. Killing the innocents and inviting the rage of the state has already established us as the biggest threat to the country and now your dreadful act of killing the CM of the state has done a damage beyond salvage. All our fight for the cause of our people has received a big blow just because of your blind insubordi
nation.'
'What've you achieved in these decades dada? Did they listen to you? They come back and kill us. We aren't even vote bank for them.' Scarface – Rajanna, returned.
'They come because we kill. You kill. You and your men have gone out of my control.'
'Your control? You have been softened by the time. You have started speaking their language.…'
'Enough!' Majumdar roared, 'enough! Today, I think, is the time for the decision I should've taken long back.'
Silence dawned suddenly for a moment. Then Majumdar spoke in a calm and steady tone. 'Rajanna! I give you this night. Go away with your men. People's War Group has nothing to do with PGA.'
'Bhanu.' Rajanna dropped dada, 'from tomorrow onwards pray we don't meet again and you damn well know why. Next time we meet, there would remain only one ruler of Dandakaranya, Chandra Pulla Rajanna.'
Majumdar gave his rare smile, 'I'm not a ruler. I'm a worker, a servant, a revolutionary as much as my people are.'
'Comrade Venu,' ignoring Majumdar defiantly, Rajanna addressed the young girl, 'obviously you are not coming?'
'If I were,' Venu returned in the same tone, 'I wouldn't have told Bhanu dada how brutally you have killed Mahendra Karma and others.'
The scar on Rajanna's face curved in a vulgar way as he smiled at Venu. Venu didn't return his smile. Slowly, he and his men turned away.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Mid July, 2013
Abujhmad Hills, Dandakaranya, Chhattisgarh
Of six, three were on alert outside the hut to check any possible
threat from outside. Fourth was tying the old couple and teenaged lad to one of the bamboos supporting the thatched shed. Fifth was covering them all with his INSAS rifle and the sixth one – possibly in command – was busy raping the small naked girl crying and thrashing her legs in pain under his powerful body.
At a distance, deep in dark, the dark complexioned, wiry, mangled haired young tribal in ragged attire took out his hand gun, the only match against six Self Loading Rifles (SLRs). He swiftly recced the area. Taking a detour, he reached behind the hut. Dark jungle and noise made by the girl gave him perfect cover to rush swiftly. Climbing the hut from behind, he held his head low to avoid getting spotted while jumping with full force, over the thatched shed.
As expected, the thatch, composed of dried leaves and bamboos, caved in under his weight. He landed right over the head of the rapist. Giving them no chance to think, he grabbed the half naked rapist's neck and hauled him over to cover himself, with his handgun pressing over his temple.
'Five seconds for you all to scram or I'll shoot.' The warning was terse. A young tribal speaking fractured Hindi with perfect local Gond dialect and brandishing a sophisticated automatic handgun froze them all in utter puzzlement. His first shot crippled the man holding the rifle. With a shriek he dropped his rifle and grabbed his wounded shoulder.
'Die! Or run!! ' With second warning the young tribal shot the half naked rapist in his thigh, inflicting just a flesh wound. They hesitated for a moment. He fired in the air. They all dropped their guns, turned round and disappeared into the forest. The teenaged lad covered his whimpering sister with his vest and took her inside the hut.
'Now, you follow your men.' tribal addressed the half naked rapist, releasing his grip from his neck.
'Animals will eat me alive.' The rapist cried.
'Animals don't eat monsters. Get lost you bastard.'
The rapist turned and ran, no pants, shirt front open and his huge, fat and ugly ass-cheeks dancing ridiculously. The young tribal shook his head in disgust. It was a shame but a bitter fact too that all those were his own men.
State's chief minister Maheshwar Karma's assassination probably had played key role in expediting the approval of one of its kind covert operation which even Rajeshwar Karma wasn't aware of. Not only owing to sheer chance but by virtue of diligent research on the people and language, Milind passed with distinction to slip undercover among the tribals of Dandakaranya.
Milind Malwanker, Assistant Commandant of Central Reserved Armed Force, had always been like that – a relentless and exceptionally, dedicated officer.
Next morning he was shaken out of his slumber by the teenaged lad to meet the Naxals who had arrived learning about the last night's incident. A close scrutiny and a score of questions by the group leader Comrade Raghav was an acid test for his months-long rigorous practice of language and tireless research. Raghav examined Malwanker's handgun and then returned it, fully convinced with the crafted story that it was snatched from the dead policeman whom he had killed last month near Lanka village as they had murdered his wife and child before burning down his house. Comrade Raghav also liked his bulky radio. He had no reason to suspect that the radio had a small but powerful, full-duplex transmission device fabricated inside and which could be operated by the same controls over the radio. Finally the leader had smiled, shaking his hand followed by the typical lal salaam (red salute) – bringing the fingers together into a fist; a signal that he was welcome to the red brigade. Then he was offered the post of Gram Adhikari – village head – of the nearby cluster of a few huts under Junta Sarkar which he readily accepted. The family too was commanded to move there.
He had nothing else to do except to wait for the next opportunity: to penetrate the core Naxals.
CHAPTER NINE
Early August, 2013
Abujhmad Hills, Dandakaranya, Chhattisgarh
Modern economy. Free Market. Industrialisation. Imperialist
Globalisation. Development of the local masses. All this fancy jargon covers one dark reality – thriving nexus of greedy corporations and power hungry ruling classes on one hand and displaced, homeless, impoverished and exploited tribals on the other.
Raghav was addressing his men. '…they burnt their houses after raping them. Four girls have died of AIDS they contracted through prostitution. They resorted for this evil option since their houses had been burnt, family killed in cold blood and children starving to death as the traders did not pay them the right amount for Tendu leaves and bamboo. The construction contractors have driven them out of their own lands and pulled them into this trade. Tonight we shall settle account. Here is the plan, pretty simple. There is a small wine-anddine party at the contractor's home beyond the highway. They have arranged for two young girls for night from the nearby village. A group of twenty will go behind the girls and kill everyone – the government officials, brokers, local policemen and any traders - present there.'
'Comrade.' Malwanker said, 'I want to go too.'
Raghav agreed after little hesitation.
By late evening, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, Malwanker transmitted the alert so that the party at contractor's house gets cancelled in such a way that it looked like a coincidence.
For assault, they fell in five rows of four each - the best shots in the front two rows and others in the back rows. Being a new comer, Malwanker was assigned to the last backup group of four including him. They waited for the party to begin and reach its maximum fervour then the first three rows quietly scaled the boundary wall and jumped into the backyard. The last row was asked to stay back and keep watch. On the signal from the third row, the fourth row too jumped inside. The noise of the wild party could be heard outside. The sixteen Naxals moved forward to cross the backyard.
The first volley of bullets killed five instantly and wounded three severely. Fifty armed policemen were waiting for them. The backyard was suddenly floodlit with everything visible as clear as in daylight. The eleven men and women were quickly surrounded and made to surrender. They all were ordered to drop their guns and stand in a straight line.
The commander of the police troop shouted the orders, 'no prisoners! No headache! Shoot'em all in the back… killed while escaping.'
Malwanker, from his vantage point, was shocked. This was outrageous. He had specifically instructed to capture them alive. How could they do this?
The commander picked up his
rifle and trained it at the youngest girl. The other policemen took their positions too. Malwanker looked at the faces near him, all wet with flowing tears. They were witnessing a mass murder. He clenched his teeth, brought up his rifle and from a distance of thirty meters took his aim. His single shot dropped the commander. With the shot, bare handed Naxals pounced at armed policemen. An absolutely unmatched, unequal and one-sided fight
80 DAVID SINGH
ensued. Only two of the eleven, heavily wounded, got away. When six men returned back into the jungle, an enraged Raghav announced the obvious. 'We have a mole among us.'
'Absolutely Raghav bro.' Malwanker said with a thumping heart, 'the police were waiting for us. But we shall avenge our people.' 'No. Kisna,' Raghav replied, 'seeing your daredevilry today I'm sending you to report to the Dandakaranya Special Committee tomorrow for your combat training at the Foundation Communist Training Camp.'
? Foundation Communist Training Camp, somewhere in Dandakaranya
'People's War Group has nothing to do with People's Guerilla Army. PWG's ideology is not violence unless defence is inevitable. If they push us in a corner, we'll retaliate but unlike PGA, violence is not our path but empowerment by development and governance. Junta Sarkar is people's government, our government. I had expelled Rajanna the day he executed Maheshwar Karma's assassination without consulting me. Violence has only brought us horns locked with the state. It is the totally misplaced ideology of Maoism that we all have been labeled as the greatest threat to the democracy. Keep in mind, we are Naxalites, our fight is on since 25th May 1967 from Bengai Jote, Naxalbari, West Bengal. We are not ruthless Maoists. PGA is not the part of PWG. We are Red Brigade comrades and this training camp is for the defence of our people. Learn well, be tough, so that we fight till the end and even if we die we lay foundation for a better tomorrow for coming generations. Good Luck and Lal Salaam.'