Naxals may not have gained the kind of support they would have liked in Karnataka, but there are stories of official callousness and apathy driving some young people to the movement in the state, with a few on the road to reform even changing track midway and opting for the life of a dangerous outlaw rather than put up with the slow moving wheels of government machinery.
One Gowdlu (tribal) family from the Bhadra site near Balehole, about 14 kms from Kalasa, Chikmagalur district has produced two rebellious members, one of whom is a confirmed Maoist and the other a suspected one. While 70- year- old Lingamma’s daughter, Vanajakshi, 36, is one of the most wanted Maoists today, the old woman fears one of her sons, J.M. Krishna, too may have become a part of the movement as he has disappeared since January this year. A suspected Maoist , he was acquitted by the courts and lived with his mother on the Bhadra site until he upped and left.
The family lives on the wages of the youngest of Lingamma’s four sons, 30 -year- old Umesh, who works as a coolie while the other two sons have jobs away from home. Krishna was, however, ambitious and wanted to start a pig rearing unit, but failed to get the funds he needed, according to his mother. “I fear he may have been disappointed and so returned to the forest,” she says with tears in her eyes.
Umesh confirms her story. “After being acquitted by the court, he had approached officials for financial help run a pig farm but they put him off , advising him to wait till they received more funds,” he recounts.
The family fears the worst as Krishna always had rebellious streak in him. “He always raised his voice against injustice. After doing his primary education at Balehole , he studied further and even did his MA from Kuvempu University," says Umesh . While employed with the Kalasa Gram Panchayat, he became upset about the family losing two acres of land to encroachers who muscled their way in with the suport of a few politicians. “Several cases were filed against Krishna and other members of our family,” Umesh recalls bitterly.
At Kalasa, Krishna became involved with the Adukodu drinking water movement and later joined the Kudremukh National Park (KNP) stir. In the process he came into conflict with the police which filed several cases against him. Umesh believes that his brother may have become frustrated with the system as a result and joined the Maoists, although he always denied having anything to do with them.
“He told me he was part of an organisation fighting against injustice but was not associated with the Naxals. My daughter Vanajakshi , however, openly says that she is with them,” adds Lingamma. The villagers blame senior police officials for driving Krishna away by treating him badly at all times even when he was trying to make a better life for himself the legitimate way. " He was asked to come to the police station for no reason, making him feel like a criminal. The police were abusive with him and his family and when he tried to start a pig farm, the government did not come to his help," they regret, agreeing that he could have joined the Naxals out of the resultant frustration and anger.
The family has still not filed a missing person complaint with the police as its not sure if Krishna has really disappeared. “The last time he went missing he claimed he had been to Bengaluru in search of a job. So we are still hoping he will return,” adds Umesh.