Police help revive 'haats' shut due to Naxal menace in Bastar

The rural 'haats' (weekly market) facing closure due to Naxal violence in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district may soon get a new lease of life with police encouraging villagers to revive these local trade activities in remote pockets of the insurgency-hit region.
As a part of the effort, a 'haat-bazaar' in Netanar village which was closed due to Naxal terror over a decade ago, was recently reopened with the joint initiative of police and villages, bringing a huge relief to the locals who were forced to walk long miles for buying daily provisions.
"We always wanted to restart the market here but fearing Maoist violence, which breaks out at any time in the area, local traders and villagers avoided it, Netanar's sarpanch Sahadev Naag told PTI.

Located in a sprawling forest of Darbha region, Netanar is around 40 kms from Jagdalpur district headquarters of Bastar (about 350 kms from Raipur).
In view of the peace prevailing in the area for past few months and getting assurance of support from the district administration and police, the village decided to open the market last month.
Bastar Superintendent of Police R N Dash said they recently helped to reopen the Netanar weekly market and efforts are on to restart more such 'haats' in the district.

The market is organised on every Tuesday and it is getting a good response as around 2,000-3,000 visitors are coming to it, Naag said.

Local markets are a majorsource of employment and means of livelihood, besides a common place of gathering and socialising for the tribals.
After the Netanar 'haat' was shut down, the locals had to walk8-10 kms to nearby village markets for procuring items of daily use or selling vegetables and other stuffs, including minor forest produce, the sarpanch said.
In 2011, six police personnel, including Darbha police station SHO, were killed in a Maoist ambush at the place which is very close to where the weekly market is being held.
There are around 3,500 villages in Bastar division,
comprising seven districts, wherefor every five or six villages, a single 'haat' on weekdays.

Police have now taken up the initiative in Bastar to bring back the 'haats' for the benefit of villagers.
"We have recently reopened weekly market at Netanar. Moreover, three-four weekly markets which were closed down in after Maoist violence in Darbha region have been identified and efforts are on to restart them soon," Dash said.
The 'haat-bazaars' have been an integral part of tribal culture. They are not only a source of earning livelihood or procuring items for tribals but also a place of entertainment and interaction between them. Besides, it also ensures a platform where police can interact with people to know them and win their hearts, the SP said.

With the increasing success in counter-insurgency operations, police have also been able to win the confidence of villagers who are approaching the security personnel for helping in reopening their markets and undertaking development works in their areas, he said.
"A road is being built from Nangur to Koleng via Netanar. Villagers have named this road after the noted tribal freedom fighter Gundadhur. A statue of Gundadhur is also being installed at the Netanar market," he added.