The train was speeding along. Trees and hills were racing past with equal speed. The events of the past seven months flashed before Lakshmi’s eyes.
—
Itwas 11 o’clock. As soon as the train stopped at the station, Lakshmi got down, waited for it to leave, and then crossed the tracks. Her eyes scanned the station premises. She held the signals she brought tightly in her hand. Meanwhile, a middle-aged woman came up to her and asked “What’s your name?”
Lakshmi smilinglyasked “Is your name Ganga?” That was the code name she had to use to identify the receiver.
Com Lalitha who came to receive her looked at the signals and smiled back. Saritha, who was watching all this from a distance, came over laughing. She was waiting for the receiver to meet Lakshmi first. ComLalitha, started walking and said, “Comrades! The village we need to go to is far away. Let’s stop in a nearby village first, eat something, and then set off.” Lakshmi and Sarithanodded in agreement.
—
Five days passed. Lakshmi and her group still didn’t meet the squad. They missed their appointment as they didn’t arrive on time. As the days went by, Lakshmi’s eagerness to meet the comrades grew. The awaited time finally arrived, and they met the squad. Though initially unrecognizable in the dark, Lakshmi eventually recognized everyone. Even though it feltstrange to meet the squad instead of going to the camp as she had always done before, she wasrather happy.
—
“Squad, attention… at ease.”
“Comrades! Tonight we will go to the nearby village for a meeting,” the commander announced the daily squad activities during roll call.
The comrades went about their tasks. Lakshmi approachedthe comrades cleaning weapons and inquired about the guns.
“Today, you have to go on sentry duty, comrade. Will you go?” asked the commander.
“Yes, certainly, comrade,” replied Lakshmi, delighted.
As it was her first time, she was paired with a supporting comrade who explained the procedures to be followed on sentry duty and how to handle the gun. Following the directions carefully, Lakshmi completed her first sentry duty with a mix of joy and excitement.
From the morning, Lakshmi eagerly looked forward to the village visit and the upcoming meeting.
“Hello, Anna, Akka,” the comrades greeted the villagers in their local language while shaking hands with them. Though Lakshmi didn’t understand the unfamiliar words, she smiled and shook hands with the villagers. As the comrades sang, the villagers gathered around. The meeting continued, and even though Lakshmi didn’t understand a word, the light in the faces of the people listening to the meeting seemed to say, “The solution to our problems is the struggle.”
—
The Party works in various locations. As part of it, Lakshmi and Saritha worked in the urban movement. Both are from middle-class families and are not accustomed to physical labor due to the various amenities available in urban areas. Though the tasks in the rural movement were new to themafter working in the city, they gradually got used to everything due to their political commitment and with the party’s political support. They got accustomed to all the tasks in the squad. Lakshmi and Saritha did everything from cooking to other chores. One night, they were assigned sentry duty. Itwas their first time doing night duty. “If you have any doubts, wake us up, comrades,” everyone said before going to sleep. Despite straining their eyes, they could see nothing. Mistaking fireflies for torches, they almost woke the nearby comrades in panic. But when the fireflies flew into the sky, they breathed a sigh of relief.
The entire village was glowing as if bathed in moonlight. Everyone, young and old, who were warming themselves by the fires, ran and joyfully greeted the arriving squad. Lakshmi, who had been listening to the meetings daily, was starting to understand some words. After the meeting, all the village women lined up and performed their traditional dance, Dhimsa. The song flowed rhythmically. Some comrades also joined in the dance. In that moonlit night, the movements of their feet were clearly visible. Meanwhile, some women pulled Lakshmi also into the dance. She danced until she was exhausted.
The language classes of the local tribal dialectwere organized for the squad. Lakshmi liked the fact that some time of the squad was dedicatedto this every day. She realized that understanding the language was crucial to know the people’s feelings and share in their hardships and joys. So, she regularly attended the language classes. She learned to speak a little of the language with the comrades and greet the villagers when they visited villages.
One day, Lakshmi and two other comrades were assigned the duty of bringing essential supplies and vegetables to the camp. The comrades were walking briskly with their loads, climbing a steep path. As Lakshmi walked, the rice sack on her head seemed to get heavier. Nonetheless, she patiently followed the comrades.
“Am I the same person who, as a child, would complain to my mother, ‘I can’t climb all these stairs after school!’? Am I the same person who, afraid of the dark, now stands guard at night?” Lakshmi marveled at her transformation that occurred without her realizing it. “The Party is truly great. Its politics can turn anyone into a good guerrilla,” she thought as she walked on.
Comrade Madhu pointed to a seat and said, “Come, comrade, sit.” Lakshmi looked at him as if to ask, “What’s the matter, comrade?” Madhu explained, “From tomorrow, the Dussehra holidays begin. Students studying outside will come to the villages. So, you and another comrade will visit a few villages for a week and talk to the students.” Lakshmi felt very happy about being involved in all these tasks.
Lakshmi and another comrade changed into their civil clothes, shooks hands with the squad and went to the assigned villages. The villagers took good care of them. The students shared their problems and cooperated well in the discussions. “Comrade, it’s very important for us to remember the routes,” said the comrade with Lakshmi, making her carefully observe all the paths.
When they returned to thesquad, Lakshmi reported in detail her discussions with the students to Secretary Madhu and Commander Lalitha. “Now I remember the way to every village we’ve been to. I can visit those villages alone if sent again,” she said proudly.
—
It was six in the morning. As everyone had gone to bed at 2 AM, everybody was sleepy. Suddenly, Madhu, who was listening to the news, exclaimed, “Comrades! Our people attacked the Koraput headquarters!” Everyone immediately sat up. They listened eagerly and silently for more news. Soon, the radio announced, “Naxals attacked the Koraput district headquarters, seizing over 200 guns and more than 2,000 bullets.” Everyone cheered with joy. Madhu recorded the news on a cassette. That night, they held a meeting to inform the villagers about the incident. The next day, they cooked meat to celebrate the victory.
The camp was bustling with activity. Lakshmi was very excited, meeting Saritha and many other comrades. They askedoneanother how they felt upon hearing the news of the attack. Everybody talked about the same topics.
As soon as the roll call whistle blew, everyone stood in formation. “Comrades! Today, some comrades from Koraput will be joining us. Two of our comrades have to go to the APT,” announced the camp commander as he called out names.
Lakshmi and another comrade were assigned kitchen duty. As Lakshmi was bringing stones to make a stove, a comrade said, “Sudha might be among the comrades arriving today.”
Lakshmi’s face lit up upon hearing Sudha’s name. “Is she really coming?”
“It’s been a year since I last saw her. She doesn’t even know that I’m here,” she thought.
“How will Sudha feel seeing me in uniform? I’ve gained a little weight lately. She’ll be so happy when I tell her about all the work I’m doing,” she thought while cooking.
“Red Salute, comrades!” Some comrades arrived, each carrying two guns, shaking hands with everyone, including Lakshmi. Most of them were new comrades, except for two or three. Lakshmi looked towards the arriving comrades for Sudha, but it was clear she hadn’t come.
“Sudha came part of the way with us but didn’t make it here due to some work,” said Bharat, one of the arriving comrades.
Lakshmi remained silent.
“Comrades, everyone needs to come here for a moment,” called out Commander Madhu, showing the guns captured in the Koraput attack. “Lakshmi, you hold this,” he said, handing her a .303 rifle. Lakshmi took the gun with great joy. She eagerly awaited news about Koraput. Since it was a large camp, Lakshmi and two other comrades were on kitchen duty for three days.
While serving breakfast to everyone in the morning, three more comrades arrived, greeting with “Red Salute, comrades.” One of them was Sudha’s companion, Vishnu. “I thought Sudha would come with you,” said Lakshmi.
“She planned to come initially, but had some work and couldn’t make it. If she knew you were here, she might have come. We didn’t know you were here,” said Vishnu.
Comrades who had been with Sudha until then were talking about her. As soon as the combined study whistle blew, everyone finished their breakfast and left.
The day after Lakshmi was relieved from kitchen duty, she learned that some comrades were parting ways. Since the kitchen was far from the camp, she couldn’t speak properly with anyone. She felt sad as everyone shook hands and parted.
Lakshmi and Sarada also parted from the squad for a few days to hold meetings in the villages along with the JNM batch. “How are you,Akka? How are you, Anna?” the villagers and the team mutually greeted each other.
“Comrades, invite everyone to the meeting,” said the JNM commander.
Lakshmi and another comrade went to different streets, inviting people with great joy in the language they had learned, “Everyone come!”
“Akka, Annalet’s go to the meeting. What are you doing?” they said, inviting every household.
As soon as everyone arrived, they sang two songs. When the commander spoke about the injustices faced by the Adivasisand the deceptions by the landlords and moneylenders, the people listened attentively. When a song about the Chief Minister was sung, everyone clapped and danced joyfully. They held meetings in five villages in this manner and returned to the camp. Two comrades described the Koraput raid to everyone. All of them listened with great enthusiasm. When they spoke about the people’s cooperation in carrying guns, Lakshmi had goosebumps. When they described the people’s eagerness to touch the comrades’ hands as they returned after completing the raid, the listeners’ faces lit up with joy. While listening about the raid, Lakshmi looked at the gun on her shoulder with affection and held it with pride.
One day, all the comrades were listening to the news.
“There was an encounter near China Dodiji where five kit bags and two guns were seized by the police,” they heard, causing everyone to worry. However, they were relieved to know there were no casualties. A batch went to meet that squad.
—-
Lakshmi, Saritha, and two other comrades were carrying 20 kg bags of gelatin on their heads down a big hill. Lakshmi was leading, with the senior comrades following behind. Lakshmi’s neck was hurting. They occasionally set down the bags and then carried on. Suddenly, they heard a noise. Lakshmi and another comrade quickly moved forward to check the source of the sound. They saw a buffalo standing nervously and breathed a sigh of relief.
They set down the gelatin bags. While Saritha and another comrade were handing them over, Lakshmi and another comrade hid the gelatin bags in the grass. It was Lakshmi’s first experience, and she did it with great enthusiasm.
—–
Comrade Vimala called Lakshmi and another comrade and said, “Comrades, you need to take the supplies we brought for the camp back to that village,” so they set off.
“Comrades, you have been asking for shooting training for a long time. Come and hit the target with a 2.2 rifle,” called a comrade to Lakshmi and Saritha. They went with great enthusiasm and shot in three positions. Lakshmi shot one target outside.
March 8th was approaching. Everyone thought it would be good to hold a meeting in the village on that day. March 8th came. In the afternoon, Comrade Santosh was listening to the news when a shocking piece of news came through.
“Three Naxalites died in an encounter near Eguva (Upper)Sumbi,” everyone sank into sorrow. Who could it be? From the moment they heard that news, everyone was down. The next morning, Lakshmi and two other comrades went to the village to get supplies and vegetables and to ask someone to bring the newspaper.
“I will bring the paper by evening,” said the villager, so Lakshmi and another comrade went to the village in the evening. A villager brought the paper. The other comrade quickly flipped through the papers. The news of the encounter was there withthe photos of three comrades who were killed. They had bullet wounds on their heads. The comrade recognized two of them. Just then, comrades who had gone to fetch Lalitha from the APT arrived.
“Lalitha didn’t come to the APT, where is the paper?” one of them asked, and took the paper.
“These are Comrades Shashi, Vijay, and Kumari,” he said clearly. Tears filled the comrade’s eyes.
—
Shashi is Lalitha’s companion. Comrade felt bad, thinking about how Lalitha would cope with the news. Lakshmi wasn’t acquainted with the three comrades, yet the comrades’ martyrdom plunged her into grief. The comrades informed everyone about the incident. Everyone talked about those three comrades. Listening to these stories made Lakshmi feel sad for not having met them. She fiercely cursed the police who killed the comrades.
Lakshmi despised the State that, through fake encounters, claimed the lives of many comrades and left the other comrades with grief. Lalitha needs to move on from these memories, she thought as she packed her kit for sentry duty.
Lakshmi, on sentry duty, looked at the big Hill ahead. She noticed someone descending the Hill. She observed carefully and confirmed that it was their comrades. The arriving comrades explained how the encounter at EguvaSumbi happened.
“After the Koraput attack, we were entrusted with the patients’ responsibility. We were coming back after sending the patients to another place for treatment. Shashi, Vijay, and Kumari stopped in a village for supplies and vegetables. They were talking to the villagers about the rice supply. The police, who noticed this, ambushed them by hiding in the bushes along the comrades’ path. As soon as the comrades approached, the enemy opened auto-firing. The shooting was so close that the comrades fell on the spot. To ensure they were dead, the police came closer and fired again,” explained a comrade, unable to continue further.
At the beginning of the EguvaSumbi martyrs’ meeting, , they observed two minutes of silence in memory ofComrades Shashi, Vijay and Kumari, and saluted the martyrs. Each comrade in the meeting spoke in detailabout the lives of the three martyrs, bringing tears to everyone’s eyes. When asked to speak, Lalithawho presided over the meeting spoke elaborately about the three martyrs and held up theirsacrifices as an ideal for all of them.
After the meeting, Comrade Santosh announced, “Comrades, one batch will go ahead for an APT. We will join later.” Lakshmi was included in that batch.
—
Lakshmi walked at the front, holding her gun alertly. They walked without stopping,each of them carrying a kit bag on their back, a gun on their shoulder and a bundle on their head. Everyone’s shirts were soaked with sweat due to the long walk. They set sentries and went to sleep in order to wake up early in the morning and go for the appointment.
In the morning, Lakshmi set out with four comrades to get necessary supplies for the camp. As soon as they reached a village, a comrade showed them an encounter place from the past and explained how the comrades had escaped then. Lakshmi thought, “How did they climb this steep hill? If mentally prepared, any difficult task can be accomplished,” and moved forward. After talking to the villagers and with their help, they gathered the supplies and headed back.
Saritha, on sentry duty, called out, “Comrades, look over there, someone is holding guns.” Two comrades went to check. It was unclear if they were comrades or police. “You go and check; we will head to the APT,” two comrades told Lakshmi and another comrade and set out. Lakshmi and another comrade walked with their guns ready. She firmly decided in her mind to face them bravely if they turned out to be police. After walking some distance, they realized they were comrades. They called the comrades heading to the APT to join them and moved forward.
—
As soon as the combined study was over, a comrade came and said, “Comrades! Some of us need to go to the village today and set up a medical camp.” Lakshmi took the medicines and set off. Almost everyone in the village came for the medicines. A comrade was giving injections to some people.
Lakshmi participated in the medical camp every day for five days…
Ever since Comrade Santosh mentioned that they were splitting up, Lakshmi had been feeling sad. Santosh was a very senior comrade. Even at his age, he was so active! When the new comrades had trouble walking, he would tell them stories and ask tricky questions to relieve their fatigue. He would talk about politics to the comrades who were feeling down and boost their morale. Naturally, everyone, including Lakshmi, admired him.
“Squad! Attention..At ease… comrades who are leaving, form a line!” The departing comrades formed a line and shook hands with everyone. No matter how much Lakshmi tried to control herself, she couldn’t stop her tears. After saying Lal Salaam(Red Salute) to everyone, the comrades set off. Watching them leave, Lakshmi thought, “Meeting is for parting, and parting is for meeting again, isn’t it?” and wiped her tears.
—
All the comrades were eating rice in the kitchen. Comrade Bharat came to Lakshmi and said, “Comrade, you need to tell us what you liked and didn’t like since you joined. Think about it and tell us later if you need to.”
“I liked holding meetings in the villages and talking to the people,” she said. She mentioned that the comrades being friendly and disciplined was very good.
“We need to go to the villages and conduct class analysis programs,” Bharat said to the comrades. They decided on each person’s responsibilities. They formed two batches, with two people in each, and collected information by talking to the people in the villages. They went to every house in the village and gathered details. Lakshmi, along with her team, participatedin the class analysis program for a week.
—
As the mid-term elections approached, they held classes to explain the circulars and party resolutions regarding the elections. They prepared banners and posters against the elections. Lakshmi also participated in this work.
Along with three other comrades, Lakshmi was given the responsibility of putting up banners and posters in key centers and organizing meetings in the villages. The four of them set off for theelectionboycott campaign. They pasted posters in every village and put up banners in key centers. They stopped in one village.
“This morning, the police came by a helicopter and landed in the fields. Four days ago, they leveled the field and drew lines,” the village elder informed the comrades. It became clear that they were planning to set up a polling booth in this village. Immediately, they asked to show the spot where the helicopter would land, planted a banner that would be visible as soon as the helicopter landed, and moved far away from there.
—
“We are approaching the appointment place. Since it’s election time, the police might be around, so everyone stay alert,” said the comrade. The four of them were walking quickly in the planned formation.
“Akka, wait! The police have come to the village down there. It will be dangerous if you go,” said a villager.
“Really? How many of them are there? When did they come?” she asked.
“Around 5 in the morning, about 40 of them arrived. It’s better if you don’t go,” the villager said and left.
“Comrades, to reach our APT place, we need to pass through that village. After that village, there are three more villages where elections are happening. So, the police must have set off towards that village. If they arrived at this village at 5 in the morning, they should have crossed two villages by now. For safety, we’ll check as we go,” said the team commander. Holding their guns in their hands, they walked. They walked some distance on the road.
“From here, everything is open. It will be problematic if we walk on the road,” said a comrade. “Okay, let’s climb this hill,” they said and climbed the nearby hill. They couldn’t understand the path. They heard the sound of trees being cut. “Dada, Dada” called the comrade. The sound stopped. She called again, but there was no response. “Looks like he mistook us for the police and ran away. What to do now,” they wondered.
“Okay, comrades, the village he mentioned is nearby. I’ll go and check if the police are there,” said the comrade, going in civilian attire. She returned and said, “The police have left,” so everyone got up and went to the edge of that village and asked for gruel.
Since everyone was hungry, they drank the gruel quickly as soon as it arrived.
They set off again. With the help of a villager, they walked through the hills. They were thinking about how to enter the village where the APT was scheduled.
Meanwhile, Madhu’s team met with Lakshmi’s team.
“At 5 in the morning, about 30 CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel went to the upper village via that road,” pointing towards the road, Madhu said, “It’s very clearly visible to the sentry.”
“Comrades, this morning CRPF personnel travelled on this route. There is a chance they might come back the same way tomorrow. So, it would be good to set up a mine on this road tonight and ambush them,” Bharat said. “Our comrades have scouted the site,” he said, mentioning the batch assigned to set the mine.
“Lakshmi, let’s go to the huts and bring something like an Iron crow-bar,” Madhu said, and Lakshmi left. “We need to set off at one in the night. Everyone should be ready with their equipment,” Bharat said. Lakshmi wrapped the wire she needed to carry in an orderly manner, carefully placed the detonators, and lay down.
“Comrades, wake up, let’s get moving,” the sentry said, waking the batch up, and they started walking ahead with their equipment.
“Lakshmi, you stay here as a sentry. If you have any doubts, call out softly,” they said, taking the detonators from Lakshmi and placing another sentry near the village. It was dark and silent. Breaking that silence, comrades were digging holes to set the mines.
“Oh my goodness, what a noise!” Lakshmi’s tension was rising. She reminded herself not to be scared if the police came at this time. She thought to herself, “A sentry is like the heartbeat of the Party. I must be brave.”
Bharat came and said, “Lakshmi, everything is fine, the work will be done in a little while. Come as soon as we call you,” and he left. After a while, they called Lakshmi. Everything was well camouflaged. No one could identify where the mine was.
“Alright, comrades, it’s 3 o’clock. Let’s go,” someone said, and everyone started walking. They reached their camp through a shortcut. Everyone ate rice. It was ten o’clock.
“Comrades, we will sit at the site. As soon as you hear the blasting sound, climb this hill and stay up there. We will come and meet you there,” said two comrades holding guns in civil dress, and they left.
Everyone was looking at the path, thinking that the CRPF police must come this way. It was four o’clock. They were getting disheartened, thinking the route of the CRPF force might have been changed, when they heard the sentry say, “the CRPF is coming.” Everyone stood behind the trees and watched. This was the first time Lakshmi saw the CRPF. They were walking maintaining a gap between each other.
“It’s your funeral, go,” Lakshmi rejoiced internally.
In a short while, they would hear the explosion, and everyone started packing their belongings. As soon as they heard the “boom” sound, everyone quickly climbed the hill. Lakshmi climbed carrying two bags on her shoulders, a gun, and a heavy rice pot on her head. Her neck was aching. Despite this, hearing the sound filled everyone with triumph, and they forgot their burdens and kept moving.
They stopped after going some distance. The firing sounds had ceased. They were waiting for the two comrades. After a while, the two came.
“Everything went off well. Two of them must be dead,” they said, bringing great joy to everyone. The police were checking the killing zone.
Without wasting a moment, they stopped at a hut, ate their food, and traveled a long distance.
At dawn, everyone was waiting for the news. Soon the news came. “One CRPF jawan died and another was severely injured in the landmine blast triggered by Naxals,” they heard on the radio. Everyone jumped with joy.
In the five months since Lakshmi joined, she had learned many new things. She gained courage by listening to the encounter experiences of the comrades there.
—
“Lakshmi, tonight we will split into several groups. You will go with ComradeLalitha’s group. From there, you need to take someone else along and go outside for an appointment,” said Madhu.
Lalitha said, “Lakshmi, you need to go to the APT early in the morning.”
“But I don’t know the way,” said Lakshmi.
“We will go to the village in the evening and ask someone to accompany us,” suggested Lalitha.
In the evening, Lalitha went to the village and asked a villager. He said he had work and couldn’t come. Lalitha persuaded him, and finally, he agreed.
Early in the morning, after finishing her chores, Lakshmi changed into civilian clothes, went to the village, picked up the villager, and started her journey. “Akka, I have work; I’ll leave now,” he began. Lakshmi had only one tension… she was running late for the appointment. She pleaded with him and managed to bring him up to the main road. “Buses will come here; you can go in them,” said the villager and left. Lakshmi was now worried about how to receive the comrades from the appointment and bring them back. She remembered the way vaguely.
As soon as the bus arrived, she got into it. She recognized those who came for the appointment since she had seen them before. After buying all the supplies, they started their journey back. “Did you come alone to receive us?” asked a comrade.
“Yes,” said Lakshmi proudly, but she was tense about the troubles they might face. Four of them boarded the bus. When it reached the stop where Lakshmi had boarded, she stood up and said, “Get down.”
As they walked, Lakshmi thought, “I remember the way clearly.” Whenever she had doubts, she asked the village men, mentioning the village name, to confirm the path. She felt happy for remembering the village name. Finally, they reached the village they were supposed to. While they were heading towards their camp, a village man came and said…
“Comrades, don’t go that way. Sixty policemen were spotted on that hill this morning. As soon as they heard this, all your comrades there moved to another location,” he said. “Did they tell you where they went?” Lakshmi asked. “No, Akka, but they hid a kit and some food supplies before leaving,” he replied.
The village man and another comrade went and brought back the hidden kit, rice, and lentils. While theywere heading towards thevillage man’shouse, Lalitha and her group appeared. “What happened, comrades?” they asked. As they were explaining the situation, two children came running and said, “The police have entered the village.” Everyone grabbed their food and climbed a big hill.
The next day, they went to another village for supplies, held a meeting in the village, and were bringing the supplies back when it suddenly started to rain. Quickly, everyone put the supplies near rocks, covered them with polythene, and sat underneath. Almost everyone got drenched but they were happy they kept the supplies dry. Knowing that all the comrades would meet tomorrow made Lakshmi very happy.
All the comrades gathered. Since it was a big camp, Lakshmi and two other comrades were assigned kitchen duty for three days. A cultural camp was taking place. All the comrades were in high spirits.
—
The JNM comrades were teaching everyone dances and songs. The JNM commander came to Lakshmi and said, “Everyone is writing poems, songs, and reflections about our martyrs Shashi, Vijay, and Kumari. You should write something too.”
“I don’t know how to write, comrade. Besides, I wasn’t acquainted with those comrades,” replied Lakshmi.
“If you have the determination to write, you can do it, comrade. Try,” he said and left. “Yes, I should write,” she thought and wrote a poem about Kumari. Everyone said it was good.
Two ambush teams were stationed in front and behind the camp. One day, the commander said, “Lakshmi, you and another comrade have to take the ambush comrade to the village and come back.”
Lakshmi, wondering where the ambush team might be sitting, went to the place the commander mentioned and looked around. She saw three comrades sitting behind a rock on a high hill. Lakshmi clapped her hands to call them.
On the last evening at the camp, all the comrades dispersed. Everyone was talking excitedly. The JNM comrades were recording songs. Lakshmi felt even more sorrowful when Kavitha suddenly said she also had to leave.
“Don’t be sad, comrade. I will write to you as soon as I go back,” said Kavitha. With tears welling up in her eyes, Lakshmi nodded her head.
It was a full moon night. Even at 7 PM, everything was visible. Kavitha, Lakshmi, and another comrade found a flat place, spread out a polythene sheet, and sat down. They chatted for a long time. As soon as the whistle blew, everyone stood in two lines.
All the comrades leaving shook hands with each other. The comrades clenched their fists and said, “Lal Salaam.” Lakshmi also clenched her fist and replied, “Comrades, Lal Salaam.”
When the commander whistled, everyone came and stood in four lines. They sang the international song and lowered the flag. Some of the remaining comrades also left.
With the comrades gone, everything was silent. The place that had been bustling with activity until then now felt empty. As it got quite dark while packing up the camp, they set up sentries and slept there.
From the next day onwards, the squad started singing songs and holding meetings. Lakshmi had almost learned the language and was able to communicate well with the people. Since it was the mango season, they had mangoes for breakfast every day. When they camped under a mango tree, it was a celebration for all the comrades.
—
The day of the election results had finally arrived. From the morning, the comrades were noting down the results being broadcast on the radio. With the decrease in votes for TDP(Telugu Desam Party), everyone’s joy was increasing. As soon as they heard the news that Chandrababu’s* government had been defeated, all the comrades jumped with joy.
“Lakshmi, you and another comrade should go to the APT. That comrade will come with you up to the road and then proceed to hisAPT. From there, you should go toSaritha’sAPT,” said Madhu. “Alright, comrade,” Lakshmi agreed.
“While bringing backSaritha, you will be by yourself, soremember all the paths,” said that comrade. Lakshmi observed her surroundings and memorized the path. When they reached the road, the comrade said, “Alright, I’m leaving, comrade. Be careful,” and left.
It was getting time for the APT. No buses were coming. When she asked a person there, she found out that there wouldn’t be any buses for another hour. “If you walk along this road, there will be a junction. There should be a bus there now,” he informed her.
Thinking, “If I had stood here without asking, I’d have been in trouble,” Lakshmi walked rapidly. She ran and boarded a bus that was just about to leave. Saritha was waiting at the station.
Two days later, martyred comrade Sashi’s sister arrived. Until then, shehad been holding back her tears, but as soon as she saw Lalitha, they flowed freely. No matter how much she was consoled, she couldn’t control herself. Sashi meant the world to her. She recounted the troubles the police caused when they went to retrieve Sashi’s body. Lakshmi felt that she would chop the police into pieces if they stood in front of her.
Sashi’s sister and Saritha were leaving. They shook hands with all the comrades. With tears in their eyes, Saritha said, “Lal Salaam, comrades,” and walked forward without looking back.
Watching Saritha leave…
“It’s really tough to part with the comrades we’ve been together with all these days,” Lakshmi thought.
—-
“Today, Lalitha’s mother is arriving. You should also go with Lalitha, to receive her,” Madhu said to Lakshmi. Immediately, Lalitha and Lakshmichanged in to civil clothes. They walked through villagesand reached the road. “Lakshmi, there’s still a lot of time for the train to arrive. So, let’s not wait for the bus and just walk. What do you say?” said Lalitha. “Alright, comrade, let’s walk,” Lakshmi agreed. All along the way, Lalitha kept talking about Sashi, Vijay, and Kumari. She couldn’t forget the memories of Sashi. Lakshmi felt very sad. She walked thinking about how valuable the comrades they had lost were.
They walked for almost three hours on the road and reached the station. The train was due to arrive in another ten minutes. Lalitha’s eyes were filled with tears. “Lalitha, control yourself,” said Lakshmi, trying to divert her attention to something else but failing. As the train whistle sounded, Lakshmi’s anxiety grew, and she wondered, “Can Lalitha’s family handle seeing her in this state? Can Lalitha handle it herself?”
The train arrived with a loud noise, and people disembarked in a rush. Lalitha’s eyes were searching for her family. Soon, her mother and two sisters got off the train. Seeing Lalitha, their eyes also filled with tears. “Don’t cry,” Lalithasignaled with her eyes. After walking some distance, they burst into tears. Lakshmi wanted to tell them not to cry but couldn’t bring herself to say it.
That day was spent in remembrance of Sashi. They consoled Lalitha, who was distressed. Everyone was exhausted from the day’s activities and fell asleep early. One comrade went to the village, so there was no sentry. Lakshmi, being on kitchen duty, put water on the stove to boil. A comrade, seeing Lakshmi measure rice, offered to help, saying, “We are all very tired, let me help you.” When Lakshmi went to take the boiling water off the stove, she accidentally spilled it on her legs and screamed, “Amma!” Quickly removing her boots and socks, she sat down, crying in pain.
Hearing her scream, all the comrades rushed over. Lalitha’s mother applied oil to both of Lakshmi’s legs. It felt like her legs were burning. Another comrade brought some leaves and squeezed their juice onto Lakshmi’s legs. As long as they fanned her, the pain subsided; when they stopped, her legs felt like they were on fire. The comrades fanned her for a long time. Despite their exhaustion, they tended to her, and Lakshmi felt grateful. She thought to herself, “That’s why they say, ‘Class solidarity is greater than blood relations.’
That whole night, Lakshmi couldn’t sleep. By morning, she hoped the burns wouldn’t blister. Eventually, she fell asleep. When she woke up, her legs were blistered. The blisters worsened day by day, despite taking antibiotics. She continued walking despite the pain.
Lalitha, along with a comrade, set out to escort her mother and sisters back. Only Lakshmi, Madhu, and another comrade remained. They had six guns and six kit bags. They asked for porridge in a villager’s hut and drank it. “Comrades, let’s carry these kits and guns up,” said Madhu. “The revolution always shows us unexpected things,” thought Lakshmi, picking up two guns and two kits and walking forward, despite her sore legs.
A comrade who had gone to the appointment, returned with two comrades. “Lakshmi!Kavitha wrote you a letter,” said Madhu, handing it to her. Lakshmi was very happy after reading the letter. It said she had to continue with the organizational work outside.
Though she was happy to return to her organizational duties, Lakshmi felt sad about leaving the mother forest who had sheltered and protected her for seven months like her own mother and the comrades who had become very close to her.
During a meeting in the village, Madhu called Lakshmi and asked about her experiences in the squad over the past seven months. “Comrades, there’s a bus tomorrow morning. The comrades who went to the appointment will be back before you leave. So you can meet andshake hands with them and then leave. A comrade will accompany you to the bus,” said Madhu.
—
It was four in the morning. The comrades who were supposed to meet had not yet arrived. “Alright comrade, it’s time for the bus. You should leave. For some reason, it seems our people are delayed,” said Madhu.
She felt sad about leaving without meeting all the comrades. She handed over her uniform and gun to the commander. “Let’s meet again, take care comrade,” said Madhu.
“Lal Salaam, let’s meet again comrades,” said Lakshmi, shaking hands with Lalitha, Madhu and two other comrades. “Lal Salaam comrades,” she said, clenching her fist.
As the bus Lakshmi was supposed to board arrived, the comrade who came with her said, “Take care comrade, I will leave now,” and departed.
Lakshmi got on the bus and sat down. Due to extensive walking, her feet had swollen and were burning. The bus started moving. She had to get off the bus and catch a train.
The train sped forward, passing through villages, streams, and hills. As Lakshmi looked out the window, an image of a calf crying for its mother flashed before her eyes.
—
“Your attention please… train number 1348….” The announcement snapped Lakshmi out of her thoughts and she looked at the name of the station. It was the place where she had to get off. She got up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and thought, “Every moment I spent with the comrades was invaluable and unforgettable”.Then she moved forward towards her destination with determination.
Notes:
Anna, Dada – elder brother,but this term is also used by people to address male comrades
Akka – elder sister, but this term is also used by people to address female comrades
Amma– mother
APT – appointment
Dhimsa – It is a tribal dance form that is performed primarily by Porjacaste women in Andhra Pradesh.
JNM – Jana NatyaMandali, cultural troup of the Party
Lal salaam – red salute
* Chandrababu Naidu – chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004, chief minister of truncated Andhra Pradesh from 2014 to 2019 and currently in his fourth term as chief minister.
(Translation of “Guerillajeevitaanubhavam”. [Initially published in Viplavi, October 2006] From the collection of “Viyyukka”) –Translated by