Staring into the rugged wilderness and challenging terrain of the legendary Dandakaranya forest, 11 women officers from the Maharashtra police stand ready at a critical outpost in Gadchiroli district’s Wangeturi, a mere 20 kilometres from the Maoist frontier of Abujmarh, also known as the ‘unknown hills’ in the Gondi language native to the region.
Having undergone intensive training in jungle warfare and weaponry, these women are now informally called commandos, and have been positioned at a critical intersection along the so-called Red Corridor, directly facing the Maoist headquarters nestled in these enigmatic hills bordering Chhattisgarh.
Familiar with the treacherous terrain and the intricacies of the local language, and determined to flush out the insurgents, the young officers are part of a 200-strong security force. They are safeguarding a ballistic-proof MAC-walled outpost which was set up within a record 24 hours last November, after a 106-km trek through Chhattisgarh from Gadchiroli town. It is situated at the furthest edge of the left wing extremism (LWE)-affected district, just four kilometres from the ‘unmanned’ Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.
