In the depths of a lush jungle, the intoxicating scent of the Mahua flower permeates the air, enveloping the settlement of Chukkalapadu, which has been home to the Muria tribe of Chhattisgarh for over a decade.
Around noon on a sunny April day, the Murias, accompanied by their cattle, return from their early-morning expedition into the forest, carrying baskets laden with freshly bloomed Mahua flowers. This daily ritual commences as early as 2 a.m. in Chukkalapadu, which is nearly 30 kilometres from the tribal administration headquarters of Chintoor in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district of Andhra Pradesh.
The settlement lies within ‘India’s Red Corridor’ on the A.P.-Chhattisgarh border hit by Naxalism, and stands as an oasis within a reserved forest, protected by stringent laws prohibiting settlement and deforestation. Its resilience is evident as the Murias turned the forest cover into their permanent abode, after it was set on fire six times by the Andhra Pradesh Forest department since the mid-2000s.
