And then there were seven in the silent hills
The village of Pamunuru in the Karreguttalu Hills is undergoing a transformation as security forces establish a presence in a region previously dominated by Maoist insurgents. Residents report a shift from living in fear of both rebels and police to experiencing newfound stability and infrastructure development.
Why it matters
This illustrates the complex socio-political transition in conflict-affected regions of India as the state expands its reach into historically isolated areas.
Madvi Kamini has spent much of her life listening to the forest.
For years, its silence was never reassuring. The dense foliage around her home in the Karreguttalu Hills could conceal Maoist cadres, security forces or landmines buried beneath the paths. Every knock, every unfamiliar movement and every journey beyond Pamunuru village in Mulugu district carried the possibility of danger.
The ‘annalu’ (Naxals), as the people of Pamunuru called them, would arrive at their homes with a message that was both familiar and cautionary: “ Manchiga bathakandi. Maa gurinchi police laku cheppakandi. Memu mee kosame unnām. (Live well. Don’t tell the police about us; we are here for you.)”
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