It took time but finally the dreams faded. The revolution was only on paper.

Hastening the death of the 'red' dream was a very successful propaganda launched by the Maharashtra government. Add to it a total lack of communication between the top echelons of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and local dalam commanders.

Junior Maoist cadres who were in charge of carrying out attacks and killing security personnel were kept in the dark about policies and never had a say in the decisions, claim some of the top commanders who surrendered in the past few years.

The gradual leaching away of cadres is reflected in the numbers. In 2010, more than 550 Maoists operated in and around the jungles of Gadchiroli; now the number has whittled down to just over 200.

From having a strong presence in Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts till a few years ago, the movement is now more or less limited to northern parts of Gadchiroli.

COMMUNICATION GAP

Surrendered dalam commanders, speaking exclusively to India Today, talk about the initial romance of joining the Reds. Most of the villagers had no ideological clue but were lured by the myth of power flowing from the barrel of the gun.

Jagdish Katvo alias Ramesh along with his wife Jyoti Kashiram Tumreti alias Sandhya runs a shop in a village in Gadchiroli district. Both were members of Company 4; while Jagdish was a platoon commander, Jyoti was a member of the armed squad.

"For the first 4-5 years we had no information of the party's policies and goals; the higher committee members would order and the foot soldiers would follow," says Jagdish.

The constant movement from one hideout to the other, the fear of a police encounter, no fixed timing for food, no potable water finally took its toll on Jagdish and Jyoti.

"We stumbled upon posters put up by the police regarding the government's surrender policy. We decided to give ourselves up so as to lead a normal life," Jagdish says. It was 2014.

Jagdish, who took part in the Bhamragad and Kasansur attacks among others, married while he was still in the dalam.

"The party asked me to undergo a vasectomy. They don't want the women cadres to get pregnant," he says.

After surrendering Jagdish opted for a vasovasostomy (a procedure to reverse vasectomy). He now has a son who has just turned one.

POWER OF PROPAGANDA

It is a similar story for another dreaded former Maoist. Twenty-eight-year old Krishna Masa Dorpeti alias Birju rose through the ranks to become a deputy commander of Company 4.

"It all started when the Maoists came to our village; they would sing and dance and talk about Marx, Lenin and Mao. They spoke about how life has changed in Russia, China and Nepal, and how things will change here too," Dorpeti says.

He was fascinated with the uniform and weapons and says they exuded power. And so was coaxed into joining the ultras in 2002.

Dorpeti went on to play an important role in numerous attacks on security forces including in Gadchiroli as well as in Chhattisgarh.

But then around 2012-13 security forces launched a massive offensive to flush out the extremists. Many Maoists were killed.

"We thought if we stayed we too would be killed," says Dorpeti. He and his wife Manda Dusru Pada, also a Maoist cadre, took up the government's offer of economic assistance to start a new life.

"We built a house and am now working as carpenter. I never think of going back, if I go they will kill me," he says.

Like so many other villagers Sushila Dinanath Dugga alias Deve, 24, too fell prey to Maoist propaganda.

She thought by joining them she would be fighting for people's rights and the plight of her people would change for the better.

"I don't know the age when I joined them but I worked there for three years," she says.

But she found life on the run difficult, especially the long treks over difficult terrain during the summers and monsoon.

"I eventually surrendered and now have a house, a ration card and lead a normal life," she says.

It's been a long, tortuous journey for these villagers. Sold a dream and taken in by Maoist propaganda they found reality very different.

Till they chose to junk their revolutionary delusions and return to a normal life.

(Inputs from Vyankatesh Dudhamwar)

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