RAIPUR: Driven to desperation by Maoist excesses and police inaction, tribals of Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district adjoining Jharkhand have taken up arms to drive out the rebels from the forests in a virtual re-run of the Salwa Judum movement witnessed in tribal Bastar region during 2005-08.More than 1,500 tribals from Thutiamba, Aurapani and 25 other villages have declared war on Maoists of People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI). Armed with axes, hammers, knives, bows and arrows, villagers can be seen heading towards dense forests towards the Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand border to fight the rebels.“Villagers are fed up with the atrocities committed by Maoists and police apathy. Maoists on the Jharkhand border often barge into our houses anytime during the day and demand food and money. If there’s no money at home, they beat us and threaten to kill. We have taken a collective decision to take up arms,” said Rampal Kurre, a villager.Maoists come in groups and force teenaged kids to join their ranks and follow their ideology. “They have abducted many village girls and boys. This is why our kids get scared and flee from home,” he said. “While police expect us to act as informers, Maoists treat us with suspicion. If we don’t provide inputs to police, we are assaulted.”Villagers from north Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, including women and children, are part of this movement. Ten days ago, rebels had assaulted a villager and also molested some women.“Maoists of PLFI are active in Gumla district of Jharkhand and are led by a commander, Budhram, in the Aara region of north Chhattisgarh. Angry with Budhram’s raid on the village on January 24, villagers gathered and decided to boycott Maoists. Now, they are boldly reporting Maoist movements to cops,” Jitendra Mina, Jashpur superintendent of police, told TOI.Additional director general of police (Naxal operations) RK Vij said, “The situation is under control and CRPF jawans deployed in Jashpur are fighting the rebels. The villagers have decided not to support the Maoists anymore.”