KANKER: In a rehabilitation centre tucked away inside a security camp in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, hands that once carried guns are now busy weaving colourful threads and beads into rakhis, marking a shift towards peace, dignity and self-reliance.
Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, more than 1,000 rakhis have been made by surrendered Maoists at the rehabilitation centre in Chougel (Mulla) village, around 50 km from the Kanker district headquarters.
The centre provides surrendered Maoist cadres an opportunity to learn skills that can help them earn a livelihood and rebuild their lives after abandoning the path of violence. The rakhis made by the trainees have also been sold in the market, allowing them to earn from their work.
“Several activities are being carried out for the surrendered Maoists undergoing rehabilitation. During Holi this year, they prepared gulal and colours. Now, for Raksha Bandhan, they have made more than 1,000 rakhis,” Kanker Additional Superintendent of Police Aakash Shrishrimal said on Thursday.
He said the objective was to involve surrendered cadres in constructive and income-generating activities and help them return to mainstream society with dignity.
The centre will celebrate Raksha Bandhan on Friday, he said.
For some of the trainees, however, making rakhis has been more than a vocational activity. It has given them an opportunity to celebrate a festival they had only heard about during years spent in Maoist-affected forest areas.
Sunita Kovachi, a surrendered woman cadre, said she had spent years in the forests without celebrating festivals.
“For so many years, we lived in the forests. We never celebrated any festival or made rakhis. This time, everyone at the centre made rakhis together. We want to celebrate the festival by tying rakhis to security personnel and our fellow trainees,” she said.
For Shanti Kovachi, making a rakhi was a first-time experience.
“I made a rakhi for the first time in my life. We all worked together and prepared more than 1,000 rakhis in just two days. It feels as if we have been given a new life,” she said.
Sankai Usendi, another surrendered cadre, said members of self-help groups (SHGs) initially showed them a sample, following which the trainees learnt the process collectively.
Devki Purame said she had earlier only heard about Raksha Bandhan.
“Earlier, we had only heard that there was a festival called Raksha Bandhan. This time, when the SHG members taught us how to make rakhis and we made them ourselves, we felt very happy,” she said.
Apart from rakhi-making, the surrendered cadres are being trained in driving, tailoring, woodcraft and assistant electrician work. Basic education is also provided at the centre, officials said.
The Chougel Rehabilitation Centre was established in November last year with 66 surrendered cadres and victims of Maoist violence enrolled as trainees. At present, 28 surrendered Maoists are undergoing training there.
The initiative is being seen as part of efforts to provide surrendered cadres with practical skills and alternative livelihoods as they transition into mainstream society.
On March 31 this year, the Chhattisgarh government declared the state free from armed Maoists.