The Story of Rohtas has been in the making, and now it has started being felt. The caller was sharing his glee over the arrest of Munna Vishwakarma by the UP Police in Sonebhadra district. I had been informed earlier by a journalist friend from Rohtas of the arrest of a naxal cadre who had a reward of 3 lakh rupees while chatting on Facebook. And now it was a person quite well known otherwise calling and thanking me for the same.

He realized that the dream of liberating the Kaimur Hills and Rohtas district from the Maoist influence was now turning into a reality. The next day I was back in Delhi, when I received a call from Sugriv Kharwar, the tribal Kharwar leader who  had faced the brunt of naxal revenge against members of his family, when he had organized a surrender of the Maoist Cadres before the administration.

The contents of the talk cannot be shared in all details at present as the situation is still unfolding, but Sugriv was indeed happy to see the end of Naxal influence from the Hills of Kaimur. Sugriv also the founder of Kaimuranchal Vikas Morcha, had been associated with the 'Sone Mahotsava' Project from Day One.

He had been in jail for two years in connection with naxal cases against him, but had taken the decision to quit the party, and then in the next step to liberate his ancestral place from the stronghold of the naxals. And perhaps he had reasons to be happy. Just about 4 years back or even till recently none could hope about such a decline in the strength of the Maoists operating from Rohtas.  Perhaps the Rohtas Story worked. The future is always open to deviations, but the course of events in Rohtas have a reason for cheer.

To be continued....