Ex-Maoist HQ Abujmarh Turns Into Kid Safe Zone

Nagpur: The Gadchiroli police launched 'Operation Jhilmil', replacing midnight raids on Maoists with village-level awareness programmes focused on child protection in the fringes of the erstwhile Maoist headquarters of Abujmarh, where guerrillas operated from a safe base. The initiative — Safe Childhood, Bright Future — marks a new chapter in the Red Corridor, where dense forests once echoed with gunfire and explosions. This was a landmark shift from counter-insurgency to community outreach.On Sunday, the first outreach programme was conducted at Laheri village on the foothills of Abujmarh in Bhamragarh tehsil of Gadchiroli district. The police teams, instead of launching combat operations, interacted with tribal residents, conducted school sessions and engaged with local communities on issues like Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, prevention of child marriages and women's safety.For decades, booby-trapped Abujmarh remained a no-go zone for forces. "C60 commandos and other elite units frequently carried out high-risk anti-insurgency sweeps in these remote terrains of Gadchiroli. Today, the same rugged paths witness police personnel conducting Gram Bhet (village visits), interactive school programmes and community meetings," said SDPO Bhamragarh Amar Mohite.Under ‘Operation Jhilmil', PSI-level officers are leading implementation at police station level. "Teachers, anganwadi workers, youth and women have been roped in as ‘bal suraksha doot' (child safety envoys)," said Mohite, who's spearheading the operation under guidance of addl SP (Aheri) Karthik M and SP M Ramesh.These envoys also take a Child Protection Oath to safeguard kids, oppose abuse and report incidents to authorities. Around 110 villages in Bhamragarh division are set to be covered through this structured outreach.Key activities include storytelling sessions, role plays and street plays in local languages to teach children difference between "good touch and bad touch". Police are holding awareness rallies, distributing leaflets and banners, and installing complaint boxes in schools for confidential reporting. WhatsApp groups have been created to connect with teachers, anganwadi staff, gram panchayat members and child safety envoys for swift action on complaints.Special parent counselling sessions are being held to tackle child marriages. Women's desks at police stations have been strengthened to encourage reporting of gender-based violence."By replacing fear with knowledge and raids with outreach, we are transforming Abujmarh's fringes into safer, informed societies," a senior officer said.