By Nityanand Shukla
Ranchi, March 17 (IANS) Forest dwellers, particularly tribal women who collect wood, are facing a threat to their lives and livelihood in the jungles of Jharkhand where security forces are conducting operations against Maoists.

The women say they have been advised not to move into the jungle areas.

“We have been asked not to move into the forest areas as operations are on. This has posed livelihood problems for us,” said Malti, a woman from the Ghatshila block in East Singbhum district.

Operation Green Hunt, which is also taking place in West Bengal, started in West Singbhum, East Singbhum and Bokaro districts of Jharkhand last week. It has since been extended to several other places like Ranchi, Khuti, Latehar, Chatra and Hazaribagh.

According to a police official, the offensive against Maoist rebels is going on in eight districts of Jharkhand, the majority of which are covered with jungles.

The security forces are finding it difficult to differentiate between Maoists and villagers and have suggested that villagers not move into forested areas during operations.

“It is indeed difficult to differentiate between Maoists and villagers,” V.S. Sharma, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandant monitoring the operations in Bokaro, Dhanbad and Giridih district, told IANS over phone.

“When the security forces launch search operations in jungle areas, we advise villagers to stay in the villages. We do not want to harass the villagers in confusion.”

The villagers collect wood from forested areas and sell them in nearby towns. At times, the women have to leave their villages by evening so they can sell the wood in the market the next morning. The women earn Rs.20-50 per day.

But the security operations are making things difficult.

Like Malti, Bokaro tribal woman Punita said: “If the situation persists for long, we will be forced to migrate to other areas in search of livelihood.”

According to state government officials, thousands of families’ livelihoods depend on collecting wood from the forests and selling them in urban areas.

The security forces advisory to villages assumes significance as the Maoists are believed to have started mingling with the villagers and sneaking into neighbouring states.

A police official said a group of nine Maoist rebels pretending to be villagers sneaked into West Bengal from East Singbhum district Saturday. The security forces came to know the truth after nine hours.

Advisories have been issued to the security forces, telling them not to drink water from wells because they may have been poisoned.

(Nityanand Shukla can be contacted at nityanand.s@ians.in)