Now, a music album to convince Naxals to shun arms
In a novel and innovative initiative, the Chhattisgarh Police is now using an audio music album comprising songs in regional languages as its latest weapon to encourage Naxals in the Bastar division of the state to shun violence. The songs will achieve what the guns have failed to do so far in the Naxal hotbed of Bastar, the police hopes.
Music album contains songs expressing the pain of tribals
The album, titled "Nava Bihan" (meaning "a new morning" in the local language), composed by Kondagaon district police, contains five songs expressing the pain of tribals living in the strife-torn zone. The songs appeal to those involved in the outlawed movement to join the mainstream.
"Music and art play a significant role in re-establishing peace"
"Music and art play a significant role in re-establishing peace and relaying messages to the people," said Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Vivekanand Sinha. "We are making an attempt through the songs of this music album to reach out to people, connect with them and convey our messages to bring peace and development in the area," he added.
Kondagaon's ASP has lent his voice to three songs
The initiative is aimed at countering the Maoists' propaganda being spread through their cultural wing, named "Chetna Natya Manch", and making the tribal populace aware of the negative effects of violence and about the necessity of education and development, Sinha said. Kondagaon's Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maheshwar Nag has lent his voice to the album's three songs sung in the state's Chhattisgarhi language.
Local singer Ashu Madhuraj has also sung two songs
Local singer Ashu Madhuraj has also crooned the two other songs in the "Halbi" dialect of Bastar. "The songs, closely related to the life of tribals, explain how they are living under the fear of Maoists and suffering from lack of facilities," Nag said. "The album carries the message that relatives of Naxals want them to quit violence and come back home," he added.
Album expresses the grief of relatives of Naxals
"Besides, the album also expresses the grief of relatives of Naxals who were gunned down in encounters with police. The ultimate aim is to counter Naxals with their own tactics and to stop the influence of their cultural body," ASP Nag said.
The music album was released by CM Raman Singh
The lyricist's name has not been printed on the album's cover as he did not want to be identified. Instead, a pseudonym, "Roop Koytur", has been mentioned, the ASP said. After the album's release by CM Raman Singh during his visit to Kondagaon last month, the district police personnel uploaded the songs on their mobile phones to propagate its message in their respective areas.
Locals are using the songs as ringtones of their mobiles
The locals have also started using the songs as ringtones of their mobile phones, ASP Nag said. The aim is not to make these songs popular, but to reach out to the rebels to persuade them to shun violence. The purpose of this initiative will be served only when Naxals get encouraged to lay down their arms, Nag said.
