Going by Gadchirolis map,Makadchuha village is non-existent. It was only after Gadchirolis longest Naxal-police encounter on Saturday that the world came to know about it. Having just five tribal families,with 20 people living here including five women and a few children,Makadchuha is less than 40 km from Gadchiroli town. Surrounded by thick forest on all sides,its six-km walk through the forest - since there is no road from the Potegaon-Ghot Road. Originally,however,it had only two Mattami families who are Madia tribals,before three Oraon tribal households came in around five years ago. While one of them,Piyush Beg,is known to be a Christian priest,the other two Lakdas and Kujurs are also converted Christians. Curiously,the Oraons came in from far off places like Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh. We came in to do agriculture, said women from the family when The Indian Express visited them on Sunday. Asked how they came to know of the place,they said,through our relations in the nearby villages. The three families cut forests and started doing agriculture. And while Makadchuha remained obscured till Saturday,two houses built recently under Gharkul scheme,a hand-pump and a neatly-built forest tank (van talao) suggested that the government schemes have reached this unlikeliest of places with unusual alacrity. Collector Abhishek Krishna said,Its actually a part of some other village situated at a distance. So,schemes must have been given to them on demand. Its very much on the administrative map of the district. The Ghot police post in-charge PSI Balasaheb Bharne said,We do visit the village occasionally. He,however,admits that there is regular Naxal presence in the jurisdiction of his police station. The village had never experienced any problem till Saturday,when suddenly all hell broke loose. We didnt harbour the Naxals. What can we do if they come, said Ratna Mattami,whose husband Darsu Mattami and nephew Santosh,were among the six men picked up by police for interrogation after the incident. Police beat up the men badly and also manhandled us, the women said. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Gadchiroli range) Sunil Ramanand refutes,Its not true. Superintendent of Police Veeresh Prabhu,meanwhile,said,.three of them have said they have received gun training thrice. So,they are under detention. The other three appear to be innocent and have been freed.
