East Singhbhum police conduct a free medical camp at Basadera on Thursday; and (above) a little girl flaunts her new school bag, again a gift from the cops. Pictures by Bhola Prasad

Basadera, March 12: Deep in the forests of Basadera, 20km away from Ghatshila town, security forces stand guard on both sides of the mud road leading up to the Maoist stronghold. A group of villagers huddle near a tent. A health camp is on.

In Ghatshila yesterday, the first day after the first phase of joint anti-Naxalite operations with Bengal came to an end, at least a hundred people — men women and children — had gathered around to receive free medicines.

They had traversed a difficult hill road to reach the camp set up by the district police near a government school in the tiny hamlet under Ghatshila sub-division of East Singhbhum.

As CRPF and Jharkhand Armed Police jawans stood guard, people queued up to receive free medicines, and school bags and other study materials like exercise books, pencils and erasers for children.

Additional superintendent of police (Ghatshila) Anup Birtharay, who is monitoring the anti-Naxalite operations in the sub-division said, “The medical camp was organised as a part of our community policing initiative. It will help us win the confidence of villagers, who are living in fear due to heightened Naxalite activities.”

With the first phase of joint operations over, the security forces have achieved their initial objective of familiarising themselves with the terrain. They have also made initial contact with local residents in the hope that they don’t view them as adversaries when phase II of the operation, likely to be far more severe, is launched in this Maoist den.

Doctors from the Ghatshila Sub-Divisional Hospital were manning the camp where some of the victims of Monday night’s rebel attack also turned up from Adjoining Dainmari. “Police ne camp laga kar achcha kaam kiya hai (The police have done a good job by setting up the camp),” said Baranaiki Haiburu, who had to walk 2km.

Mohan Singh, a doctor, said the camp began around 10 am but by 1.30 pm over 100 villagers had gathered there to take medicines.

“We are happy with the response. We will try and organise similar medical camps regularly in remote villages,” Birtharay said.

CRPF and JAP jawans had sealed the entire area, their eyes glued to binoculars looking into the hills across. “Since it is a mud road, our jawans had scanned the entire stretch for possible landmines. The villagers were told they need not worry,” said a paramilitary force personnel.

A senior police officer said they were satisfied with the first phase of operations held in Basadera and nearby areas of Burudih, Jhantijharna, Bhumro, Terapani and Kasidaganj — all Naxalite strongholds.

“The operation helped us understand the terrain. This will help us in future. Moreover, we have come across several rebel hideouts,’’ he added.

Side by side, more community initiatives were being planned. “We are in talks to revive the Visit Steel City programme,” he said, referring to the an earlier practice of taking a group of villagers on a leisure trip to Jamshedpur, around 65 km away.