Hikaka with wife Kaushalya after his release. (AFP)

Bhubaneswar, April 26: BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka may be a free man, but the undertaking that he gave in the people’s court before his release is bound to haunt him in the days to come.

The lawmaker’s promise that he would quit his Assembly membership and lead the life of a common man as he had failed to persuade the government to concede the rebels’ demands may have no sanctity in the eyes of the law, but the Maoists are unlikely to forgive if he goes back on his word.

Sources said Assembly Speaker Pradeep Amat was unlikely to treat the undertaking with any seriousness as it was apparently given under duress. Hikaka had his neck on the line when he was tried in the people’s court on April 24 at an undisclosed place at Narayanpatna, the stronghold of the Maoist-supported Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh, and could have done anything to escape the wrath of his captors.

Now that he is free and has the benefit of hindsight, he is certain to look at things in a different perspective. In fact, he already appears to be taking a diplomatic stand on the issue as was evident when he spoke to reporters at Koraput. “I am not in the right frame of mind to discuss these issues. You will get your answers later,” he said.

Notwithstanding all this, the fact remains that Laxmipur, the constituency that he represents, is a Maoist hotbed and the possibility of their taking retaliatory action against him cannot be ruled out in the event of Hikaka failing to make good his promise. “The Maoists don’t forget traitors and enemies easily. We have seen this happen in the past,” said a highly placed source.

People are yet to forget how former minister and present BJD legislator Arabinda Dhali was hounded by the Maoists operating in Malkangiri district because they held him responsible for the deployment of paramilitary forces in the area. The rebels attacked his convoy once when he was campaigning in Malkangiri during the panchayat elections and then blew up two of his houses in the district.

Dhali still remains a marked man for the rebels and spends most of his time in Bhubaneswar these days.

Earlier, some smaller politicians, too, have had a nasty experience at the hands of the rebels. In this backdrop, Hikaka may find the going tough for him in his area in the event of failing to keep his word.