Red flag to green steel

Ex-Maoists forge new destiny in Gadchiroli Gadchiroli: The rugged, forested terrain of Gadchiroli district, long synonymous with the violence and deep-rooted anti-establishment tenets of the ‘Red Ideology’, is now witnessing a remarkable social and industrial transformation. At the Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd. (LMEL) plant in Konsari, once-feared Maoist operatives are shedding their past lives and embracing a new, respectable existence as skilled workers in a cutting-edge Direct Reduced Iron...

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Ex-Maoists forge new destiny in Gadchiroli Gadchiroli: The rugged, forested terrain of Gadchiroli district, long synonymous with the violence and deep-rooted anti-establishment tenets of the ‘Red Ideology’, is now witnessing a remarkable social and industrial transformation. At the Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd. (LMEL) plant in Konsari, once-feared Maoist operatives are shedding their past lives and embracing a new, respectable existence as skilled workers in a cutting-edge Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) and pellet plant. This ‘green steel’ project, part of LMEL’s push for an integrated steel complex in the region, is functioning not just as an industrial unit but as a crucial pillar in the Maharashtra government’s surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy. So far, LMEL, in coordination with the state government and the Gadchiroli Police, has provided employment and training to 68 surrendered Maoists and 14 members of families affected by Naxal violence, a total of 82 individuals, offering them a definitive pathway back to the mainstream. The Shift The transformation begins at the company’s dedicated Lloyds Skill Development and Training Centre at Konsari. Recognizing that many former cadres had limited formal education, the company implements a structured, skill-based rehabilitation model. They are trained in essential technical and operational skills required for plant administration, civil construction, and mechanical operations. For individuals like Govinda Atala, a former deputy commander, the change is palpable. “After surrendering, I got the right to live a new life,” Atala said. “I am very happy to get this job. I am now living my life on my own; there is no pressure on me now.” Suresh Hichame, who spent over a decade in the movement before surrendering in 2009 too echoed the sentiments. He realized the path of violence offered neither him nor his family any benefit. Moreover, his self-respecct was hurt. He knew several languages and carried out several crucial tasks for the banned organization remaining constantly under the shadow of death. Today, he works in the plant, receiving a steady monthly salary that enables him to care for his family—a basic dignity the ‘Red Ideology’ could never provide. The monthly salaries of the rehabilitated workers, typically ranging from Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000, are revolutionary in a region long characterized by poverty and lack of opportunities. Trust, Stability The employment of former Maoists is a brave and calculated risk for LMEL, an industry that historically faced stiff opposition and even violence from the left wing extremist groups. LMEL’s management, however, sees it as an investment in inclusive growth and long-term stability for the district. The LMEL has emphasized the company’s commitment to training and facilitating career growth for the local populace, including the surrendered cadres. This commitment to local workforce upskilling is proving to be a highly effective counter-insurgency strategy, chipping away at the foundation of the Maoist movement: the exploitation of local grievances and lack of economic options. The reintegration effort extends beyond the factory floor. By providing stable incomes and a sense of purpose, LMEL helps the former rebels navigate the social transition. They are now homeowners, taxpayers, and active members of the community, replacing the identity of an outlaw with that of a respected employee. This social acceptance, coupled with economic independence, is the true measure of rehabilitation. The successful employment of cadres, some of whom were once high-ranking commanders, also sends a powerful message to those still active in the jungle: the path to a peaceful and prosperous life is open and tangible. It transforms the promise of government rehabilitation into a concrete reality. The plant, with its production of iron ore and steel, is physically transforming the region into an emerging industrial hub, and in doing so, it is symbolically forging the nation’s progress out of the ashes of extremism. The coordinated effort between private industry, the state government, and the Gadchiroli police is establishing a new environment of trust, stability, and economic progress, marking Gadchiroli’s transition from a Maoist hotbed to a model of inclusive and sustainable development.

Ashes and Answers

Correspondent
Jun 16
3 min read

The Ahmedabad plane crash has prompted a state-led overhaul in victim support and aviation oversight.

In the aftermath of the Air India Flight AI 171 calamity that occurred in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government has emerged not merely as a peripheral aid centre but as a central coordinator in managing the aftermath, thus transforming a state tragedy into a blueprint for rapid-response governance.

The crash, which claimed the lives of more than 270 individuals aboard and on the ground, has jolted not only aviation authorities and corporate headquarters, but also the state and local bureaucracy, which scrambled to mount a rapid and unusually coordinated response. In the weeks since, India has begun to draw lessons from the disaster about the fragility of high-tech aviation, the importance of local governance in moments of crisis and the need for systemic reform in both prevention and response.

Gujarat’s authorities established on-site death-certification desks, allowing families to receive paperwork and logistical support at hospitals without visiting multiple offices.

The integration extended to village patwaris issuing family relation cards on the spot, easing inheritance and estate issues. Thousands of DNA samples were collected in a coordinated effort with the Civil Hospital alone recording 47 matches.

That said, a number of relatives of the deceased have voiced frustration at delays. While the DNA matching, normally a 72-hour process, has been expedited, it nonetheless remains painstakingly methodical.

The Gujarat relief machinery has also fielded emotional aid. Officials have formed 230 teams, each led by deputy collectors or tehsildars, to support families through ambulance facilitation and grief counselling. Mental health relief has become a core element of their strategy, acknowledging trauma not only for mourners but also for survivors of the hostel buildings hit by the jet.

The disastrous incident has led, in many ways, for the Gujarat government to set the template for national structures currently taking shape to manage the aftermath of such events.

A fairly unprecedented parliamentary committee is being assembled to quiz Air India, Boeing, and the DGCA, aiming for enhanced aviation safety measures from take-off protocols to maintenance audits. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has tasked a multidisciplinary panel to complete a probe within three months.

The pressing need of the hour are wide-ranging institutional reforms. On the operational front, the DGCA has mandated additional inspections on Air India’s entire 787 fleet. Eight aircraft have been checked so far, focusing on potential issues with engine thrust, flap mechanics, and take-off configurations.

Yet the more remarkable story unfolded in the hospitals and municipal offices. Drawing on hard-earned experience from past disasters, officials moved quickly to sidestep India’s notoriously sclerotic bureaucracy. The ‘single window system’ for death certificates and insurance claims has been extended to include help desks staffed by nodal officers from New India Insurance, LIC, and HDFC Life - all set up at the Civil Hospital. Thus, what might have been another bureaucratic logjam has become a prototype of responsive governance.

Meanwhile, the state’s ATS and NSG quickly retrieved the plane’s black boxes and the digital flight data recorder. Their recovery from the rooftop and tail section was a crucial step in aiding relay to the AAIB and contributing to the preliminary probe.

Gujarat’s governance choreography under pressure has attracted nods for its precision and empathy. Its disaster management template, which has been a fusion of hospital-based services, legal expedience, psychological relief and frontline coordination, may now inform national protocols and international best practice for aviation disasters.

Yet authorities face pressing practical challenges. Identification delays persist and families wait to perform rites together. There are questions that loom, like how deeply will safety reforms penetrate the tangled web of maintenance regimes, and will Gujarat’s crisis management playbook endure beyond this tragedy?

Still, the most lasting impact may not be in the air but on the ground. In a country too often paralysed by post-disaster administrative inertia, the handling of Flight AI 171’s aftermath offers a model of what a responsive, human-centric state can look like. The integration of technology, forensics, and local governance created a rare moment of dignity amid devastation. That it took a tragedy to reveal this capacity is a sobering fact.

Red flag to green steel

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