From hard knocks in Maoist hotbed to softball stars, Chhattisgarh teens await meet with PM Modi

Aruna Punem, 13, is the bubby one. Sunita Hamla, 14, the restrained senior. Born under the shadow of guns in one of the worst Maoist violence-affected villages of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, the two tribal teens are the toast of the state these days.

Journalists from local newspapers and news channels are making a beeline for Punem and Hamla, who excel at softball. The local media is abuzz because the duo is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Bijapur on April 14. “Shortly thereafter, both will leave for The Philippines to participate in the Asian Junior Softball Championship,” said Sopan Karenwar, a labour officer of Bijapur and their first coach.

Softball is shaping the life of the two children of Gangaloor, a small village about 25km from Bijapur town. The road which runs through their village is notorious as Khooni Sadak (Bloody Road). Maoists have ambushed and killed 42 security personnel along this road over the years.

Till about two years ago, Punem and Hamla picked mahua flowers from the forest to boost family income. Their families still do it, but these two found softball.

READ | Seema Punia, Navjeet Kaur Dhillon open India’s medal account in athletics at CWG

Amid government efforts to prevent Maoists from brainwashing children, they landed at the Bijapur sports academy to play any sport they could, but got drawn to softball.

“I am learning softball since the last one year. I want to represent India in national and international tournaments,” said Hamla, a Class 9 student. She is level-headed, at times, disconcertingly so for someone in her early teens. According to local journalists, this is the result of awareness of violence.

Punem, prone to fits of laughter, too lapses into serious spells. “I have seen violence closely, but because of this game, I have almost forgotten all of it. I am concentrating on my game. I am very happy that the PM will meet me,” said Punem. “I want all children in my village to play softball,” added the Class 8 student.

Their success has seen nearly 40 tribal children from nearby villages join the sports academy to play softball.

READ | 2018 Commonwealth Games: Babita Kumari criticises IOA for not giving tickets to her parents

“The sport is changing the face of Bijapur and its children. Many of them who left their studies due to Maoist violence are joining sports,” said Karenwar. “These children are different. They are desperate to learn and they are fitter than urban children,” added Karenwar, a former softball player.

Ganesh Mishra, secretary of Bijapur sports academy, said, “We are reaching out to sarpanchs (village chiefs) in core Maoist areas through sports. We are expecting more and more children to come to us from Maoist violence-affected areas.”

The academy, which was launched on August 15 three years ago, has 270 children learning 10 different sports, including football and athletics. The children stay and train at the academy and go to school. “Jo bacche school bhi nahi jaate the, woh bhi khel ko apne future ke roop mein dekhne lage hain (children who had stopped going to school are also seeing their future in sports now),” said Mishra.