There was a face-off between the police and Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on July 29 and in a true movie style, a policeman brother and his Maoist sister stood on the opposite sides.
Vetti Rama (43) is a gopniya sainik, also known as a secret trooper of the Sukma Police. He is in command of the operation to bring down the Maoists of the Konta area committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), which is headed by his sister Vetti Kanni (50), reported Hindustan Times,
A gunfight had ensued between the two parties but Rama said that he could never aim to kill his own sister.
"I didn't want to fire at her. I was constrained to do so because within a few seconds, her guards started firing at my team. Hence I retaliated. Later, after a few minutes, I saw her firing and suddenly she disappeared in the jungle," Rama told HT.
Talking about killing his sister, Rama said, "I don't know! I will always try to arrest her or urge her to surrender, but in an encounter anything is possible. I pray to God that it never happens."
Rama recollected that he and his sister both joined the naxals as bal sangham (child cadre). They joined the organization when they were told that it helps the poor in the region. But Rama's ambitions changed with time.
"The present Maoist movement lacks dedication and hence I decided to surrender in 2018. I then got a job in the police and in the next couple of months, I will be promoted to the post of police constable," Rama explained.
He went on to say that there were many reasons behind his surrender. Listing them out, Rama lamented over his demotion in the movement even though he had dedicated 20 years of life to it.
"I was demoted from the post of ACM and later, I was transferred to another division of the CPI (Maoist)... Can you imagine? I had not met my wife for seven years and senior cadres had no respect for my unswerving commitment," he said.
Rama is now trying to get his sister to surrender but his efforts are goingin vain. Till date, he has written three letters to her, urging her to surrender but she always replied calling him a traitor.
"Don't ever write to me urging for surrender. I am not in greed of rehabilitation and compensation; I am a revolutionary... You must never think that you will able to save yourself …You are a traitor," Kanni wrote to her brother.
"Since you [Rama] joined the police force, you are involved in arresting innocent people, torturing them and also in identifying cadres. This betrays your intentions," the letter read.
