-The Hindu Dantewada (Chhattisgarh): Of the six tribal women of Shamsetti village in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh who in 2009 gave statements in court that they had been gang-raped by Salwa Judum functionaries, three have now withdrawn their charges. Three key witnesses — family members of the women — have also retracted their statements. Some lawyers in Dantewada familiar with the case say that the women are withdrawing due to “severe pressure”...

-The Times of India The CRPF have adopted a tribal mascot — Gond freedom fighter Gundadhur — to connect with the people in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. So far, Gundadhur, who led the1910 Bhumkal rebellion against the British, was a mascot of the Maoists to rally tribals in their war against the Indian state. Annual Bhumkal Divas celebrations on February 10 have often been bloodied by Maoist violence. While Maoists organized programmes...

-The Hindu Soni Sori, the tribal accused of acting as a courier between Essar Steel and the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), has been acquitted in a crucial case filed in 2010 by the Dantewada district police against 19 individuals for allegedly opening fire and using explosives to blow vehicles of Essar. Ms Sori was one of the key accused in the case. “But the additional sessions court of Anita Dehariya could not find...

-Outlook Notwithstanding repeated attacks by Maoists, the Centre has decided to counter ultras through its development efforts in Naxal-affected areas as it believes such efforts will weaken the Red base. "We are making a special effort to bring development in the Naxal-affected areas. We are hoping that it will pay dividend," Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh told PTI. Ramesh's contention comes just days after Naxalites planted a bomb inside the stomach of a...

-The Economic Times The government will roll out a United Nations-assisted livelihood security programme in 10 Naxal-infested districts in a bid to tackle the growing influence of Maoist rebels. The rural development ministry, which has been spearheading the developmental approach to this Left-wing menace, has in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme worked out a five-year plan to make markets work for the poor, ensure that state governments are more responsive...