If we stay in a place for long, chances are that information of our stay will get out and we will get encircled” AkashMaoist rebel Somji, one of the men who collected me between a small town in south Chhattisgarh and the thick central Indian forest, picked up speed as we approached. A tall man standing guard with a rifle flung over his shoulder whistled and people started rushing towards us. In under a minute, the camp members stood in formation and began singing a welcome song. Each member in the queue raised their fist to whisper "lal salaam" - "red salute". Mostly aged between 15 and 30 years old, the men and women in the camp wore rubber sandals, olive green battle fatigues and carried guns of various makes. India's Maoist rebels say they are fighting for the rights of indigenous tribespeople and the rural poor. But the battle has been brutal: they frequently launch deadly attacks on India's security forces and those thought to support them. In April 2010 Chhattisgarh was the site of the bloodiest Maoist attack yet on the security forces - 75 troops were killed. Paramilitary forces also launched attacks on tribal communities to restrict Maoist activities.
Camp security
Maoist platoons normally set up their camps in a semi-circle with one tent in the centre - the "headquarter".
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