Two young lives were snuffed out in the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Bijapur district, southern Chhattisgarh. The victims are 14-year-old Laxman Oyam and six-year-old Boti Oyam.

The incident that unfolded on the somber Saturday was reported on Sunday with the discovery of their bodies. The incident has plunged the community into profound mourning.

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Human rights activist Soni Sori informed the police about the incident after discovering the bodies of the deceased. Subsequently, the police reached the village and dispatched the bodies to the Bhairamgarh Primary Health Center for postmortem.

Giving an insight into the incident, Bijapur SP Jitendra Yadav informed The Statesman that Laxman and Boti Oyam, along with some villagers, had crossed the Indravati River on their way to Bodhma village of the Itamapar Panchayat to tend to tendu leaves. On their return, the children fell prey to an IED planted by Maoists resulting in an explosion.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the incident and held the Maoists accountable for the loss of innocent lives. “The distressing news of the tragic demise of two innocent children from the village of Bodega in the Bijapur district due to the explosion of an IED planted by Maoists in a field is deeply saddening. I pray for the peace of the souls of those innocent children and offer solace to their grieving families,” he said.

“The dark shadow of Maoist insurgency continues to engulf our children, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. The condemnation of this incident is not enough; Maoists must pay the price for the compassionate deaths of innocents,” he added.

However, the Congress party attributed the children’s deaths to a mortar/pressure bomb explosion and refuted the claim of an IED blast.

PCC President Deepak Baij said his party has formed a committee to go into the circumstances under which incident has taken place and submit a report. Baij said, “The common man in Bastar is caught between the crossfire of Maoists and security forces. We had prevented such a situation during our rule with the principles of trust, development, and security. Unfortunately, the vicious cycle has begun again. A Congress inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the incident.”

According to Bijapur Collector Anurag Pandey, Maoists have so far claimed the lives of 12 innocent villagers. He appealed to the Maoists to surrender and return to the mainstream for the sake of development.

Expressing deep condolences for the children’s deaths, he said that the state and central governments have announced immediate financial aid of ₹5-5 lakh to each bereaved family and ₹25,000 as immediate relief for funeral expenses.

In the ongoing strife between security forces and Maoist insurgents in Bastar, heart-wrenching tragedies persist, claiming innocent lives. It is noteworthy that 8-year-old Sunita Hemla was also injured in the IED blast in the residential pocket of Bijapur a few days ago. Death looms large in the forests of South Bastar, where civilians bear the brunt of the ongoing battle between Maoists and the police. In several instances, innocent lives, as well as livestock, have fallen victim to IED explosions.