Krishna returns to garlands & drumbeats

Hostage crisis ends: Free, Malkangiri Collector says scope for debate on development, but tribals must benefit

At Janbai ghat on the Balimela reservoir, R Vineel Krishna with his driver Shankar Rao on Thursday evening

Malkangiri: Hundreds of tribal villagers danced to the beat of drums, showed victory signs, raised slogans and garlanded Malkangiri district Collector R Vineel Krishna as he walked free to an ecstatic reception this evening after eight days in Maoist captivity.
The popular 30-year-old IAS officer was brought this afternoon to the remote Tentuliguda village on the Orissa-Andhra border, three km from the spot where he had been abducted on February 16. His captors then addressed a "people's court" -- speaking for a few hours to a large group of local people, apparently residents of three villages nearby, on education, health and development.
At the end of the meeting, the Maoists handed Krishna over to the villagers, who put garlands around his neck, raised slogans in the local dialect, and carried him on their shoulders to Jantapai village, from where he had been taken away eight days ago.

Malkangiri District Collector R Vineel Krishna (R) was handed over to media persons by the Maoists at Janbhaighat near Chitrakonda in Orissa on Thursday after 9 days of captivity

At Jantapai, people lined up on both sides of the forest trail leading to the basti to welcome the "zila pal" who is considered the first government official to have reached out to the impoverished people in the 'cut-off' area beyond the Balimela reservoir in Orissa's heavily forested southern tip.
The villagers accompanied Krishna to the next village, Badapada, and onward to the reservoir, beating drums in celebration until the Collector had boarded a boat to cross to the other side.
Waiting for Krishna on this side, other than three journalists including this correspondent, was only one person -- Shankar Rao, the Collector's devoted driver. Rao had kept a ceaseless vigil by the side of the lake for several days after Krishna was abducted, and then, after being persuaded to relent by the officer's family, had taken to returning to the lakeshore at the crack of dawn every day.
As the Collector got off the boat and held Rao in a tight embrace, the driver broke down in loud sobs. "I am back, I am safe," Krishna told him gently in Telugu.
To the reporters, he said he was surprised at having been abducted by the Maoists, but that they had ensured his "well being and dignity" in captivity. "I am absolutely fine. There were no health problems," he said. Asked if being with the Maoists had changed his perspective on development, the Collector said, "There is always the scope for a debate on the nature for development. Ultimately, the poor tribal community must benefit."

Malkangiri Collector R Vineel Krishna having some food at a village inside the forest after released by the Maoists

At the end of the 17-km journey from Janbai ghat to the tehsil headquarters of Chitrakonda, Krishna was given a rousing reception in front of tehsildar D Gopalakrishnan's office. Villagers lifted him on their shoulders, and Krishna thanked them with folded hands.
As he started for Malkangiri 65 km away, people gathered on both sides of the road to greet him. They raised slogans of "Malkangiri zila pal zindabad", and women touched his feet.
On the way, Krishna's vehicle was met by that of Balwant Singh, project director of the Malkangiri district rural development agency, the young IAS officer who had been coordinating efforts for the Collector's release during the eight days of the crisis. The two officers hugged, and the Collector continued the journey in Singh's vehicle.
Outside Krishna's official residence, all of Malkangiri town appeared to have gathered. Fireworks lit up the night. The Collector went inside after promising a detailed media statement tomorrow. Outside, the celebrations continued.
Source: The Indian Express