The motorcyclists honk incessantly on the empty path. Following a slippery, rain-soaked mountain trail, winding through a dense Sal forest, we are heading into the ‘liberated zone’ — a part of the Maoist fiefdom in the Saranda jungles of Jharkhand’s restive West Singhbhum district.
The region is impregnable to outsiders. The motorcyclists, who ferry the Forbes India reporter and photographer, are trusted intermediaries who had sought prior permission for entry from the local rebel commander. They know the rules all too well: If you are driving into Maoist country, you honk or play music loudly to tacitly announce your arrival to the rebels, who are mistrustful of outsiders. Or you risk being mistaken for a foe and toasted by one of their remote-controlled landmines littered across the rugged terrain.
But Rajneesh Bhardwaj, a senior manager, says winning over local populations is the only way to survive in such an environment. For that, he says, the company has developed an empathetic approach to local socio-economic issues; it has refrained from involuntary acquisition of land; and in many instances has offered more compensation than required by the state.
(This story appears in the 26 August, 2011 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)