Rayagada (Odisha) : In the thick monsoon jungles of southern Odisha, security forces recently undertook a two-day-long counter-insurgency mission, code named Operation Sudarshan. The operation tested the endurance of the men, as they navigated steep terrain, dense vegetation, and unpredictable weather, while staying alert to possible threats.
The column moved out from camp shortly after 3 a.m., traveling by a vehicle for 22 km to the dropping point (DP). Barely 5 km into the journey, they encountered its first obstacle: a massive tree blocking the road. While some believed it had fallen due to elephants roaming the area, others suspected it might have been felled deliberately by Maoists to disrupt troop movement. A small team was dispatched to verify the situation, but no clear cause could be established.
Resuming the journey, the convoy reached the DP by 4:20 a.m. From there, troops had to enter the dense forests on foot. The monsoon had made the terrain more challenging—slippery slopes, thick undergrowth, and steep ridges slowed the movement. A soldier armed with a khukri led the way, cutting through vegetation for the rest of the column.
By morning, the team paused for a brief meal before resuming the march. At one point, while climbing a rain-slicked slope, a jawan narrowly avoided being bitten by a green vine snake coiled on a tree branch. “There was no hospital for miles and no anti-venom with us. It was sheer luck,” he recalled.
As the day wore on, water became scarce. Each man had carried 4–5 litres, but the humidity and exertion drained supplies quickly. By evening, the force reached a mountain top and decided to camp for the night. Soon after, heavy rain lashed the area. With no shelters, troops spent the entire night under ponchos, remaining alert and sleepless.
The next morning, the unit advanced further, sourcing water from tribal settlements along the route. The tribals, who survive on rice and beans cultivated on cleared mountain slopes, welcomed the security personnel with water. They spoke a mixed dialect of Odia and Sambalpuri. One elderly woman was seen working her fields despite swelling in her legs, while another villager kept watch over crops from a makeshift bamboo tower to guard against wild animals.
Finally, after navigating through farmland and forest trails, the team reached a road leading to the designated pickup point, concluding the arduous two-day mission.
Despite exhaustion and difficult conditions, the operation highlighted both the resilience of security personnel and the harsh realities of life for tribal communities in the Maoist-affected jungles of Odisha.
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