And then there were seven in the silent hills

After decades of being caught between Maoists and the police, the seven families still living in Telangana’s Karreguttalu Hills are discovering life beyond fear. Once a formidable Maoist stronghold on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, the hills are now opening up with roads, security infrastructure and the promise of electricity and development. But return of the State’s writ also raises questions about the future of the forests and the communities that have lived here for decades. Abhinay Deshpande reports