It had been a lazy overcast afternoon in Dantewada in Bastar division, south Chhattisgarh, when sudd­enly the police lines, home to the District Reserve Guard (DRG), buzzes with activity. The local commander asks the troops—formations that have both boys and girls, and which are increasingly called the “tip of the spear” owing to their successes in the fight against Maoism—to get ready for a briefing. And so they do, gathering together their checked weapons, issued ammunition and hurriedly packing rucksacks with ready-to-eat rations, first-aid kits and spare clothes—not to mention body bags.