Paolo Bosusco, the 54-year-old Italian who was abducted by Maoists while operating guided tours in Orissa, had been coming to India intermittently after coming here for the first time fifteen years ago and reportedly being enamoured by the forests of the state.
Bosusco, an avid trekker, had opened an agency specialising in guided tours through the forests of Orissa in 2011 and he had decided to take fellow tourist Claudio Colangelo on a five-day tour through the forests of the Kandhamal-Ganjam area when they were abducted, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Bosusco, who lives alone in the Condove region in Italy, had reportedly travelled extensively through Orissa’s forests with an Indian colleague after which they founded the Orissa Adventurous Trekking agency .
“Our travel philosophy is founded on trying to have genuine and honest rapport with people still living a life following their old custom and traditions; therefore one of our rules is never to force our attitudes in any way,” the website of Orissa Adventurous Trekking states.
“We shall never ask the tribal to organise dances especially for us or something like that for money. Where we go, the dances will be spontaneous and authentic, as this will be part of the tribals’ natural way of daily life,” the website states.
Bosusco and Colangelo were abducted by Maoists on 14 March 14 and the abductors have alleged that they kidnapped the duo for taking objectionable photos of tribal women while trekking. In a 13-point agenda among the demands the Maoists have made is that all anti-Naxal operations in the state be stopped.
In Italy, Bosusco’s 89-year-old father lives in Vanna and his 55-year-old sister were informed by the police yesterday about his kidnapping by the Maoists. Both of them were taken to his uncle’s house, Ansa reported.
“I’m desperate, I still wonder if what happened to my son and true or not,” he reportedly said shortly after hearing about the kidnapping.
“I was often told of his adventures in India, jungle and nature of that place. I just hope you come back safe and sound,” he said.
