In the opening paragraph of Guns On My Red Earth, its protagonist, 14-year-old Shanto, walks through Jhitka forest in Jangalmahal, West Bengal. He is on his way to ‘Bon Ghar’, which is code for the village of Bhimpur, to gather information for the Maoist group he works in. But first, he must find Chhoto, the squirrel, on the trident-shaped tree in the forest, and give him the peanuts he is hiding for him.

Guns On My Red Earth takes no sides in the struggle between India’s Maoist forces and the police, but tries to paint an objective picture for the young adult reader