Lalgarh Solidarity Convention – 6th August, 2009 India

Lalgarh Solidarity Convention

Unity for all Democratic and Revolutionary Forces in Support of Lalgarh Movement!

Oppose ‘Operation Lalgarh’!

6th August, 2009

Gandhi Peace Foundation Time: 2 PM To 7 PM

Speakers:

Justice Rajendra Sachar, Retired Chief Justice, Delhi High Court

Prof. Amit Bhattacharyya, Deptt. Of History, Jadavpur University, Kolkata

Sumit Chakravarty, Editor, Mainstream

Pankaj Singh, Jan Hasthakshep

Madan Kashyap, Litterateur

And others

Friends,

The `left’-front government of West Bengal, under the direct supervision of the central government has launched a war against the exploited and oppressed people of Lalgarh. This war on the people has been named as `Operation Lalgarh’. Thousands of Jawans of the police and paramilitary, such as CRPF, Eastern Frontier Rifles, Rapid Action Force, Border Security Force, CoBRA and others, have been deployed in the intensive military campaign in Lalgarh and nearby areas.

It is known that the Santhali tribals and local people of Lalgarh-Jangalmahal have been fighting for their freedom, self-respect and dignity since the days of British colonialism. Their thirst for dignity and freedom have further motivated them to stand up against the exploitative and pro-imperialist policies of the present governments in West Bengal and the Centre, against the SEZ policy of the state, forceful land acquisition, displacement and police repression. The Santhal tribals of about 1100 villages have been organising protests and their resistance movement among several other democratic demands raised the important question of brutal police oppression which the people of the region have been subjected to continuously for the last 8-9 months. But, the state government, instead of finding out a just political solution, has started military campaign, in with the active support of the central government throwing to winds all norms of a democratic polity.

The Central Home Minister P. Chidambram and the Chief Minister Budhadeb Bhattacharya are stating continuously that `Operation Lalgarh’ is not a repressive campaign; its only objective is `to restore law and order’ in the area. But, the truth is that the state has unleashed heavy repression upon the militant tribal movement, going on for the last 8 months against police repression. Intensive police and paramilitary raids are being conducted in villages and forest areas in order to capture the leaders and activists of People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) and the Maoists assisting the movement. During these raids, the children, women and the aged people are beaten up, molested/humiliated, their property destroyed, looted and their houses burnt. Even the barbaric police and
paramilitary forces are throwing excreta into water wells and ponds so as to deprive the people from their only sources of drinking water and other purposes.

Lalgarh movement has its own autonomy, and various political streams are taking part in it. But, the government, by making a hue and cry of Maoists as terrorists, is unleashing massive repression upon the popular mass movement. None of the human rights organisations, democratic intellectuals, social activists, discerning journalists and film makers are allowed to enter the area as a definite ploy to not let the larger public be privy to the most brutal actions of the police-military. Journalists and members of fact-finding teams, who try to go to the area of Lalgarh, are being beaten up by the police not to say implicated in various false cases. The whole effort of the state is a tell tale example of how one can make a mockery of democracy while exposing the parliamentary aristocracy.

The situation in Lalgarh is reflective of the malaise that is deepening in the social fabric of the whole country. The people’s movement of Lalgarh-Jangalmahal is the movement for the majority exploited and oppressed people of the whole country. And the military action conducted by the central government under the leadership of the so-called `Left front’ government against the movement, is nothing but a blatant attack upon humanity and the rights of the people of the country as a whole. The pressing need of the hour is to organise a country-wide resistance movement against such an operation to silence all forms of dissent to make people mute spectators at the receiving end, one of the worst exploitative policies that the people of this country have faced.

Now, it has become an immediate responsibility of the democratic forces of the country to raise their voice against the brutal state repression upon the struggling tribals of Lalgarh. They should also stand in solidarity with all people who have been subjected to `legal’ and physical attacks for braving to go to the area to find out the real face of the “Lalgarh operation” indulged in by brutal police and paramilitary. Let us express our solidarity to the defiant and daring struggles of the tribal people of Lalgarh. Let us register our strong opposition to all forms of repression and suppression going on in the areas of Lalgarh,

We demand:

Ø Stop immediately the `Lalgarh Operation’, against the tribal people of Lalgarh-Jangal mahal and call back all police-paramilitary forces from Lalgarh and nearby areas;

Ø The Central and State governments should initiate dialogue with the defiant people’s movement of Lalgarh and accept their just demands;

Ø Provide due compensation to the affected people due to `Operation Lalgarh, and punish those police officials responsible for violence, rape, loot and other crimes;

Ø Revoke all the cases unconditionally, which have been imposed upon the struggling people of Lalgarh and the members of the fact-finding teams;

Ø Repeal the draconian Act – Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 2008;

Ø Allow fact-finding and solidarity teams and journalists to enter the areas of Lalgarh-Jangal mahal.

Lalgarh Movement Solidarity Committee, Delhi

All India Federation of Trade Unions (AIFTU), Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)(CPDM), Committee Against Violence on Women(CAVOW), Committee for Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP), Democratic Students Union (DSU),Forum for Democratic Struggle, Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra (IMK), Indian Council of Trade Unions (ICTU), International Association of Peoples Lawyers (IAPL), Krantikari Lok Adhikar Sanghatan (KLAS), Krantikari Yuva Sanghatan (KYS), Mehnatkash Mazdoor Morcha (MMM), Naujawan Bharat Sabha (NBS), Nepali Jan Adhikar Manch, Naga Students’ Union Delhi(NSUD), Peoples Democratic Front of India (PDFI), Peoples Front, Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), RWC, Anjani Kumar, Pawan Patel, Ravinder Goel, Sarojgiri

G N SAIBABA