Operation ‘Tribal’ hunt spills over into State

B Satyanarayana Reddy

First Published : 24 Nov 2009 03:11:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 24 Nov 2009 09:11:46 AM IST

KHAMMAM: Operation Green Hunt, the massive offensive against Maoists in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh, seems to be spilling over into the State.

Thousands of tribals, mainly Gotti Koyas, have migrated from Dantewada and Bijapur districts in Chhattisgarh, to the plains and forest regions of Bhadrachalam in Khammam district in the past one year.

Importantly, the influx has increased of late, in the past two months ever since the clean-up operation against Naxalites was launched.

State Forest and Police Departments, apprehensive that Maoist sympathisers could be among these tribals, are seeking the State Government’s permission to pack the migrants back to their native places.

We welcome the reports that the Government of India and the CPI (Maoist) are agreeable to the idea of talks

Tuesday 24 November 2009

We welcome the reports that the Government of India and the CPI (Maoist) are agreeable to the idea of talks. In the present situation talks are the only way to come to a resolution of any problem, however difficult it may be.

We reiterate that the talks should be unconditional, and that they should be held at the central level. We propose the following steps to expedite the dialogue:

1. Security forces should not move forward and should cease all operations.

2. Maoists should cease all operations.

3. This ceasefire should take place immediately.

4. In order to enable villagers to resume their normal life the security forces must withdraw from schools, dispensaries and other civilian buildings, as recommended by the NHRC. The Maoists must also give a commitment that government institutions like schools, ration shops etc. will be allowed to function.

We hope and trust that both sides will carry on the talks with an aim to finding solutions to the concrete problems faced by the people of the affected regions. Any disagreement in the first round should not lead to the breakdown of talks. There should be a series of talks to arrive at mutually agreed solutions.

Rajindar Sachar and Manoranjan Mohanty

(on behalf of the Citizens Initiative for Peace)

People asked to leave their villages: Narayanpatna Fact Finding Report

Express News Service
First Published : 24 Nov 2009 07:09:19 AM IST
Last Updated : 24 Nov 2009 11:34:49 AM IST

BHUBANESWAR: Three days after members of the Chasi Mulia Adiasi Sangha (CMAS) were killed in police firing at Narayanpatna, a fact-finding team visited two villages and reported that an air of fear prevails among the natives who expect the worst when the security forces come calling. The team went to Kumbhari and Narayanpatna panchayats and met the natives. About 200 members of CMAS had gone to Narayanpatna police station to lodge their protest against police harassment of tribals on Saturday, the team said.

Police, the team was told, had violated its assurance of not entering the villages and harass the tribals. It was also given in writing but in vain. During the combing operation on November 18 and 19, the security personnel had allegedly asked the villagers to leave their native village or face dire consequences.

The tribal residents were reportedly warned that the land of the non-tribals would be restored to them. During combing operation, stories of harassment were reported from Odiapentha, Dandabeda, Palaput, Dubaguda and Badhraguda, the team said in its report. “Apart from warning tribal residents, their women folk were not allowed to continue with their harvest.

Solidarity this Weekend in London with Oppressed Tribals Struggle in India

SOLIDARITY WITH THE OPPRESSED TRIBALS’ STRUGGLE

Speaker: G N Saibaba

General Secretary
Revolutionary Democratic Front India

Friday 27th November 7pm

Merchmont Community Hall
62 Marchmont Street London.
WC1N 1AB, near Russell Square Station

Organised by:

CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE OF REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNISTS OF BRITAIN

(c/o BM Box 2978, London WC1N 3XX)

Supported by:
Second Wave Publications
George Jackson Socialist League Britain
South Asia Solidarity Forum
World People’s Resistance Movement – Britain
Indian Workers Association (GB)
Democracy and Class Struggle

Evening of International Solidarity with Political Prisoners

Let us unite and struggle to free all political prisoners across the world!

Speakers and presentations:
on the current issues and the struggles of political prisoners across the world (Speakers from Brazil, India, Iran, Philippines, Turkey, US and …)

Statements & messages of solidarity

Documentary film:The Peoples’ Resistance in Lalgarh
Revolutionary music and cultural performances in solidarity with political prisoners

Program starts at 6:00 pm on Saturday

28 November 2009
Central Library

Large Hall

2 Fieldway Crescent
London N5 1PF

Holloway Road (Piccadilly Line) or

Highbury and Islington (Victoria Line)

Organised jointly by:

Activists of the People’s Fadaii Guerrillas of Iran – London.

Democratic Anti-imperialist Organisation of Iranians in Britain

Devrimci Demokrasi (Revolutionary Democracy Magazine)

Indian Workers’ Association -GB (IWA-GB)

Int’l Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners (UPOTUDAK)

Migrante International (Filipino Migrants alliance)

Solidarity Committee with Free Political Prisoners (OTDK)

Supported by:

International Migrants Solidarity Centre – London,

International League of Peoples’ Struggle

International food and drinks are available.

For all information and solidarity messages contact
pol.prisoners@ gmail.com

HC directs joint forces to vacate schools in Lalgarh by Dec 30

Kolkata The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the joint forces engaged in anti-Maoist operations in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district to vacate by December 30 the schools in they were camping in since June.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharjee and Justice Prasenjit Mondal directed the state government to ensure that all schools were vacated so that classes could be resume by the beginning of next year.

Advocate General Balai Roy submitted that nine schools and a college had been vacated and two others would be handed back to the school authorities by December two.

The AG sought three-month time for vacating 10 other schools.

Since labourers were afraid of working in the Maoist-hit district to construct buildings and temporary structures for the security forces to shift to, it was creating problems, he said.

The court, however, refused his argument and set the deadline of December 30 for vacating the schools. The order was passed on a PIL filed by NGO West Midnapore Bhumij Kalyan Samity seeking immediate steps for resumption of classes.

The state armed forces as well as CRPF and BSF had occupied 21 schools and one college in four blocks in West Midnapore district in June, when the operations to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh began. Roy later told news persons that the state is taking steps to comply with the high court order. EI

Narayanpatna police firing: Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha leader’s Last rites performed

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 23: Thousands of supporters of Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh today took out a march to gather at Padapadala where the last rites of the two tribal men killed in Fridays’ police firing were conducted.

Carrying red flags and traditional arms, the men and women walked with the bodies amid heavy security. Five companies of personnel drawn from the CRPF, IRB, Cobra, Orissa Special Strike Force and District Armed Police Reserve have been camping there since Saturday.

Supporters from the deceased’s village and neighbouring areas reached Padapadala around 10am. Outfit’s leader Nachika Linga, who the personnel are on a lookout for, apparently attended the funerals. Police have been conducting raids across the block to nab Linga who led Fridays’ loot attempt at Narayanpatna police station.

The rites continued for over an hour with both the deceased — military commander Wadeka Singana and Nachika Andrew — being declared martyrs.

Meanwhile, 5km from Narayanpatna, some men under the banner of Bhima Vahini opened fire at security forces which provoked a retaliation. Seven members of the Vahini were arrested afterwards. Police have arrested 19 men in connection with Friday’s attack and raids are on to nab more. Arrests include outfit leaders, including the boss of CMAS’s women’s wing, Kumudini Behera, and legal advisor Sahadev Parida.

The personnel have also booked members on charges of murder, arson and rioting. All vehicles entering or leaving Narayanpatna are being checked. “The situation is far for being normal, but it is under control,” assured Koraput deputy superintendent of police P.K. Sahani. A jeep allegedly belonging to the sangh was also seized by the police. TT

Uttar Pradesh: After dusk no govt employee stays in Naugarh

VARANASI: Do the government personnel fear to tread in the Naxal-affected areas of Naugarh, Jaimohini and Majhgai areas of Chandauli district?

If the report of Vinod Shankar Chaubey, state quality monitor of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) Cell and TN Singh, member of the NREGA Cell, is to be believed, most of the government employees do not stay in these areas at night.

Following the exposure of irregularities and corruption in NREGA in Chandauli district, a team headed by Chaubey camped in Naugarh to take first hand account of the situation in August last.

In their report submitted on September 9, they clearly mentioned that some police officials had suggested them to leave Naugarh before 7pm after completing the day’s work. They came to know that the government officials as well as employees used to leave Naugarh and Jaimohini, Majhgai areas before sunset. Government personnel, if they are not local natives, feel uncomforted to live in these areas. They mentioned in their report that most of the government employees posted in these areas live either in Chandauli or Varanasi. Only police, PAC and CRPF stay there but they too return to their camps with dusk.