South Asia Citizens Web

The below article first appeared in The Indian Express, 3 November 2009
Lay down those home-made arms
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has asked the CPI (Maoists) to “halt” armed operations and to come to talks. Specifically, Chidambaram does not require that the “Maoists lay down arms”; he just wants cessation of hostilities for now for talks to take place. Laying down of arms may be postponed for later. Once this minimal condition is satisfied, Chidambaram is prepared to talk on all (…)

The State administration in Chhattisgarh is trying to use military means alone to address the problem of naxalism in Chhattisgarh. Anyone not with the State (read also Salwa Judum), runs the risk of being branded a naxalite sympathizer. As a result, space for any dissent against the State and the middle ground for civil society to function is eroding very fast.

The failure of successive Indian governments to bring to justice those responsible for mass revenge attacks on Sikhs after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi 25 years ago is a severe blot on India’s legal system and democracy, Human Rights Watch said today.

As has already been declared all across the national media, the state has declared war on “Maoist violence” across the country and is about to unleash its might on some of the most neglected regions and people of this country. While the Maoists are the declared target of the State, it is needless to say that they have hardly any qualms about “breaking a few eggs to make an omlette”! The thousands of adivasis and civilians going to be caught in the crossfire would be portrayed by the media as an inevitable but necessary price to pay for the eradication of the Naxal ‘menace’. That may well be only less than half the story, because another reason for state operations in this area is the immense mineral wealth there which can not be passed on to Indian capital unless adivasis living there are displaced, and their survival systems completely destroyed.

The Madhya Pradesh state administration continues to harass the peasants and adivasis of Narmada valley struggling for their just rights and implementation of court orders and the rule of law in the state. The police is discovering and adding newer cases everyday to intimidate the displaced people and undermine their demand of implementation of the orders of the Hon’ble High Court. On the other hand, there has been widespread condemnation of the highhanded and unlawful attitude of the state government.