Tribals highlight govt atrocities
Amrita Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 28
It is now one year since the Government of Chhattisgarh launched ’salwa judum’ against the tribals of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, allege tribals of Bastar.Trying to counter a mass campaign at the all-India level against the ’salwa judum,’ which literally translates into collective hunting, the tribals were in town today to bring to light the alleged atrocities by the Chhattisgarh Government.
A movement initiated under committee for the assistance of tribals affected by Salwa Judum (CATAS) saw seven members of the Adivasi Kala Manch, Chhattisgarh, singing their tribal song, tried to bring to light the plight of the tribals.
The tribals allege that Chhattisgarh is strategically important as it contains a lot of minerals and forest wealth, including high-grade iron ore, limestone, dolomite and diamonds etc. The government, they allege, is very keen to allow MNCs and Indian mining companies to operate from here. They allege that the government has drawn up a plan to oust them from their land and to make way for investments from the big companies. They allege that in May, 2005, the ’salwa judum’ was launched by the government of Chhattisgarh and it was within this year that the Chief Minister went and signed an agreement with a US power company, Texas Power Cooperation. In June, 2005, an MoU was signed with the Tatas for iron ore mining in Dantewada. They allege that the government finds it difficult to implement these agreements as long as Maoists have their presence over there. They allege that people who were at one point of time punished by the Naxal movement have been appointed as special police officers after being trained and are sent to the tribal area as to hunt down the Adivasis in the name of eliminating the Maoists.
The tribals have already toured 12 states in the past two and a half months to generate awareness about their alleged plight and also to demand support from the people to not only denounce the ’salwa judum’ but to also ask for help by giving monetary support, medicines and clothing etc.
“We are hopeful, and for us awareness for the issue is more important,” states Satnam, an author. He has visited the Bastar area twice and is a supporter of the movement.
In town today with the tribals who are part of the Adivasi Kala Manch, he highlighted their grievances. “The only crime of the tribals is that they have lent support to the Naxalites who have now spent 25 years amongst them. It is a state sponsored terror campaign.”
The tribals have visited Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttranchal, Punjab, Haryana and now Punjab so far. They would also soon be going to New Delhi and submitting a memorandum to the President regarding the same. However, no support has come so far.