---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: gopal menon <[email protected]>
Dear all, This is an appeal to everyone Concerned with Indian State’s War Against the People. If you think we have a point please endorse it and then it will go as a common statement by all of us. In solidarity, Gopal Menon. Fierce attack against naxals by Central & State forces planned to begin in March Anti-Maoist offensive now in March? New Delhi, 25 Nov., 2009: A massive offensive operation against the Naxals, which will se over 60,000 Central Security personnel in action, will commence from March next year, an official source said. Central Security personnel drawn from the CRPF, ITBP, and BSF have already begun reaching the respective areas of operation and are currently undergoing area familiarization process. The Central Security forces will be joined by state police personnel besides commandos of the newly raised 10-batallion strong Commando Battallion for Resolute Action. Sources said though the operation was scheduled to start by now, it got delayed primarily due to the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. They said some infrastructural support is yet to come up in certain areas and they are waiting for everything to be ready before going in for the push. Up to 10,000 Naxals are believed to be operating in about 40,000 sq. km. Area of the country. - PTI - Show quoted text - Appeal to Everyone Concerned with Indian State’s War Against the People Dear All, Operation Green Hunt has already begun. One of the first casualties of the State’s war on people is a one-and-a-half year old boy called Suresh who had three fingers chopped off and whose mother was shot dead after being stabbed on the chest with knives. I am attaching his photographs and the links to the film which has his video clippings. Operation Green Hunt has provoked widespread outrage amongst all democratic minded people. The reaction to the launch of the assault has been primarily for the immediate cessation of this operation and withdrawal of the police and paramilitary personnel from the regions of their operation. However, the real issue of contestation and struggle is between the big capital (corporates) on the one hand and the local inhabitants on the other, for the natural resources of the region. For the local inhabitants it is their livelihood resource traditionally enjoyed by them for generations. For the corporates and big capital it is plunder for profits. The Constitution and the laws of the country such as PESA and Forest Rights Act are with the people. But the Central and State governments, rather than upholding the Constitution and the laws, have become violators of the laws now waging a war against its own people as mercenaries in aid of the plunder by the corporates and the big capital. In this situation, the judiciary is rendered impotent with the corporates and big capital having brazenly taken over the state. What is left is only the democratic assertion of the people of India to recover the state from the clutches of the criminal marauders. All democratic forces in the country have no choice but to strengthen the struggles of the masses for their survival, dignity and livelihood rights. This is the urgent task. This is the only way to go ahead. This is the right approach to take the agenda of democracy forward. The proposed visit of Mr. P Chidambaram the Home Minister of India mooted by civil society organizations such as Vanvasi Chetana Ashram for a public hearing in Dantewada and organized by civil society is fraught with dangers. It seems all that is left is fixing the precise date. The special security requirements will require sanitizing and completely securing the area all along the Ministers’ visit for his safety. This itself will be traumatic for the local people and ifurther escalate human rights violations. The special police officers, Salwa Judum and the other forces such as local Congress and the BJP goons will try to herd Adivasis for this public hearing so that it is stage managed. In the event of an untoward incident, there will be an instant violent crackdown with the blame attributed to the Maoists and Adivasis. Such incidents engineered by those who are inimical to peace and democracy will inevitably escalate the violence. Of course, Mr. Chidambaram has all rights to get such an event organized by the government or even by his party. Whatever be the outcome, the organizers will be held responsible for it. As long as a war-like situation - of mistrust, fear and anger pervades, there is absolutely no scope for public hearing by anyone whatsoever within the war zone. What is this aggressive development in these rich lands with poor people? How many MoUs have been signed by the various governments of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra and West Bengal? What is the nature of the MoUs signed? In whose interest? What is the fate of the people who had to give way for this development projecs? How has the state treated them? How has the state responded when they protest their grievances and perceived injustice? These are important questions which have now to be raised, heard and unanswered. When will these desperate voices be given respect and top priority in the media? *Therefore we demand the immediate cessation of the war on our own people, and the withdrawal of the paramilitary forces for democratic process to take over, for restoration of confidence for more than 3 lakh internally displaced people from the region to come back, resettle and begin normal life. This alone will enable the democratic process such as public hearings, access to independent journalists, civil rights activists and others. This can only ensure freedom of expression and equitable choice than can restore conditions for the well being of the people and ecologically, economically and socially sustainable development. * Warm regards, Gopal Menon --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
