this is a quick update. the constable was released by the maoists yesterday. pucl jharkahnd's shashi bhushan pathak held a press conference at garwha. and on reaching ranchi there will be a press conference at 2pm today. gautam
On 2/2/12, gautam navlakha <[email protected]> wrote: > Please allow me to cite a long passage from PUCl, PUDR and Dharma > Sansad report "Of Human Bondage:A Report on Hostage-taking in Bastar". > It is only to raise and share a concern: > > > > "While we recognize that there is an element of desperation behind > hostage taking, but using human beings as bargaining tool is fraught > with danger. Yet, the legitimacy of the grievances and the remedy > sought cannot be denied. Their (Maoist) demands are also different > from the usual demand for the release of an arrested leader or accused > in return for the hostages. > > A stark reality also confronts us when we consider the institutional > response to the hostage taking of police constables in Chhattisgarh > and shortly thereafter of a District Collector of Malkangiri in > Orissa. The five policemen taken hostage received little notice. But > the police administration in Bastar went out of its way to remove/tear > posters of CPI (Maoist) which explained what their demands were and > why they had abducted the police personnel. The abduction of the > district collector, on the other hand, elicited a different response. > The national media descended on Malkangiri for the very first time and > the public, for the first time, got to know that there were tribals in > Orissa who were not rehabilitated by projects undertaken in Orissa’s > Malkangiri and Koraput districts forty to fifty years ago! > > The public also got to know that in Narayanpatna (Koraput), where > hundreds of tribals were arrested for being Maoists, tribals had been > agitating for restoring lands occupied generations ago by non-tribals > and the lands they worked on as bonded labour, attached to the very > people who had occupied their land! Would this ground reality, known > to civil right activists for years, have come to the notice of the > wider Indian public in any other way? If this was possible, without > hostage taking, then why was nothing done until now? It is this > pitting of law and morality as a counter-weight to the harsh reality > faced by people that is disturbing. > > In long-neglected areas that have become conflict zones now, Rule of > Law does not operate and people are subjected to Police Raj under the > pretext of suppressing Maoist insurgency. Illegal arrests of ordinary > Indians by police and their incarceration, or the plight of their kith > and kin, counts for nothing. But equally startling is the fact that in > Chattisgarh, the government showed no desire to negotiate the release > of the five police personnel. Presumably, they were not senior enough > to merit the administration’s attention. Therefore, the local and > national media too showed indifference to the issues raised by the > Maoists through their demand. In contrast, the Orissa government, > because an officer belonging to the IAS cadre was involved, > negotiations took place and the demands raised by CPI(Maoists) were > considered. In both the instances, the demands were perfectly > legitimate, constitutional and just. This is also a reminder that > conflict zones in India in general and Bastar (Chattisgarh) in > particular, have become no-go areas where the Constitution does not > operate and arbitrary approach takes precedence over lawful conduct. > It is this lawless climate, brought about by ‘Operation Greenhunt’, > which is singularly alarming. > > If we are opposed to the politics of hostage taking, does jailing of > people for daring to protest their conditions and making perfectly > legitimate demands, or merely belonging to interior villages, anything > other than a ‘legally’ sanctioned abduction? Similarly, if hostage > taking by the CPI (Maoist) is wrong but the demands raised by them are > legitimate, should we not ensure that the state government complies > with the demands? ". > > gautam > > > > On 2/2/12, gautam navlakha <[email protected]> wrote: >> On 2/1/12, Niloufer Bhagwat <[email protected]> wrote: >>> No right thinking person supports the larger war for seizure of land >>> and >>> water resources >>> and the habitat of the Indigenous people of the region and the peasantry >>> . >>> >>> Indiscriminate arrests and police repression whereever they occur are >>> unacceptable . >>> >>> Niloufer Bhagwat >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: Kavita Krishnan >>> To: [email protected] >>> Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 10:45 PM >>> Subject: Re: [humanrights-movement:5519] Garhwa update from Kavita >>> ...she >>> is travellling >>> >>> >>> Dear Gautam, >>> Yes, I am in touch with Jharkhand people, and you are right, efforts >>> are >>> being made at various levels. The police is being adamant too, and is >>> making >>> little serious effort to mediate. >>> The two missing CPI(ML) comrades have now been released. But the two >>> who >>> are said to be in jail - Ramdas Minz and Fida Husain - their families >>> have >>> not been allowed to meet them. So they too are operating on the >>> assumption >>> that these two are presumed missing till families are allowed to meet. >>> And >>> in any case, the struggle to get the cases against them withdrawn is >>> on... >>> I recall the report you mention very well, and it is an admirable one >>> - >>> one among the very many appreciable efforts made by PUDR and other >>> organisations and individuals to bring reason to a war that is, as you >>> say, >>> not of our making but imposed by the State alone, and that we are all >>> resisting according to our rights... >>> Kavita >>> >>> >>> >>> On 31 January 2012 19:44, gautam navlakha <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> kavita, >>> your anxiety is justified. i spoke to shashi bhushan pathak >>> just before he left for meeting the local leadership of maoists >>> party >>> at garhwa. police and maoists have agreed to 14 hours ceasefire. he >>> told me that he would be asking the maoists to immediately and >>> unconditionally release the guard (a police personnel). maoist >>> demand >>> was for removal of police pickets from three villages as well as >>> cessation of the operations. he was told by police that this was not >>> a >>> matter they could decide on their own since civil administration is >>> unwilling. but they wanted the mediation to go on to see what could >>> be >>> done. so my plea is when the mediation is on let us wait and see >>> what >>> comes of it. >>> can we also give some attention to the cpi(ml) activists who have >>> been >>> arrested and discuss how best to highlight this case...? >>> having said this please i draw everyone's attention to a report >>> which >>> pudr, pucl and swami agnivesh released after the release of 5 police >>> personnel in bastar (2011) where we talk about hostage taking and >>> the >>> challenge it poses to democratic forces. please check it out on >>> pudr.org. >>> beyond all this even when we critique the maoists there is a larger >>> war that still goes on. >>> gautam >>> >>> >>> On 1/31/12, Kavita Krishnan <[email protected]> wrote: >>> > According to the mediator asked for by the Maoists, there have not >>> been >>> > death threats. But there have indeed been demands in exchange for >>> release >>> > of the hostage. If these demands are not met by the state, what >>> will >>> be the >>> > fate of the hostage? Not sure. >>> > >>> > On 31 January 2012 12:30, Niloufer Bhagwat <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> > >>> >>> >> ** >>> >>> >> Threatening to kill hostages, if true , is not revolutionary >>> activity . >>> >> >>> >> Niloufer Bhagwat >>> >> >>> >> ----- Original Message ----- >>> >>> >> *From:* Kavita Krishnan <[email protected]> >>> >> *To:* [email protected] >>> >> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 31, 2012 12:13 PM >>> >> *Subject:* Re: [humanrights-movement:5514] Garhwa update from >>> Kavita >>> >>> >> ...she is travellling >>> >> >>> >> Actually, it's difficult to verify the demands of the Maoists vis >>> a >>> vis >>> >> the guards - all one has is what comes out in the name of their >>> >> 'spokesperson' in the media, which may well be wrong or planted. >>> But >>> the >>> >> guard is still a hostage, that's for certain. And I don't think >>> the >>> >> Maoists >>> >> have refuted the demands being attributed to them - viz, lifting >>> of >>> Green >>> >> Hunt in the zone and removal of a police picket. If indeed there >>> is >>> some >>> >> effort at mediation that's very welcome. >>> >> >>> >> On 29 January 2012 17:12, gautam navlakha <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >> >>> >>> the information regarrting the guard is wrong. indeed maoists >>> have >>> >>> asked shashi bhusahn pathak of pucl to act as a mediator in this >>> >>> matter. this is being flashed in ranchi and anyone can call and >>> >>> confirm.the rest of the info. is however cause for much >>> concern.there >>> >>> is NO statement from maoists threatening to kill him were their >>> >>> demands not met. >>> >>> gautam >>> >>> >>> >>> On 1/29/12, Ranjana <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > * Some of the arrested comrades are in jail but two of >>> those >>> >>> arrested on >>> >>> > January 21st, Budlal Kerketta and Mahfuz Ansari, are missing >>> from >>> >>> > custody.There can only be speculation that they might be so >>> badly >>> >>> injured >>> >>> > that the police is treating them before producing in court. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > * The guard is still being held hostage by the Maoists. >>> And >>> there >>> >>> have been >>> >>> > threats to kill him if demands are not met - demands of >>> lifting >>> the >>> >>> green >>> >>> > hunt operation in the zone, mainly. His wife and mother >>> attempted >>> self >>> >>> > immolation outside the thana in Garhwa yesterday the 28th. >>> >>> > * The 'lathicharge' during the bandh on 24 Jan was no >>> ordinary >>> >>> one, but a >>> >>> > particularly vengeful and brutal assault. The DSP himself >>> stamped >>> with >>> >>> boots >>> >>> > on Kalicharan Mehta, and similar brutal assaults resulted in >>> severe >>> >>> injury >>> >>> > and broken arm of 70-year-old Kishore Kumar, a broken leg for >>> another >>> >>> > comrade, and severe injuries for Comrade Rahina, another >>> elected >>> woman >>> >>> > representative of Danda panchayat. >>> >>> > * Since Sushma was released, the police are now >>> implicating >>> >>> her as part of >>> >>> > the plot, and trying to get the guard's family to do dharna >>> at >>> >>> Sushma's >>> >>> > house etc demanding that she be booked for the conspiracy to >>> perpetrate >>> >>> the >>> >>> > blast and the abduction. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > -- >>> >>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the >>> Google >>> >>> Groups >>> >>> > "humanrights 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the >>> Google >>> Groups >>> >>> "humanrights 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> -- >>> >> Kavita Krishnan >>> >> 9560756628 >>> >> >>> >> -- >>> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the >>> Google >>> Groups >>> >> "humanrights 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >>> >> >>> >> -- >>> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the >>> Google >>> Groups >>> >> "humanrights 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >>> >> >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > -- >>> > Kavita Krishnan >>> > 9560756628 >>> > >>> > -- >>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups >>> > "humanrights 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >>> > >>> > >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "humanrights 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Kavita Krishnan >>> 9560756628 >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups >>> "humanrights 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups >>> "humanrights 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >>> >>> >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. 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