When state makes war on its own people
A report on violations of people's rights during the Salwa Judum campaign in Dantewada, Chhitsgarh, April 2006
Since June 2005, Dantewada District (formerly part of Bastar district), Chhattisgarh, has been in the news for an alleged uprising of adivasis against the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Most media and official reports described this movement, known as Salwa Judum, as a spontaneous and self-initiated reaction to Maoist oppression, and hailed it as a turning point in the fight against Naxalism.
At the
same time, a few reports indicated that people had been displaced in large numbers
and were living in miserable conditions in camps. While this was officially attributed
to Maoist threats and retaliation against those joining the Salwa Judum, stray
news also came in about the forcible emptying out of villages as part of the government's anti-Maoist policy, and of excesses committed by members of the Salwa Judum
and security forces.
A fourteen-member team from five organizations conducted an investigation
between 28 November and 1 December 2005 in Bijapur and Bhairamgarh blocks of
Dantewada district, focusing specifically on the violation of human rights and the
impact on people's everyday lives. The organisations are: People's Union for Civil
Liberties (PUCL) Chhattisgarh, People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL) Jharkhand,
People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) Delhi, Association for the Protection
of Democratic Rights (APDR) West Bengal, and Indian Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL).
The information in this report is based on: a) Discussions with government officials
and paramilitary forces; b) interviews with people in Bhairamgarh, Matwada,
Meertur and Gangaloor camps; c) discussions with people we met in villages that
we visited, d) interviews with leaders and members of the Salwa Judum; and e)
discussions with fact-finding members of a CPI team. We have also relied on the
CPI's Open Letter to the Prime Minister dated 16 November 2005, detailing their
findings, two CPI (Maoist) press releases dated 10 October 2005 and 20 November
2005, and their Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee newsletter, Prabhat, dated
July-December 2005, as well as press clippings from June 2005 till the present.
On the basis of the fact-finding, three facts stood out strongly, all of which ran
counter to the government's assertions: First, it is clear that the Salwa Judum is not
a spontaneous people's movement, but a state-organized anti-insurgency campaign.
Second, it is misleading to describe the situation as simply one where ordinary villagers
are caught between the Maoists and the military. The Maoists have widespread
support and as long as people continued to live in the villages, it was difficult
for the government to isolate the Maoists. Rather than questioning its own nonperformance
on basic development, the government has resorted to clearing villages
on a large scale. Tens of thousands of people are now refugees in temporary
roadside camps or living with relatives with complete disruption of their daily lives.
Prospects for their return are currently dim. Third, the entire operation, instead of
being a peace mission as it is claimed, has escalated violence on all sides.
However,
only the murders by Maoists are recognized, and the Salwa Judum and paramilitary
operate with complete impunity. The rule of law has completely broken down.