Key Bastar anti-mining, anti-displacement tribal stir leaders being arrested: FACAM

Counterview Desk
The civil rights network* Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization (FACAM), seeking the release of Chhattisgarh Adivasi leader Surju Tekam, arrested following a raid on his village residence, has demanded that there should be an “end to fake encounters and false arrests in the name of Maoist links”.
Stating that Tekam’s arrest is part of the state’s escalating move to suppress protests, FACAM alleged in a statement, “Since 1st January 2024, there have been 20+ fake encounters in Bastar, wanton killings of civilians including that of a 6-month-old infant, numerous arrests of key leaders of anti-mining anti-displacement Adivasi movements, all conducted under the pretext of countering Naxalism.”

Text:

FACAM is appalled at the arrest of Sarva Adivasi Samaj Vice President and Bastar Jan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti Convenor, Surju Tekam, on 2nd April 2024 under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) and the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005 (PSA), all under the excuse of Tekam being an alleged “Maoist sympathizer.”
At 4 am, he was forcefully taken from his home in Kalwar village in Manpur-Mohla-Ambagarh district, Chhattisgarh. Per statements from witnesses and, upon the first round of investigation in his house, the police and paramilitary came up empty-handed. They then subsequently went inside and planted literature associated with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) along with a bag of explosives to build a fictitious argument that Tekam is a Maoist sympathizer and an “arms supplier.” He was beaten by the officers and abducted from his home subsequently.
On 3rd of April, Tekam was presented before NIA court in Bilaspur. Surju Tekam’s arrest comes as part of the Indian state’s escalation in Bastar as part the Surajkund Scheme which is being realized fully under the newly elected BJP government in Chhattisgarh. According to an official as stated by a TOI report, Tekam has been arrested because he leads all tribal protests and rallies under the influence of “Naxal commanders”.
Through his arrest and tagging of peaceful mass movement of Adivasis as those influenced by Maoists, the state wishes to silence the voices vocal against the ongoing genocide of Adivasi peasants and can expose the state’s narrative of “vishwas, vikas aur suraksha” in the region.
Since 1st January 2024, there have been 20+ fake encounters in Bastar, wanton killings of civilians including that of a 6-month-old infant, numerous arrests of key leaders of anti-mining anti-displacement Adivasi movements, all conducted under the pretext of countering Naxalism. Leading members of Morohnaar and Orcha Jan Andolan’s opposing mining in Amdai Ghati hills and paramilitary camps have been arrested in this time period.
After Surju’s arrest, on 3rd April 2024, in Narayanpur district, Rajmen Netam and one other were arrested while they were coming back from a mela under the allegation being Maoists. Their families are yet to be informed. At the same time, alleged Maoists are often captured and then shot in staged “encounter killings.”
On 27th April 2024, 6 persons were shot dead in Chipurbhatti, Bijapur district, with the allegation that they were members of CPI (Maoist) but material lodged as part of evidence from the site contradict their capabilities to engage in exchange of fire with the police and the villagers have alleged that some of the persons killed are part of their communities. Photos of them being tied and captured prior to the killings have also been discovered.

Police claimed that Surju’s arrest has been done to ensure that he does not do Naxalite campaigning during Lok Sabha elections

The police have claimed that Surju’s arrest has been done to ensure that he does not do “Naxalite campaigning during the Lok Sabha elections.” In the past, as a community leader, Surju Tekam and many others leading the mass movements in Bastar against corporatization and militarization have questioned the merits of elections in Bastar for Adivasis when the Indian state is waging its war on people indiscriminately.

Tekam himself warned of the same prior to the BJP winning the Chhattisgarh state assembly in 2023 and was arrested for the same. To ensure that the local mass movements do not raise political dissent against Brahmanical Hindutva fascism, the BJP-RSS combine is hell bent on silencing the people and ensuring that its brutal war on people at the service of corporates has no witnesses, no voices left to question its loot.
Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization (FACAM) vehemently condemns the arrest of Adivasi leader Surju Tekam, continued arrests and harassment of activists of mass movements as well as the 20+ fake encounters in Bastar since 1st January 2024.
Our demands:

Immediate release of Surju Tekam and all political prisoners.
Judicial inquiry into the 20+ fake encounters of ordinary Adivasis since 1st January 2024.
Judicial inquiry into the so-called encounter killings of alleged Maoists on 27th March, 2024.
End to the war on people being waged in Bastar under the Surajkund Scheme.
End to the escalation of genocidal tactics and curtailment of all nominal democratic rights since the coming of the BJP government in Chhattisgarh.

---
*All India Students Association (AISA), All India Revolutionary Students Organization (AIRSO), All India Revolutionary Women's Organization (AIRWO), Bhim Army Student Federation (BASF), Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students Organization (BASO), Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM), Collective, Common Teachers Forum (CTF), Democratic Students Union (DSU), Fraternity Movement, Nazariya Magazine, Progressive Lawyers Association (PLA), Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS), Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), Vishwavidyalaya Chhatra Federation (VCF)

Comments

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar* Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

Kerala government data implicates the Covid vaccines for excess deaths

By Bhaskaran Raman* On 03 Dec 2024, Mr Unnikrishnan of the Indian Express had written an article titled: “Kerala govt data busts vaccine death myth; no rise in mortality post-Covid”. It claims “no significant change in the death rate in the 35-44 age group between 2019 and 2023”. However, the claim is obviously wrong, even to a casual observer, as per the same data which the article presents, as explained below.

PM-JUGA: Support to states and gram sabhas for the FRA implementation and preparation and execution of CFR management plan

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan* (Over the period, under 275(1), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided fund to the states for FRA implementation. Besides, some states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra allocated special fund for FRA implementation. Now PM-JUDA under “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan(DAJGUA) lunched by Prime Minister on 2nd October 2024 will not only be the major source of funding from MoTA to the States/UTs, but also will be the major support to the Gram sabha for the preparation and execution of CFR management Plan).

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

How Amit Shah's statement on Ambedkar reflects frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion, empowerment

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remains the liberator and emancipator of India’s oppressed communities. However, attempts to box him between two Brahmanical political parties betray a superficial and self-serving understanding of his legacy. The statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha was highly objectionable, reflecting the frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion and empowerment.

Balod tech fest tests students’ interest in innovative ideas in the fields of science, engineering, start-ups

By Our Representative A techno fest scheduled on December 20 and 21 in Balod district of Chhattisgarh will test the innovative ideas of school students in the fields of science, engineering and start-ups. For this two-day fest organised at Maheswari Bhawan of the district, a total of 824 models made by students were initially registered. Out of those, a selection committee chose 200 models from several schools spread over five blocks of Balod. These will be on display on these two days from 10am to 4.30pm. Out of many ideas, one of the most interesting models is a smart glove which can be used by children with impairments and disabilities. For those who cannot speak at all or have speech difficulty, they can ask for help from caregivers by pressing their fingers on the glove after wearing it. This will attract attention.

Local businessman subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse: Demand for accountability, justice

By Kirity Roy* On October 9, 2024, a disturbing incident of harassment and abuse took place in the Swarupnagar Block of North 24 Parganas district, involving a local businessman, Hasanur Gazi, who was subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse, and religious discrimination by a Border Security Force (BSF) constable. The incident, which occurred at the Hakimpur Checkpost, has raised serious concerns about the safety and dignity of citizens living in border areas, especially those belonging to religious minorities.

Affable but arrogant, embodying contradictions, Raj Kapoor's legacy will endure as long as Bollywood exists

By Harsh Thakor* December 14 marks the birth centenary of Raj Kapoor, a filmmaker and visionary who revolutionized Bollywood, elevating it to new heights by exploring uncharted emotional and social territories. Kapoor wasn’t just a filmmaker; he was a storyteller who touched the souls of the masses and reflected the pulse of post-partition India with unparalleled depth. His films acted as a unifying force in a divided nation, transcending social and cultural boundaries.

Suspicious death of Dalit laborer in BSF custody: A call for justice

By Kirity Roy* The tragic and suspicious death of Mr. Babai Barui, a Dalit daily wage laborer from North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, has raised serious concerns regarding custodial violence and the violation of fundamental rights. Mr. Barui, son of Sukharanjan Barui, resided in Pallishree Sangsad, Bongaon, and was arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) on November 9, 2024, near the Angrail border on allegations of smuggling. The very next day, he was found dead under mysterious circumstances, with visible injuries that point toward possible custodial violence.

Search This Blog