Over 40 rights groups demand end to anti-Maoist violence, call it a front for corporate exploitation
New Delhi: In a strongly worded joint statement released on Saturday, more than 40 civil society organisations and individuals have called upon the Union and state governments to immediately halt the ongoing armed operations in Adivasi regions, especially in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, alleging that the real motive behind these anti-Maoist offensives is to facilitate corporate exploitation of natural resources.
The signatories include prominent organisations such as the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Jharkhand; the National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice; the Adivasi Adhikar Manch, Jharkhand; and the National Alliance of People’s Movements. Notable individuals who endorsed the statement include poet and activist Jacinta Kerketta and economist Jean Drèze, under the banner of the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha.
The statement alleged that under the pretext of eradicating Maoism, the government has intensified violence and repression in tribal-dominated areas such as Bastar in Chhattisgarh, often leading to civilian casualties. It noted that indigenous protests against displacement, forced mining, and militarisation are being suppressed through administrative and military means.
“The Adivasis have been fighting for decades against forced land acquisition, eviction from forests, and arbitrary mining. Despite this, violations of the Fifth Schedule, PESA Act, Forest Rights Act, and constitutional protections continue unabated,” the statement read.
The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides special protections for tribal autonomy in designated regions. The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006, are meant to guarantee self-governance and protect the traditional land rights of tribal communities. However, rights groups argue that these legal safeguards are routinely ignored.
The statement further claimed that the “true objective” of anti-Maoist operations is to enable corporate entry into mineral-rich tribal areas. “Big business houses have their eyes on these regions. When gram sabhas disagree, and resistance movements or Maoists stand in the way of this plunder, the state machinery is deployed to silence them,” the statement alleged.
It cited the recent killing of 31 people, including Maoists and allegedly unarmed tribals, in the Karregutta mountain range of Bastar as a tragic example. The statement claimed that in several instances, bodies of the deceased were not even returned to their families.
“This shows that in the name of eradicating Maoism, the government is destroying the Constitution, international law, humanity, and social-cultural traditions. It is a blot on our democracy and constitutional values,” it said.
The signatories have demanded a credible ceasefire, immediate end to armed violence, and the initiation of dialogue with local Adivasi communities and even with the CPI (Maoist), which has previously expressed willingness for peace talks.
Additionally, they have called for the release of leaders of the Moolvasi Bachao Manch—a tribal youth organisation in Bastar that was banned and whose leaders were allegedly arrested on false charges. The statement demanded the withdrawal of these charges and the removal of all security camps set up without the consent of gram sabhas, including those built inside schools.
The joint statement concluded with a strong appeal to enforce existing laws like the Fifth Schedule, PESA, and Forest Rights Act in letter and spirit, and to respect the democratic aspirations of the tribal communities.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Chlorine gas leaks at defunct water purification plant in Pune; 24 persons hospitalised
Pune, Apr 30 (PTI): At least 22 residents and two firemen were hospitalised after a chlorine gas leakage at Kondhwa in Pune after midnight on Thursday, fire officials said.
The leak originated from an abandoned tank containing chlorine at a defunct water purification plant godown in the Gangadham area around 1 am, they said.
"Following the leak and the subsequent spread of gas, residents in the vicinity complained of breathlessness. Upon receiving the call, fire teams were dispatched. Several citizens were evacuated, and the leaking tank was patched using safety equipment," a fire official said.
During the operation, 22 residents and two fire personnel complained of breathlessness and were rushed to the hospital, he said.
A man who previously operated the water purification plant at the site said he had dismantled the unit, but the tank containing chlorine appeared to have remained unattended and developed a leak.
"All the affected residents and the two fire personnel are out of danger and currently under observation at Sassoon General Hospital," the official said.
