Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Green Hunt’ in Jharkhand
‘Green Hunt’ in Jharkhand:
State Repression and Witch-hunt Against CPI(ML)
State Repression and Witch-hunt Against CPI(ML)
Following a landmine blast by CPI(Maoist) in Garhwa,
Jharkhand, CPI(ML) leaders were abducted by Maoists, and the police is
implicating the CPI(ML) in the blasts, and torturing its local village
activists for 'conspiring' with Maoists.
Local village activists of the CPI(ML) including elected mukhiya Ramdas Minz were leading a protest at Badgad village in Bhandaria block in Garhwa district, demanding that the Bhandaria BDO meet them and address their grievance over the site chosen for a health centre.
A landmine blast by Maoists claimed the lives of several policemen who were accompanying the BDO to meet the agitating villagers. The Maoists also abducted Comrade Sushma Mehta, elected Zila Parishad Chairperson from the CPI(ML) and CPI(ML)’s Jharkhand State Committee member Comrade Akhtar Ansari who were on their way to the protest site, along with Comrade Sushma’s security guard and the driver of their car.
Shamefully, instead of making efforts to rescue the abducted CPI(ML) leaders and others, the Jharkhand police falsely implicated the CPI(ML) in the landmine blast, alleging that the roadblock and protest were being held by the party as a ploy to ‘lure’ the policemen into the Maoist trap. In his press conference, the DGP even refused to acknowledge that the abduction had taken place. Several CPI(ML) activists included the Badgad mukhiya were tortured and beaten up in custody in the name of 'interrogations' to establish 'links' with Maoists.
The Maoists owned up the abduction, and subsequently three of the hostages including both CPI(ML) leaders were released on January 24, though the guard continues to remain a hostage to the Maoists. The Garhwa bandh called by the party on 24 January was very successful, but several CPI(ML) activists including Party state committee members Anant Prasad Gupta and Kalicharan Mehta, veteran CPI(ML) leader Kishore Kumar and President of Danda Panchayat Samiti (Block council) Comrade Rahina were severely injured in a brutal assault by the police. All these comrades are hospitalised with fractured limbs.
Garhwa is still very much in the grip of feudal forces and the feudal power centres in the district deeply resent the growing assertion of the rural poor with the CPI(ML). There have been powerful struggles for land redistribution, ration cards, against corruption in welfare schemes, and for workers' minimum wages and rights. On the basis of these struggles Party candidates polled impressive votes in the district in the last Assembly elections and won many victories in the panchayat elections held in 2011. Sushma Mehta was elected Zila Parishad chairperson and Party nominees also won many panchayats and blocks.
The police and local administration have for some time now, launched an all-out drive to falsely implicate the CPI(ML) leaders and discredit the party, to crush the growing assertion of the party in Garhwa.
Not long ago, in Garhwa, the police raided the home of CPI(ML) activist Sita Paswan, claiming without any evidence, that fake currency had been found, indicating CPI(ML) leaders’ links with 'ISI'. Similarly, the effort is on to link CPI(ML) with Maoists and intimidate CPI(ML)’s mass base.
By fabricating a link between a mass democratic protest by villagers with a Maoist blast, the Jharkhand police and Government are trying to tar every democratic protest with the brush of ‘terrorism’, to justify crackdown on every such protest in the name of anti-Maoist operations and Green Hunt.
The Maoist actions of massacring policemen, abducting political activists, and holding a security guard hostage are highly reprehensible and condemnable. Further, as is happening in Garhwa now, such actions are inevitably used by the state as a pretext to unleash repression on activists of mass struggles. The brunt of this repression is borne by the mass of rural people and activists emerging from these oppressed sections. It is these activists, too, who are the targets for Maoist abductions and killings – which can only serve the interests of the ruling class and the state. In the case of the assassination of Comrade Mahendra Singh by the Maoists, the killing directly benefited the corrupt nexus of police, politicians, and mining mafia. The killing by Maoists of social activist Niyamat Ansari too benefited none but the contractors and politicians benefiting from MNREGA corruption.
Seeking to discredit and crush the CPI(ML)’s assertion by hook or crook, the Jharkhand Government and police are indulging in a witch-hunt and outright repression of CPI(ML) activists and leaders. But history has shown, time and again, that such repressive tactics have failed in the face of revolutionary determination and resistance. The party calls upon its supporters and democratic people to beat back this political conspiracy and emerge victorious!
Local village activists of the CPI(ML) including elected mukhiya Ramdas Minz were leading a protest at Badgad village in Bhandaria block in Garhwa district, demanding that the Bhandaria BDO meet them and address their grievance over the site chosen for a health centre.
A landmine blast by Maoists claimed the lives of several policemen who were accompanying the BDO to meet the agitating villagers. The Maoists also abducted Comrade Sushma Mehta, elected Zila Parishad Chairperson from the CPI(ML) and CPI(ML)’s Jharkhand State Committee member Comrade Akhtar Ansari who were on their way to the protest site, along with Comrade Sushma’s security guard and the driver of their car.
Shamefully, instead of making efforts to rescue the abducted CPI(ML) leaders and others, the Jharkhand police falsely implicated the CPI(ML) in the landmine blast, alleging that the roadblock and protest were being held by the party as a ploy to ‘lure’ the policemen into the Maoist trap. In his press conference, the DGP even refused to acknowledge that the abduction had taken place. Several CPI(ML) activists included the Badgad mukhiya were tortured and beaten up in custody in the name of 'interrogations' to establish 'links' with Maoists.
The Maoists owned up the abduction, and subsequently three of the hostages including both CPI(ML) leaders were released on January 24, though the guard continues to remain a hostage to the Maoists. The Garhwa bandh called by the party on 24 January was very successful, but several CPI(ML) activists including Party state committee members Anant Prasad Gupta and Kalicharan Mehta, veteran CPI(ML) leader Kishore Kumar and President of Danda Panchayat Samiti (Block council) Comrade Rahina were severely injured in a brutal assault by the police. All these comrades are hospitalised with fractured limbs.
Garhwa is still very much in the grip of feudal forces and the feudal power centres in the district deeply resent the growing assertion of the rural poor with the CPI(ML). There have been powerful struggles for land redistribution, ration cards, against corruption in welfare schemes, and for workers' minimum wages and rights. On the basis of these struggles Party candidates polled impressive votes in the district in the last Assembly elections and won many victories in the panchayat elections held in 2011. Sushma Mehta was elected Zila Parishad chairperson and Party nominees also won many panchayats and blocks.
The police and local administration have for some time now, launched an all-out drive to falsely implicate the CPI(ML) leaders and discredit the party, to crush the growing assertion of the party in Garhwa.
Not long ago, in Garhwa, the police raided the home of CPI(ML) activist Sita Paswan, claiming without any evidence, that fake currency had been found, indicating CPI(ML) leaders’ links with 'ISI'. Similarly, the effort is on to link CPI(ML) with Maoists and intimidate CPI(ML)’s mass base.
By fabricating a link between a mass democratic protest by villagers with a Maoist blast, the Jharkhand police and Government are trying to tar every democratic protest with the brush of ‘terrorism’, to justify crackdown on every such protest in the name of anti-Maoist operations and Green Hunt.
The Maoist actions of massacring policemen, abducting political activists, and holding a security guard hostage are highly reprehensible and condemnable. Further, as is happening in Garhwa now, such actions are inevitably used by the state as a pretext to unleash repression on activists of mass struggles. The brunt of this repression is borne by the mass of rural people and activists emerging from these oppressed sections. It is these activists, too, who are the targets for Maoist abductions and killings – which can only serve the interests of the ruling class and the state. In the case of the assassination of Comrade Mahendra Singh by the Maoists, the killing directly benefited the corrupt nexus of police, politicians, and mining mafia. The killing by Maoists of social activist Niyamat Ansari too benefited none but the contractors and politicians benefiting from MNREGA corruption.
Seeking to discredit and crush the CPI(ML)’s assertion by hook or crook, the Jharkhand Government and police are indulging in a witch-hunt and outright repression of CPI(ML) activists and leaders. But history has shown, time and again, that such repressive tactics have failed in the face of revolutionary determination and resistance. The party calls upon its supporters and democratic people to beat back this political conspiracy and emerge victorious!
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