A first information
report has been registered against six of us (and assorted others) for the
murder of a villager called Shamnath Baghel on November 4th, ostensibly on the
complaint of his wife. The
charges are serious and include murder, rioting, possession of arms, and
unlawful activities (UAPA).
This
FIR comes in close succession to a series of incidents implicating the police.
In 2011, the police had gone on combing
operations in which they burnt 300 homes in the villages of Tadmetla, Timapuram
and Morpalli.
3 women were raped and 3 men were killed. The Salwa Judum leaders, a vigilante
group supported by the police also attacked Swami Agnivesh, a well known human
rights activist and religious leader. In July 2011, the Supreme Court ordered a
CBI enquiry as part of the petition filed by Nandini Sundar, Manish Kunjam and
ors.
On 17
October 2016, the CBI chargesheeted 7 SPOs for arson and 26 Salwa Judum leaders
for the attack on Swami Agnivesh.
On 23
October 2016, IG Bastar Kalluri took responsibility for
directing the operations, claimed the CBI was lying and accused Nandini Sundar of
bribing villagers to depose.
On 24
October 2016, the former Special Police Officers turned armed auxiliary forces/constables burnt effigies of activists
On 26
October 2016, AGNI, a state sponsored vigilante group and RSS activists attacked a press conference by Manish
Kunjam,
President of the Adivasi Mahasabha, and one of the petitioners in the Supreme
Court case which resulted in the CBI chargesheet against SPOs. The CPI office in Jagdalpur was vandalized.
On
November 7 2016, the Bastar police led by Mr. Kalluri framed a false FIR
against Nandini Sundar, Archana Prasad and others for the murder of Shamnath
Baghel by Maoists on November 4th.
The background to this: A group of us had gone on a visit to
Bastar in May 2016. In a group of villages we visited (Nama, Soutnar,
Kumakoleng) the villagers had formed an anti-Maoist patrol gang, which
they called the ‘tangiya gang’ with support from the police.
The police got a fake
complaint filed against us (ostensibly in the name of villagers) saying we
incited the villagers against police and in favour of the Maoists. Indian
Express had also done a story quotingthe villagers saying they had not filed any complaint.
Our press release, as well as articles in EPW and Times of India show that we had done no such thing as inciting villagers or threatening to burn their houses. Instead we faithfully reported the villagers dilemma caught between the police and Maoists, and stressed the need for peace talks.
Our press release, as well as articles in EPW and Times of India show that we had done no such thing as inciting villagers or threatening to burn their houses. Instead we faithfully reported the villagers dilemma caught between the police and Maoists, and stressed the need for peace talks.
On Nov 4, the Maoists
killed the leader of this anti-Maoist gang. We are being charged with his
murder, ostensibly on the complaint of his wife, Vimla. On November 11, the wife says on camera that she never named anyone, exposing the police lies. She has since been given a job in the police.
The police are also claiming that Nandini Sundar had malafide intent because I used a false name, Richa Keshav, on that visit. However, this was only used once, and for the safety of the team. I have had a long history of persecution by the Chhattisgarh police.
The police are also claiming that Nandini Sundar had malafide intent because I used a false name, Richa Keshav, on that visit. However, this was only used once, and for the safety of the team. I have had a long history of persecution by the Chhattisgarh police.
The people being
charged:
Nandini
Sundar, Professor of Sociology, Delhi University (author of The Burning Forest: India’s War in Bastar,
Juggernaut Press 2016, also lead petitioner in the case in which the Supreme
Court banned Salwa Judum in 2011, Nandini Sundar & Ors. vs. State of
Chhattisgarh)
Archana
Prasad, Professor, Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies, JNU (author
of Environmentalism and the Left, Leftword 2004), also
member of AIDWA, CPM’s women wing)
Vineet
Tiwari, former journalist and currently at the Joshi-Adhikari Institute of
Social Studies, also member of the CPI
Sanjay
Parate, State Secretary of the CPM, Chhattisgarh
Manju
Kawasi, Sarpanch of Guphidi village, CPI activist, Sukma District, Chhattisgarh
Mangalram
Karma, former resident of Nama, now working as a carpenter elsewhere.
plus
assorted Maoists.
