The blasting of a private passenger bus near Chingavaram in Dantewada district of Chattisgarh on May 17 by the Maoists is a horrible incident. The Human Rights Forum (HRF) condemns it unreservedly.
Whatever the sins of the Chattisgarh and Central governments, it was inhuman on the part of Maoists to have lain in wait and blown up a private vehicle in which a large number of unarmed civilians were travelling. According to reports, over 30 people, including 15 civilians have died in the blast.
We recall that the Maoists had fired upon a private jeep near RV Nagar in the Visakhapatnam Agency of Andhra Pradesh on May 10. Six Adivasis, including a woman, sustained bullet injuries on that occasion. Fortunately, there were no fatalities and all the injured are recovering. The Adivasis were returning from a weekly shandy when that incident took place. There were a few policemen in the jeep, but the presence of a number of tribals should have been reason enough for the Maoists not to fire upon the vehicle and put the lives of civilians at risk. That the Maoists still resorted to the firing reflects a callousness that is unacceptable.
HRF is of the view those who claim to struggle for the people must do so responsibly and with full accountability. We demand that the Maoists desist from such inhuman acts.
S Jeevan Kumar (HRF president)
VS Krishna (HRF general secretary)
18.05.2010
Hyderabad