The Human Rights Forum (HRF) welcomes the Supreme Court judgement in the Salwa Judum case. It is an excellent exposition of the rule of law. The judgement echoes our views on the vigilante phenomena of Salwa Judum and the wholly brutal approach of the State, both the Union and the State of Chattisgarh, to the Maoist movement.
The HRF has been emphasising all along that the Naxalite movement is not to be viewed as a mere outbreak of criminality but as a political movement with strong socio-economic roots. Instead of implementing a policy which seriously addresses issues of social and economic deprivation, the State is treating it as a security issue and dumping killer forces to wipe out the Naxalites. This has resulted in tragic consequences for the common people, principally the Adivasis. We are glad that this approach of the State has been strongly critiqued by the SC.
It is heartening to read the Supreme Court assert: “The problem rests in the amoral political economy that the State endorses, and the resultant revolutionary politics that it spawns.” We hope the government will draw the right lessons and would comply with the judgement and bring to book those who have committed terrible crimes against the Adivasis in Dantewada and Bijapur districts of Chattisgarh.
The HRF has conducted a fact-finding into the arson, rapes and killings by the Salwa Judum gangs and security force personnel in March this year in the villages of Tadmetla, Morpalli and Timmapuram in Konta block of Dantewada district. In due course, we shall be making a submission in the matter to the CBI which has been asked by the SC to conduct the criminal investigation into these crimes.
VS Krishna
HRF State general secretary
08.07.2011
Visakhapatnam