Calls civilian militia 'useful'
THE ruling party at the Centre has again changed its stand on Salwa Judum--the state-backed civilian militia in Chhattisgarh to counter naxals. Home Minister P Chidambaram on December 17 said the Centre did not approve of 'non-state actors' like the Salwa Judum. Twenty days later he echoed the words of his predecessor Shivraj Patil who had said he was "not dissatisfied" with the way the state handled the Maoists.
At the inter-state meeting held in New Delhi on January 7 to discuss naxalism, Chidambaram said the "special police officers (spos) have played a useful role and should be appointed wherever required". He referred to the spos without naming Salwa Judum. Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh strongly backed Salwa Judum at the meeting.
In a parallel development, the Supreme Court has asked Chhattisgarh state counsel to take action on the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission (nhrc). The counsel assured the apex court in December that the state would register first information reports (firs) and compensate victims of Salwa Judum. An action taken report is to be filed by February 3.
The nhrc had partly indicted Salwa Judum of human rights abuse. The apex court had ordered an nhrc probe in April 2008 after two separate public interest petitions alleged there were large-scale human rights abuse in the Salwa Judum camps.
Social activists said the apex court order is unlikely to bring relief to the victims. "The apex court has not set up any state level monitoring mechanism to ensure relief to victims," said Himanshu Kumar of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, a non-profit working to promote health and education among tribal people of Dantewada district. "In all likelihood, regular villages in non-conflict zones will be passed off as those belonging to Salwa Judum camps and it would seem normalcy has returned," said Kumar.
The Salwa Judum spos meanwhile continue to harass the tribal people. The latest incident was reported on December 7 when policemen and spos burnt heaps of paddies of 15 farmers of Regargatta village in Dantewada district. "Those who lost their produce were persons who stayed back in the village and did not join the Salwa Judum camp," Kumar said.
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