INDIA: RESIST GENOCIDE IN BASTAR! RESIST OPERATION KAGAR! (Revolutionary Student´s Front)

                                   

APPEAL TO ALL

RESIST GENOCIDE IN BASTAR

RESIST OPERATION KAGAR

On January 1, a six-month old child was killed by the security forces and this was passed off as paramilitary forces as a “casualty of crossfire”. There were five witnesses to this incident including the mother of the child who claimed the security forces are lying. The fake encounter of three peasants in Nendra on January 16, and the murder of Ramesh Poyam when he went to take a bath in a river on January 30 are other such incidents that happened in January. On 13th January, the State used drones for aerial bombings in Mettaguda, Errapali and Bottethong – villages bordering Sukma-Bijapur in Bastar. On February 27, three villagers were killed and called “Maoists” by the security forces in Kanker. On April 2, the paramilitary forces killed 13 people, all of whom were claimed to be Maoists. Among these 13, was Kamli Kunjam – a deaf sick Adivasi minor who was dragged from her house, raped, murdered and her body brutalised so as to not leave evidence by the paramilitary forces. Human rights activist Bela Bhatia has found that among these 13, over 7 people had no links with the Maoists and were innocent villagers. On the same day, a 12 year old child was taken away by the security forces from her home in Korcholi. When she returned home after 6 days, she revealed she was forced to get down on all fours while the forces beat her on her back. She was also forced to cook for herself.

On April 2, Sarju Tekam, convener of Bastar Jan Sangharsh Committee was arrested on the fabricated charges of aiding Maoists. The police apparently recovered planted “evidence” from his house. On the same day, 13 people were detained by the police and no further information was given about their status for the upcoming week. On April 7, the forces used drones again for aerial bombardment of Palaguda, Ittaguda, Jiloraguda, Gommaguda and other villages. On April 16, 29 Maoist political activists were killed in an Anti-Naxal operation. Among these, only 12 were armed combatants and could resist the forces. 17 other political activists were captured, taken prisoners and beaten and then murdered in cold blood. The same thing happened in case of the April 2 encounter as well. On 3rd June, Suneeta Pottam, a civil rights activist of Bastar was arrested for "being linked with Maoists". 12 FIRs were lodged in her name. Killing captured Prisoners of War, raping and murdering civilians, murdering civilians and disguising their bodies in combatant uniforms – all of these flout the International Humanitarian Law.

The Adivasis of Bastar have always seen very brutal offensives being brought down upon them. Even during the Congress government, the Salwa Judum and the SPOs brought down similar terror upon their lives during Operation Greenhunt. The BJP has launched Operation SAMADHAN-Prahar-Kagar. All these governments want the same thing – to displace the Adivasis and profit off the minerals under the ground. But all these military offensives have been met with the bravest of heroic resistances. In front of genocide, the Adivasis of Bastar have stood tall for almost fifty years. Today it is the duty of the revolutionary, progressive and democratic people of the world to come forward and resist this war launched by the State. Let us observe July 1 as International Day against Operation Kagar.

Our demands -

Stop Operation SAMADHAN-Prahar-Kagaar.

Stop Aerial Bombardment of Bastar.

Release all political prisoners unconditionally.

Compensate all the families of the victims of fake encounters.