Naxal movement in Chhattisgarh

Answers given to an interview on the above subject conducted by Jostein Jakobsen, a research student from the University of Oslo, Norway. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Q) Can you start by telling me something about your personal background and professional career? A) I belong to 1971 Batch of IAS. I have published a book containing a collection of poems "Travails and Thrills of Third World Nations" dealing with several subjects throwing light on personal background and professional career too. I shall send a copy soon. After reading it you may forward the copy to the Professor of English literature in the University. In 1960s and 1970s very talented youths from arts background used to join All India Services with most of them having personal and professional goals to serve the community. I was one of those officials with utmost devotion and dedication even at the cost of family interest and welfare. I was highly influenced by the life and teaching of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of indian nation. My hero and the role model in IAS was of course one Sir Thomas Monroe, a British officer who rose from the ranks in the army of East India Company, became the administrator in North Tamil Nadu, got appointed as the Governor of Madras Presidency and who devoted his life for the welfare of South Indians till his death at the cost of his family life. My background both in the family and profession was mostly similar to that of this hero. Q) What sort of experience have you had with the Naxalite insurgency through your work in the IAS? A) I happened to know and understand the activities of Naxalites for the first time in 1993-94 when I was the Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh State Mining Development Corporation and working from Bhopal, the state capital. We had bauxite mines in Keshkal area of Bastar (composite) district. Annoyed with the operation of mines the Naxalites burnt down our machineries and stopped the work while the assistant Manager, a local official in charge of those mines ran away from the camp and the district. I had a tough time in cajoling him and take him to the site with me for inspection. I saw for the first time the damage done by them and restored the work of mining by changing the officer and engaging in a dialogue with the Naxalites through other officials. Although I was keen to meet them, roam around for a while and discuss the matter in the forest area during 1993, my officers developed cold feet and refused to take me to their forest hideout till I left the post. Q) What accounts in your view for the growth of Naxalism in Bastar over the last 30 years? A) Despite the enormous sums of money spent every year for the welfare of tribals in Bastar region for more than three decades by the state government of Madhya Pradesh through its officials the economic condition of these tribals did not improve to the extent planned and promised. In fact the subordinate officials of revenue, forest and police departments at the local and interior places failed to work honestly and sympathetically towards these tribals. When naxalism was expanding beyond West Bengal after the land reforms and spreading to neighbouring states like Bihar, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh ( including the present Chhattisgarh) was not far off . Rather it provided a safe hideout in the sprawling forest of Bastar region for the Naxalites. Many people like me in government hierarchy were sure that Chhattisgarh would soon be a fertile ground for their activities which actually turned out to be true in the last decade. Under the dense forest cover the helpless and gullible tribal youths had no other option except to assist the Naxalites. Q) How to understand the way the former Madhya Pradesh government approached the Naxalites in Bastar? A) For Madhya Pradesh government the naxalism movement in a far off Bastar region was not a programme on priority at the initial stages. Q) In what ways did the conflict change after the establishment of Chhattisgarh state? A) After the formation of Chhattisgarh, the Naxalite activity increased many-fold and received more focus from Chhattisgarh Government mostly due to escalation in violence and terrorism unleashed by them from time to time. So much so that senior officials from the state government of Chhattisgarh stopped touring the interior pockets of Bastar Division after November, 2000. It so happened that I was in charge of mineral resources department as the Principal Secretary to Chhattisgarh Government from June, 2001. I was again keen to see a particular corundum mine near Bijapur town, the Headquarters of a newly-created district. That particular mine was almost vandalised by the Naxalites and the lease-holder of the mine was unable to start the mining operation. I visited the area much against the will of my subordinates and saw the mine being dug up haphazardly. Luckily or unluckily I didn't confront them although they were camping very close-by. That was the last visit of a Secretary-level officer from the Government of Chhattisgarh in 2002 to any naxal-infested territory without any police protection. Nobody dared a visit thereafter for the spot inspection of interior places by any senior official from Raipur. The same mine operated by the Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation was inspected by me in 1994 as the M.D of the Corporation eight years ago. Q) How to understand the Chhattisgarh government’s response to the Naxalite insurgency? A) A serious attempt was no doubt made by Raman Singh, the chief minister of B.J.P Government after 2004 but was not found fruitful due to half-hearted measures and unsystematic approach. Q) What has been the significance of different forms of administration, state structure etc. in comparing Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh approach to Maoists? Have you seen any differences between Congress rule and BJP rule in such regard? A) There were only sporadic clashes and no major direct confrontations with the state authorities before BJP government took over administration in Chhattisgarh. Congress rule didn't have a major confrontation with the Naxalites. It is only the BJP government that is more accountable for such an escalation of violence in the region. Q) What has been the role of the police in curbing Naxalism in Bastar? Here it would be interesting to know how the police force was operating, organised, etc during the 1990s and later. What tactics and strategies did the police establish in order to combat Naxalites? A) The police has been on the defensive mostly so far. They themselves are an easy pray/ target for the Naxalites. The land-mines planted all over become an obstacle for the police to move freely in the forest. Naxalites are running a parallel government in Bastar area. The paramilitary force is not a big and all-powerful enemy for the Naxalites. They easily indulge in attacks on them as and when they find it convenient to do so. Gradually they are proving to be a superior force in the field. The tactics and strategies adopted by the police have not been very fruitful so far. Even the posting for an year of one Mr.K.P.S .Gill the former DGP of Punjab State Police, who earlier controlled terrorism there, to manage the affairs in Bastar failed to make an impact. Q) In Andhra Pradesh the police established efficient forms of intelligence gathering, informer networks etc – have such things happened in Chhattisgarh as well? A) Tried but not as successful as it was in Andhra Pradesh. Probably Bastar is too big and a compact area in forest for the police to manage and control. C.G police is no match to A.P force in regard to intelligence gathering. Q) What has been the role, then, of central paramilitaries here? When did they first become deployed in Bastar? Cooperation with local police, etc. A) Central Government has been very helpful in several ways. They had deployed maximum force for assisting C.G Police since 2008. They had released enough funds for acquisition of modern weapons and provision of advanced training in combat operations But the local police failed to utilise the force to its advantage. Proper coordination is also lacking. Q) Have you observed differences of opinion within the state with regard to how to approach the Maoists? A) Yes there is a difference of opinion among the political groups over the government approach to tackle the issue. Q) How have state policies of tribal development contributed to the topic at hand? A) already covered above. Q) How did Naxalites establish themselves in Bastar from the early 1980s and onward? A) They increased their strength year after year and established their Hdqrs in Bastar in due course. Since 1980 as many as 12000 civilians and about 3000 paramilitary and police personnel have been targeted and killed by Naxalites. During the same period about 5000 Naxalites too have lost their lives in the hands of police and other uniformed forces. The year 2010 has been very devastating because about 720 people have been killed that year alone in states such as M.P, A.P, C.G, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha U.P and West Bengal. Q) What issues and problems did Naxalites involve themselves in to gain support among tribals? A) General exploitation by the official machinery is the common issue projected by the Naxalites to gain sympathy and support of the tribals. After a while the Naxalites turned out to be the inevitable god fathers whom the tribals can't afford to antagonise. An informer is always identified and tortured so much that nobody gains courage to expose them to the police. Q) I have read that Naxalites attempted some forms of mass mobilization through various front organizations during the 80s and 90s. What do you know about this? What was the response of the government to these organizations? A) Mass mobilisation gained currency as time passed by with more educated youth joining the movement and the local youths willingly joining them over a period of time. I am not familiar with the name and history of front organisations operating in the area at the moment. Q) What aspects of adivasi society and development in Bastar must be taken into account to understand how it became possible for Naxalites to establish themselves in that area? A) already covered above. Q) Have you observed changes to the support or lack of support among tribals over time? Also: would some tribal groups have been more supportive of Naxalites than others? Or some segments of tribal society? A) Gradually a major section of tribal youths has joined Naxalite movement due to consistent persuasion and brain-washing. It is very difficult to totally wean them away from their influence and clutches in the short run. Q) Do you know how Naxalites have been organized in Chhattisgarh and how such organization has changed over time? I am thinking of their hierarchies, party structure, squads etc. A) As already pointed out above they are running a parallel government with departments like finance & budget, security, intelligence, media wing etc. They have a highly-structured hierarchy with territories allotted to their rank and file with annual targets. Q) Do you know whether their organization in the state changed as the People’s War joined with MCC to become CPI (Maoist)? A) Yes it appears so. Q) And also: what about the in the state and changes over time? A) Already answered. Naxalite leadership has grown in style and strength and their role and responsibility have been defined and distributed for implementation. They however try to dictate and make the local population behave in a particular fashion on several occasions. Q) What sort of violent activities have Naxalites carried out in Bastar since the early 1990s? A) They terrorise the public from time to time to maintain their supremacy in that area. They attack the paramilitary force as and when they find them in a vulnerable position by laying land mines on their route and explode their vehicles killing in large numbers. The latest killing of Mahendra Karma, the Congress leader who was instrumental in establishing Salwa Judum and putting tribal families in camps for their survival and also the shooting of Nand Kumar Patel, the state-level President of Congress party, his son and another veteran Congress leader VidyaCharan Shukla was with a purpose. Q) Do you have any comments about the role of natural resources in this conflict in Chhattisgarh? For example, here comes the question of the significance of mining. A) Mining displaces tribals in a big way. No rehabilitation programme is successfully and satisfactorily implemented with the result the tribals have no option except to side with the Naxalites. In a way the Naxalites do extract protection money from mining contractors too without fail. Q) How would you comment on the controversial Salwa Judum and Special Police Officers? A) This experiment has failed to change the situation. In fact the Supreme Court of India has declared it unconstitutional and ordered for its abolition. Under the name of Salwa Judum some persons - both officials and non-officials have pocked large sums of money. Q) What do you think about alleged relations between Naxalites and political parties in Bastar? A) May be the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has sympathy and connection with Naxalites and other parties or their workers keep the Naxalites in good humour for protecting their own life and property. Q) Can you tell me about the role of land to the Naxalite movement in Bastar? Land ownership, landlords, etc. Here is a related question the role of forests. A) Land and water resources are the precious assets of tribals and when they are disturbed in the name of development they take the help of Naxalites as far as possible. But the tribals are losing their grip over their lands despite severe and sufficient protection provided in the Constitution of India and the state laws. Q) Do you have any insights regarding how Naxalites have been able to finance their operations in Bastar? A) Already answered above. +++++++++ My solution to the Problem: "The Bastar region should be brought under the Central Rule under the leadership of an Administrator/ Lt. governor with a strong paramilitary force to drive away the Naxalites once for all. This point of total combing operation for once by all the government servants at least for one full month to surround them and make them surrender, if necessary with a military force for a while was sincerely suggested by me in a meeting of ministers and secretaries held in the state secretariat in 2005 in the presence of Raman Singh, Mahendra Karma and other political leaders too". +++++++++++++++++++++++

WOMEN AT THE RECEIVING END

According to R.Isbal, Executive Director of Madras Christian College of Social Service (MCCSS) which rehabilitates and reintegrates trafficked women with their families, the increased number could be becauseTamil Nadu is an active transport hub and thus serves as transit point for people indulged in trafficking. She said that there were cases in which the women and young girls from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Kerala had been rescued in Tamil Nadu. With sex tourism becoming widespread, women from all four southern states and sometimes even Mahrarashtra are brought into Tamil Nadu she said. Rekha 22 was 14 when she ran away from her house in Vijayawada with her Boy Friend taking with her Rs.50,000/- and some gold jewels. “I lived with him for five months in Hyderabad before he sold me to a pimp and ran away. They later told me that he had sold me for Rs.50,000/- “ says a teary-eyed Rekha. She was later bought to the MCCSS where she has been helping authorities creating awareness in colleges. Young girls both from urban centers and rural areas are lured to luxurious living or employment opportunities elsewhere by the cunning and wayward youths or fake recruiting agencies. Girls get trapped this way and it becomes difficult for them to know the true motives behind and escape from the clutches of pimps and rogues. MCCSS is doing extremely well in this regard by addressing girls in schools and colleges at the right stage. More and more such organizations should come out in the open and undertake awareness campaigns from time to time. Police esp. the women police should also take it up as a social service. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

‘Government abused powers in coal block allotments’

TMC Headed house committee calls procedure unauthorized : The Times News Network on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 reported that Parliament’s standing committee on coal and steel has indicted the government for “ totally abusing its powers” in allotting coal mines between 1993 and 2010 through the “ most non- transparent procedure” to “ few fortunate ones for their own benefit”. The report pointed out a bias in favor of the private sector to bolster its argument. Sector – wise allocations show that out of a total of 81 blocks allocated to power sector, 27 were given to private firms, 12 to UMPPs (Centre’s show case ultra –mega power projects) and 42 to government entities. The report did not quantify the loss, saying no information was made available either on the quantity or value of the mined coal. Last year, the federal auditor had said that the government extended wind fall gains of Rs.1.86 lakh crore to private entities by allotting blocks to them without bidding. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bonanza for Farmers --- Hail the Chief Minister!

The Chief Minister Selvi. J.Jajalalitha announced a new scheme called ‘Farmer Protection Plan’ on September 10, 2011, to protect the interests of agriculturists and agricultural labourers including their family members. Under this scheme, the beneficiaries are those farmers directly involved in farming on 2.5 acres of irrigated land or 5 acres of unirrigated lands. The age limit is between 18 and 65 yrs. both in the case of farmers and laborers. Identity cards have been distributed in different colours to different categories under this plan. Under this plan, the children of the beneficiaries are entitled to education allowance at different rates for different courses of study. In addition to educational assistance, the State Government has made provision for the marriage of their children, old age pension, maternity assistance and death (caused by nature or accident) allowance. Even funeral rites can be undertaken with the state assistance. Under this plan, about 3 crore beneficiaries have been identified and selected as members out of which as much as 72.40 lakh households have received I.D. Cards. It is reported that about 7.96 lakh beneficiaries have been supported with Rs.910.82 crore of financial aid. Such a development can easily be termed as Bonanza for the maximum number of farmers and agriculture laborers involved in the farming throughout the State of Tamil Nadu. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Clean air on Sale

Everything is on sale:-------- The most populace country in the world namely The China has undergone a Sea Change in regard to number of vehicles and number of factories. On account of this development the environment in the Country especially in and around the Capital of Beijing is highly disturbed and the Capital remains under a thick smoke cloud like a snow fall. The people have started wearing mask to protect them from air pollution. Although the Chinese Government has taken a number of steps to protect environment, things have not improved considerably. Under these circumstances, an industrialist named Mr. Chen Quangpio started filling the clean air in cans and priced it for Rs.40/-. This man of 44 years old has sold almost 80 lakh cans so far.

Unproductive Expenditure by the State Exchequer:

Example: The Hindu on Saturday, May 22, 2010 (Pages 10 & 11) A.3/Pers(Rectt)PMS-Advt/BSF/2010 Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate General of border Security Force (Personnel Directorate: recruitment Section) 11 categories of posts numbering 283 vacancies (subject to change) with details like grade pay, age qualifications: Physical Standards, Medical Standards, Age relaxations, Detailed selection processes for constables etc., Method of applying for the post, Full application form, Admit card form, caste certificate form, Chest Measurement form B.C certificate form etc. Totally running into the newspaper’s one and a half full page advertisement, God knows at what expense – may be a few lakhs of ruppes (considering the space and the advt. rate charged by the paper management). A few lines’ advertisement with leads to detailed requirements in the web-site or the Employment News would have served the purpose. But how could the regional and national newspapers survive without such sumptuous ads from the government departments?

State faces 11% water deficit, stares at acute crisis: study

Julie Mariappan, in her article (Times of India Chennai, April 6, 2013) reports that Tamil Nadu is facing a deficit of 11%. While the current total water demand in the state, for domestic, irrigation, livestock and industrial needs, is 1,867.85 TMCFT (thousand million cubic feet) per year, the total availability, from all resources, is only 1,681.78 TMCFT. This deficit will rise to 17% by 2045, said the report, jointly prepared by several central and state governmental agencies, including Tamil Nadu public works department and Central Water Commission. Water experts say a 11% deficit at present means that the state is set for an acute water crisis in the coming years, and one will have to blame the situation on the lack of serious conservation efforts. Tamil Nadu, which had three reservoirs, in the pre independent era, has added 82 reservoirs in the last six decades and boasts of 39,200 tanks now. At least 17, 879 of them, big and small, are on the coastal belt, and their status is either ‘good’ or ‘normal’. But an alarming 80% of overflows from rivers is wasted, said the report based on the study on ‘Effective utilization of Northeast Monsoon’. The report has proposed Rs.13, 560 crore for works in the next decade to rectify the system. Above to 130 TMCFT of water flows into the sea from at least 10 rivers, including the Cauvery, it said. Compare this to Chennai’s drinking water needs – one TMCFT every month. Sedimentation has reduced the capacity of several reservoirs between 2% and 59%. Built in 1934, Mettur reservoir, the life line of Cauvery Delta, loses 11 million cubic metres of storage capacity a year due to sedimentation. The water tanks lose 40 – 50 million cubic meters of storage capacity every year. The report emphasized the need for consistent efforts to desilt water bodies. The silt can be used either for construction, agriculture or river restoration, it said. “Thanks to the new reservoirs and better management of water tanks in parts of the state either by PWD or local bodies, the defect could be managed over the years. But the demand is shooting up every year”, said a water manager. The report suggested it would be prudent to link the rivers within the state by short canals to divert the occasional flood s flows to the adjoining basins. The state often witnesses a situation in which one river is in spate and other is bone dry. The state will now be compelled to augment the capacity of existing storage structures in coastal regions, construct check dams and a new reservoirs and link rivers, wherever possible, as suggested by the report. “Unless this is done, the future looks pretty bleak. With a majority of the rivers being interstate, dependence on neighboring states should end”, a member of the study team said. The good news that the 41– year data shows there is no dramatic change in the trend in the onset of the North – east Monsoon.