Campaign for Peace and Justice in Chhattisgarh
The Campaign for Peace and Justice in Chhattisgarh is a campaign group formed by individuals and organisations who are deeply concerned about the gross violation of human rights going on in Chhattisgarh in the name of fighting “internal terrorism”. We are extremely concerned by the violence unleashed by the state backed Salwa Judum which has pushed Chhattisgarh into a civil war situation and the repressive Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005 which is being used to crush all voices of dissent in the state.
Contact us at cpjcindia@gmail.com
Tuesday, October 16, 07 at 5:01 pm
We fully support your campaign against the government sponsored Salwa Judum. In our opinion SJ is a device to supress the tribal people on the vary path of RKG Thomson applied in erstwhile Malaysia. No doubt, it was badly failed but it damaged the netizens of Malaysia. SJ has also divided the tribal people of Bastar. Many of them have fled away to Andhra to save their lives. This SJ people involved in Arson, murder and rape. Following the very way of strategic hamletting the feudal and powerbroker people are behind this SJ. This be immediately stopped otherwise the tribal culture and peace in Bastar will be tarnished.
With revolutionary greetings,
NS Chauhan
Journalist
Raipur (CG)
98274-09764
Friday, October 26, 07 at 3:25 am
I have worked in dantewada district as part of a developement organisation and have had an opportunity to witness the growth and rise of salwa judum camps very closely. in fact i have worked in all the judum camps on health and nutrition issues.
Yes i do agree that the salwa judum campaign is leading towards a major disaster and complete erosion of indigenous culture namely tribal which is unique in many senses.
the loss of lives on both the sides is a shame on our democracy and a blot on the civilised society we live in. The tribals are being taken to ransom by both the maoists and the government. for an innocent villager in dantewada it is a situation of either or. if you are not in any salwa judum camp then you are a naxalite and if you are in a camp then you are anti naxalite. in either situation the villager has no respite.
houses have been burnt, grains destroyed lives lost and all economic activitiy has come to a stand still all in the name of fighting insurgency. people are scared, anxious, angry and very cofused about their present and future.
But is Salwa judum a campaign against the growing influence of maoists in the area or is there something more than what meets the eye. I wonder if the whole movement is not part of a bigger game plan of displacing the villagers from their original land. since there is no direct ownership of the village land once these villagers move out from there the land becomes no ones property which in effect will be free for any industrial house to take over at the whim and fancy of a few in power. there will be no resistance and no rehabilitation issues involved as the villagers have already moved out and have been provided a house in any one of the judum camps which is eventually going to become permanent housing settlements like the one in gidam block.
I think it is not just the salwa judum camps that need to be abolished and the movement stopped but for the long term benefit of the region any indiscriminate industrialisation or land grabbing needs to be stopped immidiately if we want to have the unique serenity, beauty and culture of bastar preserved.
K. Saadat Noor
Nigeria, Africa
+234 703 473 4278
Thursday, March 26, 09 at 8:12 am
Dear K Saadat Noor,
I agree with all that you have written above but I think that more can be done if the correct laws in India are followed, the book named –
The State of India’s Indigenous and Tribal People
2007 – ISBN 81-902318-5-5
and web site http://www.aitpn.org should also be a help. The constitution of India has laws to protect these people -scheduled tribes Act (366(25)) and article 342 of the constitution of India-recognition of the forest rights Act of 2006.
robert wilson
concerned citizen U.K.
Tuesday, October 27, 09 at 9:01 pm
Dear K.Sadat Noor,
You said that, “Yes i do agree that the salwa judum campaign is leading towards a major disaster and complete erosion of indigenous culture namely tribal which is unique in many senses.”
But what about naxals who destroyed many totems, religious symbols and beat down many tribal and religious leaders.Why dont you speak of them? Did not they destroy our culture? First read about “Cultural revolution of Mao” then comment about cultural devastation by Salwa Judum.
Major challenge Salwa Judum has to face is “Rescuing lives of thousands of tribals”