Government of Bhupesh Baghel: Old Wine in a New Bottle!
By Sunil Kumar
At the occasion of B P MANDAL’s Birth Anniversary on 25th August held at the Constitution Club, the ‘Sanmvidhaan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti” had felicitated Bupesh Bahgel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh with the ‘Samajik Nyay Ratn’ (Gem of Social Justice). ‘Bhupesh Baghel said that the Constitution has provided us with freedom of expression and work; all citizens must get their due rights’. He said that forty-four per cent area of Chhattisgarh was covered with forest, wherein diamond, coal, gold, dolomite, tin, bauxite all are in plenty. (He mentioned yet another mineral, but it could not be heard properly due to poor audio. About which he said that it was an extinct mineral in the rest of the world, but was available only in our state). Geographically, Chhattisgarh is bigger than Tamil Nadu state, where a population of 2 crores 80 lakhs people resides. Chhattisgarh is a low density state, with 200 people per square kilometer. But, 39.9 per cent of the population is below poverty line, 37.6 per cent children are malnourished, 41.5 per cent of women suffer from anemia. Bhupesh Baghel sang paeans of praises for his government’s achievements. He proudly said that within a few hours of taking oath, promises made in the Election Manifesto regarding waving of the farmer’s debts were fulfilled; 4,200 acres of land was restored to 1,700 farmers; Paddy was procured from the farmers at the rate of Rs. 2,500 per quintal, which resulted in cash flow to the people; because of which there is a huge rush for the purchase of gold and silver, and people are flocking the Sarafa markets. He further said that Constitutional propriety would be maintained, and the law implemented in letter and spirit.
Bhupesh Baghel forgot to recall that the Congress Party in Chhattisgarh had also promised to investigate all encounters, release innocent adivasis languishing in jails, and that it would not tolerate fake encounters in Chhattisgarh. The manner in which Bhupesh Baghel waved the farmers debts immediately after taking over as the State Chief Minister, the series of fake
encounters and the chains of arrests have continued in the same manner as before the formation of his government. So much so that Bhupesh Baghel had congratulated the police officials for such fake encounters.
Within one-and-a-half months of the formation of his government, on 2nd February, in the village Goliguda of Sukma district, three women named Kalmon Devi, Sukdi Hungi and Sukki fell prey to the police atrocities, while going to collect fire-wood from the forest. So-called brave police personnel of the Bhupesh Baghel government claiming to be committed to the Constitution and follow the rule of law fired indiscriminately killing Sukki, and grievously injuring Kalmon Devi. At a press conference, the Superintendent of Police of Sukma, Jitendra Kumar claimed that as a result of encounter between the police and Maoists, the police had succeeded in killing a woman Maoist. The story of such a fake encounter was exposed by the courageous and committed journalists after visiting the village. When the truth about the fake encounter came to the fore, Kawasi Lakhma, Minister in the State Government accepted that police had opened fired on the innocent village folks. Hon’ble Chief Minister, we would like you to inform us as to what actions have you taken against the culprit police officials and the concerned Superintendent of Police?
In the Baraur Bazaar of Dantewada district on 1st September, Beturam Netam (17 years), Tulsu Tamoo (19 years) were taken into custody while purchasing household goods at a Kirana Store. In the news about the incident, it was clearly revealed that these boys used to buy goods and re-sell it in their home village, Kaushalpur. But, these boys were arrested on the pretext of being associates of Maoists.
On 1st of September, the Social Activist from Chhattisgarh, Soni Sori stated at a Convention at Delhi that nothing had changed in Chhattisgarh. The atrocities on the adivasis were committed as before, and adivasis continued to face injustices and exploitation. She said that by returning the land and waving of the farmers debts, one could not conclude that the government was doing fine. She said that the women, who were victims of rape and violence by the security forces and had the courage to complain about it, were facing physical violence by the police in their homes. Earlier, the Chhattisgarh Government used to book cases under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, but now they were registering cases under the UAPA, so that the innocent adivasis do not had access of normal legal provisions, instead languish in prisons
indefinitely.
Guddi, who devoted his life for the struggles to save the forests of Nandiraj, was killed in an encounter. Guddi worked as a labour on the road construction under government schemes and, simultaneously, struggled to save the Nandiraj Hill. Police chased him while he was working at the road construction, and shot him dead in cold blood. Later, the police declared that a Maoist was killed in an encounter. While Guddi’s old mother (65 years), accompanied by Soni Sori, went to register a complaint with the SP, the SP literally abused the old woman and threatened them that “we have killed Guddi now, but in future I will kill Bheema and Godiya after baking them in an oven”. Saddened by the loss of her son, the old mother died within a few days of this incident. After the murder of Guddi, the struggle for saving Nandiraj Hill has become more intense. But, all those involved in this struggle are being branded as Maoists. The Superintendent of Police openly challenges and declared that the adivadsis have three options: “Surrender, Go to Jail or be ready to die; there is no other way out”.
I would like to remind the Baghel Government of the statements made by Raj Babbar during the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha Elections that “We will have to answer the questions raised by the Naxalites; those who are walking the revolutionary road, cannot be stopped by threats or greed. When the rights of the adivasis living in villages are taken away by the high-ups, then the adivasis lay down their lives to restore their rights. Guns cannot be decisive in this battle.”
Baghel Government is doing exactly the opposite. It wants to usurp the rich resources of adivasis like water-forest-land at the gun point, and hand it over to the capitalists. Soni Sori raises a pertinent question: The 15 year old young girl from Palnaar, a rape victim, was so much subjected to harassment on the pretext of investigation that she committed suicide. Similarly, a woman from Kakdipaar village of Dantewada district also committed suicide. The woman was going through the forest when the police personnel molested her. The woman shared about this incident with her mother-in-law who, in turn, informed her husband. The husband blamed her and said that: “Why didn’t you take the child with you? it was all your mistake”. In sheer humiliation, the woman committed suicide. Can Baghel Government tell us as to who is to be held responsible for these deaths?
The situation of Bastar has worsened so much that a photographer compared it with Syria. This photographer has written that when he wanted to take the picture of a girl child selling bamboo shoots, the girl began to cry. Later, it was found out that the girl had thought of the camera man as a policeman, and the camera to be a gun. Similar incident also happened in Syria. When a photographer was taking the picture of a girl child, she had raised both her hands in an act of surrender.
In the village Jungaada under Koyalibeda Police Station area of Kanker district, a teacher named Dhansingh Usendi was thrashed and murdered while returning home from the Police Station. Village folks informed the police about the murderer of the teacher, Shyamnaath Achla. But, police did not even interrogate him, forget about arresting him. After 21 days, Maoists punished Shyamnath Achla in a jan-adalat, and left a letter in which it was stated that Shyamnath Achla and his father Sunehar were involved in anti-people activities. When the village folks from Jungaada village went to Koylibeda Police Station to inform about the incident, then they were detained inside the Police Station, while a few were asked to bring the dead body. The village folks were kept at the Police Station the whole night on the pretext of investigation, but neither food was provided to them nor was any proper arrangement made for their night’s rest by the administration.
In the year 2018, Raman Government had granted permission to private business houses for land mining 1751.92 hectares of forest in the Paturiya-Girhmoodhi Coal Block in Korba area. In his acceptance speech, Bhupesh Baghel mentioned about 44 per cent area of Chhattisgarh under forest and rich mineral resources. These forests and minerals are safe and protected from exploitation due to the struggles of adivasis like Guddi. Such adivasis are being killed by the Baghel Government, but on the other hand the government paying lip-service to protect the Constitution. Whether the 5th Schedule of the Constitution been implemented in Chhattisgarh by the Bhupesh Government? The question to be raised to Bhupesh Government and the ‘Sanvidhaan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti’ is: which Constitution they are talking about, and want it to be protected and implemented; In the name of protecting this very Constitution, blood of the innocent adivasis is being shed? Which type of social justice is the Baghel government talking about, while murdering adivasis?
Which Constitution is being implemented in Chhattisgarh that the Sanvidhaan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti’ is felicitating Bhupesh Baghel? While the reservation quota for adivasis has been raised to 32 per cent, at the same time police is given hundred per cent free-hand to commit atrocities on them. On 15th of August, the same police officer is honoured who is on record saying that ‘the human rights defenders must be crushed under a truck’. The police officer, Ankit Garg, was honoured with the President Gallantry Award in the year 2012; the same police officer who had put stones in the private parts of Soni Sori. After seven year, keeping alive the same tradition, Bhupesh Baghel honoured yet another police official, Indira Kalyaan Yelesela.
