CCRHS Blog

Two Maoists killed in encounter

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:32:46 +0000

Two Maoists, including a woman, were killed in a fierce exchange of fire with security forces in Koraput district of Odisha on Thursday evening, police said. Acting on the basis of an intelligence input, jawans of district voluntary force (DVF) conducted a combing operation in the Naxal-infested Bandhugaon area where a group of red rebels were spotted.

As the ultras and security men came face to face, a fierce encounter erupted in which two Maoists were killed and their bodies recovered, Deputy Inspector General of Police (south-west), Souendra Priyadarshi told PTI over phone. One of the slain Maoists was identified as Chitru, an area commander of Jhanjawati division of CPI (Maoist) while the other one was a woman whose identity was yet to be ascertained, he said. Some arms and ammunition were also seized from the spot.

(http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/two-maoists-killed-in-encounter-170718 27/01/12, NDTV)

BSF bags 53 medals, 12 go to SSB men

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:31:45 +0000

BSF personnel have bagged 53 medals including one Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) and six President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPMDS) and 46 police medals for meritorious service.

While PMG was given posthumously to Constable Jai Kishan, PPMDS was conferred to Deputy Inspectors General Jagat Singh, Shaitan Singh Chahar, Dinesh Kumar Upadhyaya, Kalyan Kumar Mukherjee and Deputy Commandant Ajit Singh and Inspector Tilak Raj. After displaying bravery at India’s foreign mission in Afghanistan and the icy Sino-Indian frontier, the mountain-trained ITBP has for the first time won a gallantry medal in anti-Naxal operations.

Constable Bhoop Singh decorated with President’s Police Medal (posthumously) took on Naxals at the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border in January last year and succumbed to bullet injuries. “Timely alertness about Naxal presence and immediate retaliation by him led the operations party to an advantageous position which not only saved the precious lives of many others but also inflicted and forced the armed Naxalites to flee into the dense jungles,” Singh’s citation said.

Twelve personnel of Sasashtra Seema Bal were conferred 12 medals including one PPMDS and eleven were decorated with President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service. Those decorated include IPS officer and Inspector General Anil Agrawal, IPS and DIG David Lalrinsanga, Commandant (Medical) Dr Partha Mitra, Area Organiser Jagdeep Pal Singh, Accounts Officer NR Verma, Executive Engineer Mukesh Khandelwal, APO Kavindra Kumar Verma, Assistant Commandant Krishan Singh, Assistant Engineer PC Pandey, Sub Inspector Nabin Chandra Dihingia, Head Constable Shiam Singh and Constable Narain Singh.

Twenty nine CISF personnel were awarded with police medals on this year’s Republic Day celebration. Those decorated include Commandant BC Jaglawala and Deputy Commandant Rakesh Kapoor for PPMDS and Commandant Shri Narain for President’s Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service and M Arumugam and NP SUbaiah for Fire Service Medal for Meritorious Service. Twenty four other CISF personnel were conferred with police medals for meritorious service.

Four officers and men of the elite National Security Guards have been awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service on this year Republic Day. Those awarded include Group Commander Hanumant Singh Rawat, Group Commander Shikha Gupta, Assistant Commandant CP Vijayanandan, Constable Ramphal.

(http://dailypioneer.com/nation/38110-bsf-bags-53-medals-12-go-to-ssb-men.html 26/01/12, Daily Pioneer)

Chg Governor urges people to resolve to root out Naxalism

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:30:38 +0000

Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt today called on the people in the state to resolve to root out Naxalites. Presiding over the Republic Day function at the Police Parade ground here, he said that while the state was making strides in development the Naxals were making the life of the rural population miserable and trying to undermine the development efforts. The state government is giving priority to increase morale of the security forces by increasing their strength, and recruiting local youths from tribal areas, he said.

Dutt expressed satisfaction with the state’s GDP growth rate of 11.56 percent and increase in production of rice at 91 lakh metric tons. Due to the efforts of the government the infant mortality had come down, he said. The per capita consumption of electricity in the state is much more than the average consumption in the country, he added. While delivering his speech, Dutt suddenly took ill and almost fainted. He completed his speech sitting on a chair after regaining his composure.

(http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/chg-governor-urges-people-to-resolve-to-root-out-naxalism/956238.html 26/01/12, IBN Live)

Manipur: Blast rocks Imphal a day before polls

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:28:58 +0000

A day before polls in Manipur, one person has been injured in a blast in west district of Imphal. Police say they suspect the used of IED in the blast. The area has been evacuated.

The blast occurred a day after campaigning for Manipur assembly election ended on Thursday. Manipur will on Saturday elect a new 60-member assembly to mark the start of make-or-break elections in five states. The staggered exercise, which ends with the vote in Goa and Uttar Pradesh on March 3, will be this year’s first major test for political parties. Along with Uttarakhand and Punjab, a grand total of 137 million voters will be eligible to exercise their franchise in the five states.

Official sources said major insurgent organisations had been targeting and attacking Congress workers and candidates in the past two weeks by lobbing grenades or exploding bombs. Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had questioned as to why insurgents were targeting only Congress and asked whether the insurgents had a ‘hidden agenda.’

Withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 from the state and protection of the territorial integrity of Manipur were the main issues that that were highlighted during the campaign, the reports said. Except Congress, all major political parties had promised to withdraw the AFSPA, if voted to power.

The Congress said it would lift it only after an improvement in the law and order situation, the reports said. Shortage of electricity and water supply, bad road conditions of the national highways and problems faced by the state due to frequent blockades on the national highways were the other issues raised during the campaigning.

The few public meetings which were addressed by national leaders in the past one week included a meeting by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee at Langjing in Imphal West district where she promised that AFSPA would be lifted if her party came to power. BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, Hema Malini and a few central leaders of other parties had also addressed some meetings in interior districts in the past week.

A spokesman of the Maniur people’s party (MPP) told mediapersons that the Congress had failed to deliver the results during its last ten-year rule. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javedkar had earlier said that Manipur had witnessed a spurt in corruption and criminal activities during the last ten-year Congress rule. Alleging that the government remained silent about incidents like the one in which state advocate general Koteshore Singh was shot at by a minister during a tour and the killing of a boy by a minister’s son, he asked “Was there at all any government in the state?”

Demanding action against the culprits, he said if the BJP was voted to power it would put the guilty behind bars besides correcting the system.

(http://ibnlive.in.com/news/manipur-blast-rocks-imphal-a-day-before-polls/224679-37-170.html 27/01/12, IBN Live)

Assam defies militant threat

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:27:53 +0000

Amid a boycott call of 12 separatist outfits, including Ulfa, hundreds of people defied militant threat to take part in Republic Day’s celebrations in Assam and other northeastern states.

Assam governor J.B. Patnaik, who hoisted the tri-colour at a veterinary college playground, lauded the multi-pronged strategy of the state government and claimed that it has started paying dividend in the form of peace pacts with militants and suspension of counter-insurgency operations in the state. He said, “The strategy in the form of sustained development efforts, counter-insurgency operations against active militant groups and peace overtures for people willing to come forward for negotiated settlement has paid rich dividends.”

He said that the suspension of operations, agreements with various extremist outfits such as the UPDS, KLNLF, DHD(N), DHD(J), NDFB(P), ACMA, BCF and Ulfa led by its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, justify the initiative of the state government. “Recent agreements with the UPDS had resulted in the peaceful (autonomous district) Council elections in Karbi Anglong district,” he said.

(http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/others/assam-defies-militant-threat-240 27/01/12, Deccan Chronicle)

J&K witnesses incident free R-Day

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:26:45 +0000

Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday witnessed an incident-free Republic Day with an impressive turnout at the main function at the MAM Stadium which was packed to capacity for the first time in 22 years of militancy in the state.

Governor NN Vohra unfurled the tricolour and inspected the parade by contingents of the Army, BSF, CRPF, J&K Armed Police, J&K Police, J&K Auxiliary Police, J&K Prison Police, J&K Fire and Emergency Service, J&K Forest Protection Force and NCC cadets. Vohra appreciated the role of security forces in preventing cross border infiltration and asked security forces to maintain constant vigilance along the border line to foil their designs.

“Adversary elements across the border have not given up their malicious resolve to disturb and destabilise our country,” he said in his Republic Day address.

In Srinagar, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather unfurled the national flag at Bakshi Stadium. An official spokesman said the day passed off peacefully across the state.

(http://zeenews.india.com/news/jammu-and-kashmir/jandk-witnesses-incident-free-r-day_755014.html 26/01/12, Zee News)

Peace meets planned in DK villages for harmony: DC

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:25:18 +0000

District top brass takes decision following Uppinangady incident

In the backdrop of communal violence activities in the district, the district administration will be organising peace meetings in the village levels in order to maintain communal harmony.

Informing the same to media persons on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Chennappa Gowda said that there have been suggestions to conduct peace meetings in the village levels, thus the district administration is planning to conduct the meetings in the villages once or twice in a month. “The district administration along with Police Superintendent have organised peace meet following the incident in Uppinangady. In the meeting, we have clearly directed all the religions to maintain harmony. The top priority will be given for the maintenance of peace in the district and stringent action will be taken against those who create chaos,” he warned. He also said that he would convince the people not to hold any protest in relation to Uppinangady incident.

IGP (Western Range) Prathap Reddy said that he was satisfied with the way the police controlled the situation in Uppinangady. “We would welcome any criticisms for the work we have done,” he stated. He also said that measures will be taken to make the police impart their duty flawlessly. Importance will be given to the internal development of the Department.

“Everyone has the right to speak in democracy. As far as delivering speech in public places is concerned, the organisers are supposed to take permission from the Police Department or the district administration before the speech. At times the speakers cross the boundaries and deliver provocative speech. The speakers should understand their limitations,” he said and added that the investigations are on related to Hindu Samajotsava incident.

Stringent action

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of Republic Day celebration at Nehru Maidan, District-in-Charge Minister Krishna J Palemar said that the culprits who are damaging the peace and harmony in the society will be arrested. Stringent action will be taken against such people, he said.

Responding to the way police functioned during Samajotsava, the Minister said that the Police Department had committed a few flaws during the chaos created after Samajotsava. The police should have dispersed the crowd immediately and also should have asked those who spoke provocatively to leave the venue, opined the Minister.

“Hindu society does not support those who criticise and pass derogatory statements on a religion or the God. No speaker has passed derogatory remarks during Samajotsava. Baseless rumours have been spread. Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat has only made statements against religious conversion, terrorism and cow slaughter which are in fact banned by the government as well,” he said.

(http://www.deccanherald.com/content/222331/peace-meets-planned-dk-villages.html 26/01/12, Deccan Herald)

Our ‘secularists’ are communal-minded

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:22:52 +0000

This is with reference to the report, “Congress bows and ‘scraps’ Rushdie video conference” (January 25). The total surrender by the Congress before the threats of the Muslim groups against author Salman Rushdie’s appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival, either in person or on video, has only exposed the real face of secularism as has been practiced in India for decades.

This secularism has meant not the concept of ‘equal respect for all religions’ but pandering to the sectarian demands of Muslim groups and not doing anything that might seem offensive to the Muslim community. In addition to the Congress, the Left parties and other avowed secular-liberals have also been hard practitioners of this brand of secularism.

While on the one hand, all hues of so-called secular parties have sided with Muslim groups in all their sectarian issues — be it on the issue of The Satanic Verses, the Batla House encounter or the Babri demolition — on the other, they have allied with various Muslim-oriented parties, with the result that their attitude on issues affecting Hindu sensitivities has always been one of fun and ridicule.

In the case of MF Hussain’s painting of obscene images of Hindu deities, the secular class was always with the painter. No doubt, at the Jaipur Literature Festival, some sections of this secular class displayed huge anguish on the Congress surrender before Muslim groups, but they carefully adopted a balancing posture by giving ample opportunity to a Muslim scholar to present the Muslim viewpoint on the issue and also by repeatedly hitting out at ‘Hindu groups’ such as the RSS, the VHP etc, who had no chance to present their viewpoint on that occasion.

Hussain’s decision to shift out of India was repeatedly presented as the handiwork of Hindu groups, but the fact is that it was the painter’s own decision.

The intellectual calibre of Left-secular people has never been used to understand the important differences between the Hindu doctrine and the so-called Islamic doctrine that the extremists present. Communal harmony can be achieved in the country only through a balanced outlook on all issues.

(http://www.dailypioneer.com/pioneer-news/letters-to-editor/38039-our-secularists-are-communal-minded.html 26/01/12, The Pioneer)

A trimmed idea of India

ccrhs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:21:17 +0000

Srijana Mitra Das

The banning of Salman Rushdie from appearing even via satellite link at the recent Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) showcases two ideas of India. The first is embodied by the JLF. Stepping away from India’s fascination with hierarchies, the fest avoids armed bodyguards, sleek millionaires and imperious politicians flinging namaskars into crowds.

Instead, it throws itself open to everyone; this includes readers, schoolchildren, writers, homemakers, domestic help, socialites and swamis, with the occasional politico. Everyone joins its carnival-like atmosphere, drinking tea on the venue’s lawns, queuing for the same restrooms, hearing the finest words in the world.

Registering 1.22 lakh visitors in 2012, the JLF couldn’t have become the success it has without this idea of India endorsed by its core audience – liberal Indians. The term ‘liberal’ doesn’t mean a manicured handful of intellectuals discussing the Russian or Tamil Stalin at clubs and TV studios. It denotes thousands of people from diverse classes and languages, spread over distant cities and towns – often obtaining books from fading libraries and railway carts, debating poets in the low-voltage light of old homes, opposing the unjust hierarchies of Indian life. It is these liberals’ idea of an equal and intellectual India that encouraged the JLF’s organisers to invite Rushdie to discuss English becoming the deliciously tangy chutney all of us make it.

But events thereafter highlight another idea of India rising like bile – cynical, brutal and coarse, fuelled by the commingling of politics with vociferous bullies of any community. Within this idea, hierarchy must be privileged. Such hierarchy could be social, economic or sexual, or based on physicality where the threat of bodily violence overwhelms the most beautiful ideas. To pump muscle into threat, an underemployed male underclass is pointed at those it wrongly resents.

Political groups use this tactic repeatedly to strengthen the status quo and prevent any change – economic, gendered, intellectual – from shaking their place in the established hierarchy. The Sri Ram Sene used this underclass to attack women at Bangalore pubs. Congress elements used this underclass to protest Joseph Lelyveld’s biography of Gandhi and guard our most-garlanded, least-heard saint. And recently, political interests fuelled an angry underclass, directing it to threaten a festival of the most democratic ideas. These events make it imperative for Indian liberals to re-evaluate their position on all threats and those who make them.

Traditionally, the Indian liberal has opposed obvious hierarchies – class, caste, gender – challenging even the superiority writ into the very act of banning where a patronising political class considers itself best-equipped to decide what its citizenry may read, see or write. But there is one glaring omission in the Indian liberal’s opposition – opposing a violent underclass because it hails from an otherwise disadvantaged section of society. To illustrate – the darkness from the Rushdie controversy stretches back into the 1980s when, before banning The Satanic Verses, Rajiv Gandhi’s government overturned a legal ruling favouring a divorced Muslim woman. Minority appeasement, screamed the Hindu right as Shah Bano lost her maintenance before far more vociferous Muslim men. Repulsed by Hindutva’s aggression and tongue-tied before those it traditionally defended, the Indian liberal stepped back – a huge error.

In The Argumentative Indian, Amartya Sen points out the only people ‘appeased’ by the Shah Bano ruling were Muslim men, making the Muslim woman a thoroughly vulnerable being. Yet, frightened for minorities already savaged in Bhagalpur and other places, the Indian liberal said and did little for Shah Bano. Today, that hesitation has returned to mock the blank screen where Rushdie’s image could have played.

Had the Indian liberal used logic and not courtesy then, arguing for justice, opposing any threats of violence from fringe elements whether Hindu or Muslim, perhaps those fringes would not have grown to be the problem they are today. Perhaps we could have seen a JLF where anti-Rushdie groups shouted slogans and waved placards – their democratic right – but feared threatening violence in place of severe censure. Perhaps we would have had a situation where, realising targeting artists wasn’t going to win elections, politicians – both Hindu and Muslim – would have ensured the Muslim community got its fair share of jobs and education. Perhaps we might have had a JLF where Rushdie spoke and those who abhorred him turned up their noses – but didn’t even think of raising their fists. Perhaps a timely trim in liberal tolerance might have led to a less violent nation.

Yet, events actually show the first idea of India is gaining ground. The strong support, particularly from younger people, for Rushdie’s right to speak, the impromptu debate that occurred inviting an anti-Rushdie representative to explain opposition, media and internet criticism, all show the idea of India loved by liberal Indians is losing its early hesitation. As more Indians transcend boundaries, challenge ridiculous bans and show the finger to anyone who threatens violence, we will have more festivals of literature, ideas and art where liberal and illiberal will use only their words – beautiful, polished, haunting or taunting – to make points or refute them.

(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/A-trimmed-idea-of-India/articleshow/11642063.cms 27/01/12, The Times of India)

Rights groups fronting for Maoists, says IB

ccrhs — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:52:52 +0000

Indian intelligence agencies have suggested that the Union government take steps to limit activities of leading human rights organisations.

In their advice to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the agencies have alleged that some rights organisations are “actively helping spread the Maoist ideology.” Sources in MHA told Deccan Herald that the intelligence agencies are of the opinion that charges can be framed against “rights organisations” for “aiding and abetting a criminal conspiracy.” The sources, however, refused to name the organisations.

The agencies have submitted to the ministry names of individuals and five or six individuals and rights organisations, who, in their view, are closely associated with the Maoists. The rights groups were “practically functioning as front organisations” of Maoists, sources claimed. According sources, the Intelligence Bureau reported to the ministry that the activities had increased in the past few years. Their spurt has been at the all-India level and not been only limited to rights’ issues during the period, the IB is reported to have said.

The activities of rights groups raising issues of illegal detentions, custodial tortures and death, and fake encounters have extended their reach to those areas which help spread Maoists ideology, intelligence agencies preparing a fresh dossier on the issue said.

According to sources, rights organisations have been under scanner for quite some time now. The IB has prepared a database of individuals and organisations. The database has been submitted to the Home Ministry. The IB data base has some known names, which, according to the intelligence agency, not only helped “the ideological spread to spread but also functioning as the points persons for Maoists”. This allegation is similar to that been made against noted rights activist Binayak Sen in Chhattisgarh.

The agency has also claimed that some “credible” rights organisations have been infiltrated by Maoists’ sympathisers and being driven towards a different goal. The intelligence agencies are also investigating “funding pattern” of some NGOs that are actively taking up rights issues.

(http://www.deccanherald.com/content/221668/rights-groups-fronting-maoists-says.html 23/01/12, Deccan Herald)