Nandini Sundar
New Delhi
The government of Chhattisgarh claims that the Salwa Judum which started in June 2005 is a ‘spontaneous people’s movement’ against the Maoists. Several human rights groups have shown that this is false (see reports by the All-India Team (PUDR, PUCL et al), When the State Makes War on its Own People, The Independent Citizens Initiative, War in the Heart of India, Human Rights Forum, as well as Tehelka, Outlook, Down to Earth, New York Times, Guardian etc.) All these are available on www.cgnet.in
The Naga IRB has been deployed for counter insurgency purposes. While they are bound to carry out combing activities in the course of their duty, there is no reason why they should resort to the burning of villages, forcible evacuation of people to camps, rapes of women, and stealing of cattle and dogs. In fact, the CRPF is considered more disciplined than the Naga IRB, who have become feared and notorious all across Chhattisgarh. This is very sad for the Naga people.
The All India team met Naga reservists in their camp enroute to Gangalur on 29 November 2005. The SDM had told the team that the Nagas had recently roughed up a Naib tahsildar, and the SDM expressed his helplessness. When members of the team asked the Naga IRB whether they had heard of Phizo, they said, “Sure, he is our boss”. The boys were drunk and searched the team vehicle. When questioned, they did not deny that they had been looting and burning villages.
Forcing people to join Salwa Judum:
“This is what happened in Bangapal, sir. On 3rd August we held a meeting in Munder village. Villagers from Munder ran away to the hills. The Naga batallion went to the hills, caught them and brought them back, and made them join the Salwa Judum. Those who were unwilling to join were arrested. I don’t know everything – I don’t know how many people have been made to join and how many arrested.” (Lakshman Kashyap, leader of Salwa Judum, and relative of Mahendra Karma, in videotaped interview to the All India Team.)
Killing People
The Salwa Judum and Naga IRB have jointly killed a number of people. No FIR has been registered on these deaths, which are not officially recognised by the government. Some incidents corroborated by fact-finding groups include
11th October 2005: Lekam Budhram and Aatam Bodhi killed by Naga IRB in Kotrapal village
Villagers from Kotrapal taken to Metwada camp. (All India Team, pg. 20)
September 2005: Kadli Kummal and Kadli Kamlu killed by Naga IRB in Munder village (All India Team, pg. 20)
25th September: Naga IRB kill Korsa Suklu and Punem Kanda in Mankelli village.
3rd October: Kill Kosa Aitu and Emla Kova. (All India Team, pg. 21)
An adivasi youth working with a voluntary organization has seen two women who were shot dead by the Naga battalion. (Women’s fact-finding team, October 2006)
A Naga solider killed a shopkeeper in Dornapal in October 2006. First killing of a non-tribal. (Reported on cg net).
Burning of Villages
The Naga IRB is said by villagers to have participated in the burning of houses in the following villages: Mankelli, Munder, Kotrapal, Halur (All India Team)
Gaganpalli, Asirguda, Arlempalli, Regadigatta, Neelamadgu villages. (Independent Citizens Initiative, page 24).
(Other villages have been burnt by the CRPF and Salwa Judum).
Rapes of women and violence on women
Allegations of rape by the Naga forces are common. Across the district, people talk of how the next generation of children in Dantewada will be born with Naga and Gondi features. This is also reported by Ahfaz Rashid, Chhattisgarh Ki Mati, 31 December 2005-14 January 2006.
Residents of the village at Chitrakoot waterfalls reported that when the Naga IRB came to visit, they offered to pay Rs. 100 for one dog and Rs. 1000 for a woman.
Sonia, Anganwadi worker in village Kamaloor, beaten, stripped and dragged by her hair by Naga IRB on 9 March 2006 (All India Team, pg. 26, video interview with Sonia also available)
Other incidents available in the press release by an All India Women’s Team.
Reputation for cleaning the district out of dogs; killing of stolen cattle
Malli Mohli (name changed), district Bastar, said that when she went to Awapalli in Bijapur district, she had taken a pet dog from Jagdalpur. The Nagas stole it, but they managed to get it back.
The All-India team witnessed the Naga IRB beheading a cow they had captured during combing operations in village Satwas on 30 November 2005. They were also showing off a bamboo lamp and money they had looted. (All India Team, pg. 14)
(Nandini Sundar is Professor of Sociology, Delhi University, and member of the Independent Citizens Initiative. This note has been prepared at the request of Naga Civil Society organisations and journalists, on the basis of fact-finding reports by independent teams)
