[Reader-list] Protest against attack on the women's fact finding team and police atrocities in Narayanpatna.

[Asit asitreds]

Dear friends
As you must be knowing the Chasi Mulia Adi vasi Sangh (CMAS) is a democratic
mass organisation of Adivasis in Narayanpatna Block of Koraput dist Orissa.
for the past many years the CMAS has been fighting a relentless battle to
reclaim their lands from money lenders, landlords, and the liquor mafia.
Legally tribal lands cannot be occupied by non tribals in Narayanpatna area.
but the money lenders and landlords has been doing this with the active
connivance with the police, dist Administration and different ruling parties
like congress and BJD. In the name of tackling Maoist problem the Orissa
police along with the central paramilitary forces like CRPF, COBRA, India
Reserve Batallion etc.. have been attacking tribal villages in Narayanpatna
Block in the name of Combing Operations. this combing operations in
Narayanpatna Block has been extremely brutal and sadistic. the poli ce enter
the houses throw the belongings out beat up the men folk ruthlessly and rape
women . This story of sexual violence against women is extremely horrifying.
where Adivasi women are subject to gang rape by the police and paramilitary
forces.

On 20th November around 200 adivasis along with the leadership of CMAS went
to the police station to protest against the police atrocities and sexual
violence on adivasi women without any rhyme or reason, the police opened
fire and killed two prominent adivasi activists. After that it has been a
trail of absolute sadistic attack  on the adivasi villages of Narayanpatna.
The police have been going around raiding peoples home , torturing,
arresting and raping adivasi women. They have arrested 67 activists of CMAS
without any reason.

Adding salt to the injury the Shanti Commitee (equivalent of Salwa Judum in
Orissa) which has been formed by the local landlords, money lenders, liquor
mafia and the dist leaders of  congress and BJD has been terrorising people
has forcibiliy harvested the paddy crop of the adivasis and carrying on
relentless atrocities on adivasis with ac tive support of the police and the
dist Administration.

On 9 December  an All india Womens Fact Finding team went to Narayana patna.
when they were at the police station, they were badly treated and asked them
to come at evening. They were beaten up and harrassed by the Policemen in
plainclothes. they have been chased by the Shanti  commitee goons and a
senior member of the team named Kusum from Pune around 72 years old got
injured. when the women team came out of the police station and was
proceeding towards Bandhugaon, they were followed by plain clothes police
men in motor bikes. the shanti commitee had blocked the road before
Bandhugaon by a bullock cart. when the vehicle in which the womens team was
travelling stopped near the bullock cart, the local landlords, the shanti
commitee goons attacked the vehicle and in the process Ms. Kusum Karnik,
Mamta Dash and other women member were injured. the driver of the vehicle
was badly beaten up. when the team reached the Andra Pradesh border, the
Andra police team arrested them and when members of the team spoke to higher
police officials they were released.

We request all the Women's, Peasants, students, workers and Human rights
organisations to write to the  Governor and  Chief Minister of Orissa to
immediately stop the combing operations in Narayan patna Block, take action
against the polie and Paramilitry forces who have raped adivasi women,
arrest the police officials who killed the activists of CMAS on 20th
November and book them under Section 302 of IPC and immediately take action
against the police officials and shanti commitee members who attack the all
Indian Women's fact finding team. we also request you to send maximum number
of Fact Finding teams to Narayanpatna and also please circulate this mail to
your friends and other activist groups.

regards.
Asit (social Activist and researcher Delhi)
Anand (Student JNU)