[Reader-list] Fwd: [chhattisgarh-net] Justice and Peace

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Sanjay
 
Felix says:
 
"What is happening is a polarisation into two sides who both believe in war, leaving no space for neutraility, truth and peace."
 
Yes polarisation seems to have taken place but I am not too sure about "both believe in war" and that there is no space for "neutraility, truth and peace". That evaluation can only serve the purpose of demonizing. If you lined up the 'two sides' and asked them the common question "Do you essentially believe in 'truth and peace?'" I have no doubt that "both sides" will answer with a Yes!
 
In the manner that he lays out the problem Felix himself polarises the "two sides" to the extent of allowing no scope for "neutraility, truth and peace".
 
Felix says "Surely, the Maoist insurgency has its roots in the state's appalling human rights situation over the last 5 years?"
 
Trying to suggest that the cause of the present conflict lies in happenings over the "last 5 years" shows a very shallow understanding of the 'roots'. 
 
As does Felix's reducing the understanding of the present conflict to the statements he makes in Points 1, 2 & 3. Those might be reflections of the 'polarisation' but are not the 'roots'.
 
In my opinion, the 'roots' are spread over the last 63 years and fed by the almost total indifference shown towards and, to make it worse, the convienient exploitation of those very people who, to start with, are the most disadvantaged and have little or no access to Justice. Indifference and exploitation by "We the People of India", by "We the Indian State".
 
I have mentioned the period of 63 years because "We the People of India" and "We the Indian State" are accountable for and responsible for the negatives since 1947 and not prior to that.
 
Felix is not only defining 'sides' but also playing sides.
 
But then Dr Felix Padel is an intellectual and I am an ordinary mind.
 
Kshmendra
 

--- On Thu, 4/8/10, Sanjay Kak <kaksanjay at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Sanjay Kak <kaksanjay at gmail.com>
Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [chhattisgarh-net] Justice and Peace
To: "Sarai Reader List" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Thursday, April 8, 2010, 11:40 AM


Am forwarding this from the cgnet list, an excellent resource for
anyone interested in developments in chattisgarh. (Apologies for cross
etc. ...)

Some on this list may know Felix Padel, co-author (with Samarendra
Das) of the recently published ‘Out of This Earth: East India Adivasis
and the Aluminium Cartel’ (Orient Blackswan 2010)

In these over-heated times, I think his nuanced post deserves a patient read.

Best

Sanjay Kak



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Felix Padel <felixorisa at yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 5:35 AM
Subject: [chhattisgarh-net] Justice and Peace
To: chhattisgarh-net at yahoogroups.com


Dear friends

It is surprising and horrifying to see the voices on this listserve
attacking human rights work while calling for an escalation in the
war. Surely, the Maoist insurgency has its roots in the state's
appalling human rights situation over the last 5 years?

Analysing the causes of the conflict, and the reasons why many tribal
people join the Maoists, I'd give the following main ones:

1. The system of endemic exploitation of tribal people, coupled with
ingrained disrespect for tribal culture

2. the escalating dispossession of tribal people from their land and
resources - by numerous industrial projects but also by the war
itself. No-one disputes the figures of 644 tribal villages burnt by
Salwa Judum and an estimated 200,000 tribal refugees from these burnt
villages.

3. The atrocities perpetrated on tribal villages by the Salwa Judum
and security forces, and the impossibility of getting justice through
the courts. The case of Sodhi and the villagers killed at Gompad has
highlighted this impossibility of bringing securitymen responsible for
atrocities to account, and the appeal of Maoists arises directly out
of this impunity to prosecution. Numerous human rights reports and
courageous journalism have highlighted a definite pattern of attacks
on tribal villages, in which most of the village flees, and the women,
old and young who don't get away are raped, killed, tortured or taken
away. The best aspect of Roy's recent article "Walking with the
Comrades" is that she brings out the voices of young Maoist women and
men. These voices need to be heard!! All of them witnessed close
friends and family raped and killed, and were motivated to join the
Maoists by these atrocities. Having suffered such loss and witnessed
such
horror, if there is no chance of bringing the perpetrators to account,
and the Maoists are there, offering comradeship and guns - who
wouldn't go with them?

4. However, the Maoist ideology and leadership believes in war,
exactly as many do in the mainstream & military. War has an
attraction, and we all need to fight internal as well as external
battles to resist this attraction. What is happening is a polarisation
into two sides who both believe in war, leaving no space for
neutraility, truth and peace. The recent attack is a deliberate
escalation of war. We should not blame the individual Maoist fighters,
any more than the individual CRPF men: both are pawns in a game where
leaders actually believe in sacrificng people's lives, on a huge
scale.
Mao himself was one of the worst tyrants: during his rise to power as
well as his 'great leap forward' (upping steel production, causing a
massive famine) and cultural revolution, he was responsible for
millions of deaths of innocent people & even loyal party supporters.
He was a superb propagandist though, and in that, very similar to
mining companies' PR machine, turning truth on its head. As the
Brigadier said in yesterday's interview, the ideology he created
promotes war, and promotes an escalation of war. We must not let this
happen. Maoist attacks instigate huge-scale counterinsurgency attacks
on villages: this pattern must stop.

5. In other words, the attack on tribal communities as a strategy to
wipe out Maoists is paradoxically a principal cause of the growing
strength of the Maoists.
This mirrors the worldwide 'war on terror' (in Afghanistan, Iraq etc),
where everyone can see that attacks on 'terrorists' - and the
'collateral damage' on countless civilians whose outrage has no outlet
through judicial process - have increased the number of 'terrorists'
exponentially. In Dantewara, the systematic attacks on tribal villages
are a campaign of terror. In other words, the primary perpetrators of
terror are the security foces rather than the Maoists.

In the recent attack, the CRPF people killed are human beings too, and
their death is very sad; security forces in the area live in fear of
attack. The difference is - these men are trained to fight and have
chosen a job that involves high risk of killing or being killed. The
villages they terrorise by contrast, are essentially innocent - even
if they often support the Maoists, in that they experience an invasion
and atrocities in which they lose their land, food families, culture -
everything. We get to hear of only a tiny percentage of the atrocities
committed by security forces in villages, while every killing by
Maoists gets high publicity.

If there is a genuine move for peace, one essential step will be
repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) - this has often
been called for, esp from the Northeast and Kashmir. This has become
essential for the war in Dantewara. If it can be seen that security
personnel who commit atrocities are punished this will automatically
take wind out of the Maoist sails.
Human rights work is a prerequisite for peace. Tribal culture places a
high value on Justice and Truth. Some kind of Truth and Reconciliation
process will have to take place if the escaltion towards war is to be
halted. Responsibility lies on both sides. Where it does not lie is
with the tribal communities, and when they know they can get Justice,
Peace will prevail.

Regards to all

Felix Padel
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