[Reader-list] Fwd: Abduction, Torture and Release of Lado Sikaka, Dongria Kondh Leader from Niyamgiri fighting Vedanta

[Nagraj Adve]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sukla Sen <sukla.sen at gmail.com>
Date: 14 August 2010 10:56
Subject: Abduction, Torture and Release of Lado Sikaka, Dongria Kondh
Leader from Niyamgiri fighting Vedanta


http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=685722537#!/note.php?note_id=414650346628

On the release of Lado Sikaka

by Surya Shankar Dash on Saturday, 14 August 2010 at 10:34




Lado Sikaka, the tribal leader of the Dongria Kondh, was released
yesterday afternoon (12 Aug) by the police three days after he was
abducted. He was left at Kalyansingpur town and had to walk 10 km to
reach home. He was tortured by the police who have forced him to sign
a written statement. The statement says that Lado "will not damage
public or private property anymore and if he does so he will face
legal action." This clever statement by police is to implicate him in
cases he was not involved in and to easily frame him in the future
also. The police also threatened to put him in a Maoist uniform and
kill him in the forest. During interrogation Lado was repeatedly asked
about Maoist presence in Niyamgiri. Lado strongly denied the
allegations despite being beaten. Even under great duress he has made
it clear that he and his community will not give up their struggle
against the Vedanta's proposed mining of their sacred mountain
Niyamgiri. Later when he was released he was handed over the
cellphones and car keys that were snatched away from activists present
during Lado's abduction, which vindicates Sidhart Naik's written
complaint to the Lanjigarh police station. The police is desperately
trying to establish links with the Dongria Kondh tribal movement and
the Maoists in order to facilitate repressive measures that will clear
all opposition from the tribe to the mining project. Already, last
month two platoons of para-military had carried out a combing
operation in Lado's village, Lakhpadar and had beaten up Sana Sikaka
(who was also abducted with Lado and released in a few hours). The
non-violent movement of the Dongria Kondh is now being given the
Maoist tag only to facilitate Vedanta's mining plans that will
devastate the life, livelihood and environment of the people. There is
no proof of any Maoist insurgency happening in the Niyamgiri hills
ever. So why is the police torturing innocent people fighting for
their rights and treating them worse than hardcore criminals? The
Dongria Kondh are one of the most endangered communities in the world
and they have been promised special protection by the Indian
Constitution. They are a Primitive Tribal Group. Abducting and
torturing a leader of such a community is not only a grave violation
of the Indian Constitution, the UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous People. It is a violent mockery to do so on a day observed
across the world as World Indigenous People's Day (9 Aug). While the
police is trying to justify its actions by faking Maoist presence in
Niyamgiri it is clear that all those who deposed strongly against
Vedanta in front of the N C Saxena Committee are being targetted.
Already Arsee Majhi, anti Vedanta tribal activist from Bandhaguda
village in Lanjigarh has been murdered the very day he had strongly
criticized Vedanta in front of the Saxena Committee. Many villagers
have also been arrested under false charges in the area. So, Lado's
abduction by the police has nothing to do with the Maoists as there is
no Maoist presence in the area. This is being cooked up by the police
to justify such torture of members of a Primitive Tribal Group. The
Police has to stop acting like the mercenary agent of Vedanta and
rather should ensure protection of the tribals from the goons of
Vedanta. We demand that the Central Govt should carry out a thorough
investigation (as State Govt is favorably disposed towards Vedanta
instead of citizens) to find out who ordered the abduction of Lado
Sikaka and punish all those involved in this inhuman treatment of Lado
Sikaka, the main leader of the Dongria Kondh's anti mining/anti
Vedanta movement. The Orissa Govt should strictly order the Police to
make a public statement why they abducted Lado in such a manner and
why they refused to acknowledge Lado had been whisked away by them
when asked by media persons.



Peace Is Doable

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "Free Binayak Sen" group.
To post to this group, send an email to free-binayaksen at googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
free-binayaksen+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/free-binayaksen?hl=en-GB.