[Reader-list] Statement Condemning the Maoist Politics of Murder in Chhattisgarh!

[Anivar Aravind]

*Statement* *Condemning the Maoist Politics of Murder in Chhattisgarh!*

We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the horrific massacre of leaders and
workers of the Congress Party carried out by the CPI(Maoist) in
Chhattisgarh on Saturday. We also wish to express our deepest condolences
to the families of all those killed including the security personnel
accompanying the convoy of Congressmen returning from an political rally at
Sukma in Bastar district.

The killing of senior state Congress leaders and their cadre is
particularly barbaric and reprehensible as they had, in the course of the
Maoist ambush, become captives or had surrendered voluntarily. This is
tantamount to cold-blooded murder of prisoners in custody, an act that goes
against all norms even in a state of civil or international wars. It is
also most foul as Maoists have tried to stop political activity they do not
agree through violent means.

The latest Maoist action will only invite even more state repression in the
area. The CPI(Maoist) leadership, which authorized the attack, seem to have
cynically calculated that such increased repression will swell their
numbers and help their movement grow. If that is the case then their
politics is as evil as those they claim to be fighting against and should
be shunned by all those who stand for democratic norms in political
struggles for peace with justice.

We call upon the Congress Party, the state and central governments to
exercise great restraint in their response to the Maoist atrocity.

Abha Dev Habib, Associate Professor, Miranda House, DU

Apoorvanand, Professor, Delhi University

Anivar Aravind, IT Engineer, Bangalore

Arshad Ajmal, Social activist, Patna

Dilip Simeon, Academic, New Delhi

Jagadish, Trade Unionist , Bangalore

Kavita Srivastava, PUCL, Rajasthan

Satya Sivaraman, Journalist, New Delhi

Shabnam Hashmi, ANHAD, Delhi

Vinod Raina , Educationist, Delhi