Thanks C'da, I did miss it. My only excuse is that I was shell-shocked reading the other piece. :-)
I am glad that is is the SC of India which has (as in a well-functioning democracy) put the GOI in it's place. It has also reminded the GOI of the role it should play, and where the GOI has dropped the ball. It has been very critical of the GOI as it should be. We all realize that there is lopsided growth, there is corruption, and quite often large sections of people fall through the cracks, and are all but forgotten by the GOI or state Govt. I have absolutely no argument with you or anyone over that. I think, though that had there been other avenues for these desperate people to get help, instead of depending on the dime-a-dozen do-gooders who only take advantage of them, it would be the ideal situation. For this, I squarely blame the Govt. entities for not doing their part. They should be able to recognize and correct situations as they come up. The more these problems fester, the more complicated and difficult they become. As for the rise of Maoism/Naxalism, there are a couple of factors. The important one is what the SC has stated. The other is that these Maoist/Naxal groups have been known to prey on unfortunate people in desperate situations. The GOI certainly helps them out in this by being totally callous, and the Mao/Naxal groups are just waiting in the wings to take advantage of every situation. For these groups, it may be a political goal, a career path, or money - but the last thing on their mind is helping out those let down by their own government. --Ram On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 10:11 PM, Chan Mahanta <cmaha...@gmail.com> wrote: > I am not sure if you saw the following ion the same ToI headlines you > referred the earlier post , But in case you did not, or did not feel it was > relevanyt, here it is for everybody's review and judgement: > > cm > > > Skewed growth to blame for rise of Naxals: SC > Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN, Jul 21, 2010, 02.29am IST > > Article > Comments (18) > > > > Tags:sc|naxals|growth > > NEW DELHI: This is the worst that the government could have ever got from > the Supreme Court. > > Terming the developmental policies as "blinkered", the apex court has said > that the promised rights and benefits never reached marginalised citizens > fuelling extreme discontent and giving birth to naxalism and militancy, > which are threatening the sovereignty of the country. > > Referring to largescale displacement of tribals from forest land in the > name of mining and development, the SC said non-settlement of their rights > and non-provision for timely compensation of their lost land has created the > worst kind of hatred among them towards development, possibly giving birth > to extremism. > > "To millions of Indians, development is a dreadful and hateful word that is > aimed at denying them even the source of their sustenance," a Bench > comprising Justices Aftab Alam and B S Chauhan said on Monday. > > "It is cynically said that on the path of `maldevelopment' almost every > step that we take seems to give rise to insurgency and political extremism > which along with terrorism are supposed to be the three gravest threats to > India's integrity and sovereignty," it said. > > The anguish of the apex court brimmed over when it dealt with a case > relating to acquisition of tribal land by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd in > Sundergarh district of Orissa, which is a Maoist hotbed, and found that > those who lost their land were not paid compensation for 23 years. > > This extreme example of governmental apathy shook the conscience of a Bench > forcing it to ask a series of questions -- "Why is the state's perception > and vision of development at such great odds with the people it purports to > develop? And why are their rights so dispensable? Why do India's GDP and > human development index (which is based broadly using measures of life > expectancy, adult literacy and standard of living) present such vastly > different pictures?" > > It said: "With the GDP of $1.16 trillion (of 2008) Indian economy is 12th > largest in US dollar terms and it is the second fastest growing economy in > the world. But according to the Human Development Report 2009 (published by > UNDP), the HDI for India is 0.612 which puts it at 134th place among 182 > countries." > > It said the counter argument was that very often the process of development > that most starkly confirms the fears expressed by Dr Ambedkar, who had said > though politically one man had one vote of equal value, in social life one > continues to deny one man one value. > > Justice Alam, writing the judgment for the Bench, said this was because > despite the philanthropist approach of entrepreneurs and governmental > efforts the human factor in the most mineral rich areas have not been able > to solve their displacement from forests, despite they being called the > oldest dwellers of the area. > > On the yet-to be-settled rights of tribals whose land was acquired and no > compensation was paid for 23 years, the Bench took assistance from Solicitor > General Gopal Subramaniam and counsel Janaranjan Das to frame a scheme. > > Under the scheme, the Centre being the owner of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd > would determine and pay the compensation to the erstwhile landowners. The SC > appointed a former judge of the Orissa HC, Justice A K Pasricha, as chairman > of a commission to prepare a report on the land acquired within four months > and submit a report to the apex court. > > dhananjay.mahapa...@timesgroup.com > > > Read more: Skewed growth to blame for rise of Naxals: SC - India - The > Times of India > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Skewed-growth-to-blame-for-rise-of-Naxals-SC/articleshow/6193052.cms#ixzz0xUOShVbQ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 23, 2010, at 3:37 PM, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > > > And we were led to believe that this movement (the Naxal/Maoist) was a > > fight against the social injustices and radical changes.Oh Well! > > > > Read on................ From one of our most forwarded source TOI :-) > > _______________________________________ > > *Raped repeatedly, Naxal leader quits Red ranks* > > > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Raped-repeatedly-Naxal-leader-quits-Red-ranks/articleshow/6423200.cms > > > > Somewhere On The Bengal-Jharkhand Border: The eerie calm in the dense sal > > forest is deafening. Walking along a snaking dirt track, a clear patch > > appears. Sitting on a rock, hidden by thick, emerald green foliage, is > the > > diminutive figure of a woman, a gamchha (thin towel) covering her head. > Her > > blue salwar-kameez meld with the surroundings. Her eyes dart around at > the > > slightest hint of sound. Shobha Mandi, alias Uma, alias Shikha, gives a > > searching look and then smiles. The 23-year-old CPI-Maoist Jhargram area > > commander says she was expecting us. > > > > From commanding 25-30 armed Maoist squad members, > > Uma<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Uma>turned a > > fugitive four months ago. She fled her command post on the plea of > > seeing a doctor. She hid with her aunt for a short while; and now she > says > > she wants the world to know her story. She wants to surrender and is > likely > > to give up Naxalism on August 26. > > > > Why did she decide to shed her battle fatigues seven years after she > joined > > the Naxals? "They committed injustices against which they claimed they > were > > fighting," said Uma. "As a recruit, I protested against the habits of > some > > leaders in the presence of Kishanji. Nobody liked it. The leaders > instructed > > the squad members not to speak to me. I was isolated and warned of dire > > consequences if I protested," she said. > > > > What didn't she like about the leaders? "They rape," she shot back, eyes > > flashing with rage. "After about a year of joining Naxals, I was put on > > night-long sentry duty at a forest camp in Jharkhand. Suddenly, out of > the > > dark, Bikash (now, head of the state military commission) came up and > asked > > me for water. As I turned to fetch it, he grabbed me and tried to do > 'kharap > > kaaj' (indecent acts)." When she objected, Bikash threatened to strangle > > her. After forcing her into submission, Bikash raped her, she said. She > was > > 17 then. > > > > "He warned me against telling anyone about this. But, I told Akash > > (Kishanji's confidant and a state committee member). He said he would > look > > into it but did nothing. In fact, Akash's wife, Anu, lives with > Kishanji," > > Uma said. > > Most women recruits are exploited by senior Maoists. Senior women > leaders, > > too, have multiple sexual partners, Uma said. "If a member gets pregnant, > > she has no choice but to abort: A child is seen as a burden that hampers > the > > agility of guerrillas." > > > > Uma has heard tales of brutalization of other women Naxals, too. "Seema > > (then a recruit) told me that Akash raped her as well. Rahul (alias > Ranjit > > Pal) raped Belpahari squad commander Madan Mahato's wife, Jaba. In this > > case, the party punished Rahul, who is a key weapons trainer at Maoist > > camps. He was removed from the regional committee for three months," said > > Uma. > > > > State committee secretary Sudip Chongdar, alias Goutam, was also punished > > for similar acts, she said, and transferred to Jharkhand's West Singbhum > > district. Maoists< > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Maoists>divide > > time between forest camps and hideouts in villages. Villagers can't > > refuse shelter to gun-toting Maoists. Also, they must keep all night > vigil > > to alert them against police raids. "When Sudip took shelter in villages, > he > > raped women in their homes. They were too scared to protest," said Uma. > > > > Many of her senior leaders exploited her sexually. One day, says Uma, > Kamal > > Maity, who is a Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa regional committee member, came > to > > her rescue. At a meeting attended by > > Kishanji<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Kishanji>and > > other top Maoists, Kamal proposed a relationship with Uma. The leaders > > agreed. "After Jaba's incident, I learnt that a woman cadre is protected > > against sexual exploitation only if she is with a senior leader," she > said. > > That was a turning point and she rose steadily in Naxal ranks. > > > > Uma is on the police's most wanted list. She is suspected to have planned > > and executed a series of attacks, including the massacre of 24 EFR jawans > in > > Silda (February 2010); a raid on Sankrail > > police< > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Sankrail%20police > >station > > in which two policemen were killed and an officer abducted (October > > 2009). She is also one of the suspects in Jharkhand > > MP<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Jharkhand%20MP > >Sunil > > Mahato's murder in 2007. > > > > She mentored PCPA > > <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=PCPA>members, > > including Bapi Mahato who is in jail for the > > Jnaneswari <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Jnaneswari > >train > > sabotage. Last year, when the joint central and state forces advanced > > into Lalgarh <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Lalgarh> > to > > break an eight-month siege, she along with other Maoists fired at the > > police. In Jhargram, she is known as didi. According to a source, Uma > > single-handedly built up the PCPA at Jhargram. > > > > Uma joined the rebels in 2003. CPI-Maoist hadn't been formed then. "I > joined > > the People's War (PW) which later merged with MCC in 2004 to form > > CPI-Maoist," she said. She was given a new name, Uma. "I was plump. > > Anu<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Anu>(Akash's > > wife; Kishanji's companion) said I looked like Uma Bharti. So, she > > named me Uma." > > > > Maoist leaders spotted her organizational skills. She was asked to > mobilize > > tribals women at Jamboni and Dahijuri in West Midnapore. She also > underwent > > three-month arms training at Jharkhand's Gorabandha forest. "First, we > are > > taught with dummy weapons using tree branches. All recruits have to fire > > three bullets in their first session. Those who hit the target are picked > > for armed squads," she said. > > > > In spite of guns and guerrilla warfare, the woman in her sometimes longs > for > > simple pleasures like painting her nails or wearing earrings. But, she > says, > > "We were not permitted to use even fragrant soaps, lest we get detected. > > Only Lifebuoy is used by cadres." > > > > Did she join the rebels of her own free will? Circumstances, she said. > Uma > > is second of four siblings. Along with their parents, they worked as wage > > earners on farms or collected sal leaves, mahua and red ants (kurkut) to > > sell. "I was good in studies but weak in math. I worked all day and > studied > > at night," the girl from Khayerpahari village in West Bengal's Bankura > > district recounted. "I couldn't pass the Class X board." > > > > This was in 2002. Younger brother Sanjay, who was in Class VIII, was > already > > taken away by the extremists. He became a Lalgarh squad member and is in > > jail now. "My father, Jamadar Mandi, was an alcoholic suffering from > > tuberculosis. There was no money to buy him medicines. We sold our land > and > > also borrowed money," Uma said. > > > > While the family struggled, some "party" members offered help. "They gave > my > > father some money and told me to join them. They said I could leave if I > > didn't like working with them," said Uma. The prospect of a job spurred > her. > > > > > > But only after she signed up did she realize she could never go home. > > "Whoever comes here, never returns," a senior leader told her. She wanted > > freedom from poverty but found herself chained to an ideology she > couldn't > > understand. > > > > After seven years of witnessing bloodletting, she has no fear of death. > She > > now hopes the state she has fought against will rehabilitate her. "There > are > > many in the Maoist ranks who would flee given half a chance," she said. > > > > Read more: Raped repeatedly, Naxal leader quits Red ranks - India - The > > Times of India< > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6423200.cms#ixzz0xSlAEHOs> > > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6423200.cms#ixzz0xSlAEHOs > > _______________________________________________ > > assam mailing list > > assam@assamnet.org > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
