OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Bhubaneswar, Oct. 20: Maoist-backed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh and 14 other organisations today warned the government against repressing democratic movements, while staging a demonstration near the Assembly amid massive police deployment.
“The sangh and other mass organisations have been fighting for their rights over land, water and forest and against plunder of natural resources by multinationals. But, the state has been trying to crush the movements and thus protect the interest of MNCs,” said sangh leader Gananath Patra.
“The state should desist from repressive policy and release all those arrested in the name of Maoists,” Patra added. Incidentally, tribal youths Sumanta Majhi and Andio Majhi were arrested from Berhampur station on their way to the rally on the suspicion that they were Maoists.
Claiming that more than 40 people have been killed in police action against democratic agitation, Prafulla Samantara of Lokshakti Abhiyan, asked the government to stop using police as a tool of exploitation. “People will be forced to take to streets and unseat the government,” he threatened.
Samantara, an anti-displacement activist, spoke about the 2006 Kalinga Nagar firing which claimed 14 tribals while opposing a Tata Steel project.
Describing the Koraput-based peace committee as the second edition of Salwa Judum, Dandapani Mohanty of Orissa Forest Mazdoor Union, alleged that moneylenders, illicit liquor traders, land-grabbers and corporate houses were funding the committee. He demanded a ban on the organisation and a judicial probe into the “fascist” attack on a rally organised by sangh at Narayanpatna (Koraput) on May 5 and 8.
Hundreds of tribals today participated in the rally, carrying placards and shouting “give us our rights, or be prepared for the consequences”.
The capital turned into a police contingent with 25 platoons of armed forces on the streets.
A 20-point memorandum, addressed to the chief minister, was submitted. Demands included implementation of a new land reform policy on the lines of Andhra Pradesh and Northeast protecting the interest of tribals, recognition of peoples’ rights over land, forest, water and mineral, not allowing MNCs and private companies to use traditional energy sources.
Also in demand were construction of smaller dams and food security to forest workers, bamboo cutters and kendu leaf pluckers.
The above is what I mean when I say that the government creates the Maoist by its repressive policies.
Just because these are poor people and do no have a voice it does not give the government the authority to take away their land or their livelihood in the name of development.
Even a worm will turn if you poke it sufficiently.
Communism raised its head in early 2ist century because of the industrial revolution as the rich people started exploiting the working class.
However, the communists themselves became exploiters after they came to power.
We then saw the demise of the communist movement.
Once again the rich people and the government have started exploiting the poor.
I fear we are going to see another revolution.
Those who do not learn from history are forced to repeat it.
Unless our government mends its way, stops corruption in its functioning and stops payment running into lakhs of crores to its employees and uses the money to improve the poor peoples lives, nothing can stop the Maoist from steam rolling the government.
The Naxalite movement was started in the 70s.
When the communists came to Bengal the people had hopes that they would do something for the people.
That hope has been belied and the people found that there was nothing to differentiate between the communists and the congress.
The communists only cared for the urban people, the government employees, their vote banks.
So the next generation has restarted the movement, this time against the communists.
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