The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Police curbing democratic space, say activists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Police curbing democratic space, say activists

Bageshree S.

Bangalore: Hanchinakudige village in Sringeri taluk was promised electricity in 2005. Pillars were erected in 2006 and power lines drawn earlier this year. But the village is yet to get power. The villagers had pitched in with unpaid labour at every phase of the work.

Many other villages in the region have also been sanctioned projects under a scheme to develop naxal-hit areas in and around the Kudremukh National Park. Women in many tribal villages were given training in tailoring. All those who attended classes got a sewing machine each. But none know how to stitch because it was a 15-day crash course.

These are some of the stories that Bhagya and Gurumurthy Hagalaganchi, who have been active members of Kudremukh Rashtriya Udyana Virodhi Horata Samiti since its inception in 1997, narrate on how the Government’s ambitious project of tackling naxalism through developmental projects is working on the ground.

While neglect by the Government and harassment at the hands of forest and revenue officials have been the bane of tribal people, what is worse is the manner in which all forms of dissent is being branded as support to the naxal movement. Intimidation and booking of cases against activists at random are now commonplace, allege the couple. Mr. Gurumurthy’s brother, Ravi Hagalaganchi, has also been a victim. “Cooking more food than the average requirement of the day makes the police suspect that we might be supplying it to naxalites. But it is part of the Malnad culture to cook more than what is required for the day,” said Ms. Bhagya.

The culmination of such “sustained harassment”, said the couple, was the killing of Paramesh, secretary of the Okkuta, by the police in what they called an “encounter” at Menasinahadya in July. Police threaten people saying they could “end up like Paramesh”.

‘No talks proposed’

“The Government talks of holding negotiations with naxalites. The irony is that the Government has never proposed talks with the Okkuta or any other tribal organisation in all these years,” said Mr. Gurumurthy.

The Hagalaganchis want a democratic platform where land rights of tribal people and developmental concerns could be articulated without fear. The couple, along with human rights organisations, is planning to file complaints with the National and State Human Rights Commissions.

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