The Hindu : New Delhi News : ‘Stop salwa judum campaign’

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Wednesday, Sep 05, 2007
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New Delhi

‘Stop salwa judum campaign’

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over “a civil-war like situation” created by Government-supported ‘salwa judum’ campaign in Chhattisgarh, former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has said that the campaign should be stopped as there could be only a political and social solution to the naxal issue .

He was speaking at ‘Peoples’ convention on salwa judum: civil war in Chhattisgarh,’ organised by Campaign for Peace and Justice in Chhattisgarh here on Tuesday. Though the intention of the campaign was good, its implementation has led to unbridled exercise of power, violence, bloodshed, exploitationand “jungle raj.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party has “unleashed its plans” of creating a foothold in the State through the campaign, Mr. Jogi said.

“People are moved from their own villages and forced to live in camps. Their culture is being destroyed ,” he said.

The media has no access to these areas and several leaders were unable to meet the people in the hinterland.

“ If the families living in camps return to their villages, they will be attacked by extremists. Until the camps are dismantled, the civil-war like situation will continue,” Mr. Jogi said.

He also disputed the Government claim on spending nearly Rs.70 lakh every day in the camps. “The actual number of people housed is not more than 20,000 as against the 70,000 claimed. The expenditure is also much less,” he alleged.

The Adivasi Mahasabha general secretary, Manish Kunjam, said that forces from Mizoram and Nagaland were adding to the woes of the tribal people. The tribal people are being removed “in a pattern” and private companies are waiting to set up shop in Chhattisgarh.

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