The Hindu : National : ‘Review Salwa Judum’s activities’

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Monday, Sep 10, 2007
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‘Review Salwa Judum’s activities’

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said here on Sunday that the activities of Salwa Judum, which is fighting the CPI (Maoist) in Chhattisgarh, should be reviewed in the wake of migration of tribals to Andhra Pradesh.

“Tribals in Chhattisgarh are caught between the Salwa Judum and Maoists and are paying the price,” he said at a press conference.

“The Salwa Judum was formed as an outfit aimed at people’s participation. But their activities are something different for the past few months,” Mr. Ramesh said, adding that because of them, the Guthi Koya tribals were fleeing their hamlets and taking shelter in Warangal and Khammam districts of Andhra Pradesh.

“People are running away from the Salwa Judum,” he said.

The former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, was also against the role of Salwa Judum, started by Congress leader Mahendra Karma to fight Maoists.

On the landmine attack on the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Janardhana Reddy, Mr. Ramesh said he still felt the activities of Maoists had come down drastically in Andhra Pradesh. “But, the situation has deteriorated in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and parts of Orissa.”

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