Salwa Judum affected to mobilise support for Naxals

Salwa Judum affected to mobilise support for Naxals

Tuesday September 12 2006 12:33 IST

BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: The State Government ban on the CPI (Maoist) and six of its frontal and sympathiser organisations have sent the extremists back to basics-strengthen their support base.

Responding to a call given by CPM Bashadara Divisional Committee, a group under the banner of Salwa Judum Affected People’s Action Council, has decided to mobilise support for the Naxals and oppose Salwa Judum.

The State Government, on the other hand, has expressed its ignorance about such meetings. Addressing media persons, Home Secretary T K Mishra said the Department was not aware of such meetings and would inquire about it immediately.

Meanwhile, Malgodown Police have detained one person for circulating similar campaign materials at College Square on Monday. “We are examining contents of the literature,” police said.

Post-ban, this is for the first time that any group, sympathising with Left Wing and their movement, is planning meetings in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur later this week.

As part of its campaign, the sympathiser group has called upon the ‘democratic’ force to join hands and oppose not only the original Salwa Judum underway in Chhattisgarh but also similar movements in the State.

“Salwa Judum, which kicked off as an anti-Naxal movement, is oppression at its worst. Innocent tribals are subjected to torture so that administration can give access to foreign companies to plunder natural resources,” read the campaign materials circulated by the group.

The campaign literature is doing rounds in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur where the meetings would be held on September 13 and 14.

Stating that Salwa Judum is gradually moving into Orissa, the outfit said, formation of Shanti Sena to oppose erstwhile PWG’s land reform measures and suppression of tribal movement against ceiling surplus land in Rayagada district’s Bissamkatak are cases in point.

Extending support to the Naxal movement, the group stated that Maoists have been fighting the corrupt administration and political set-up, moneylenders and forest mafia for the last 25 years.

“This way, they have formed an alternative government and judicial system to deliver justice,” the literature read.

In fact, the sympathiser group merely echoes what CPM Bashadara Divisional Committee says in its propaganda material. Condemning police action in Deogarh and Malkangiri where nine Maoists were gunned down in the past five months, the outlawed outfit called for support from the people to fight the administration.

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