NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India-Maxist (CPIM) has written to Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel seeking hia government’s intervention to prevent attacks on Christians and implementation of Forest Rights Act as demanded by tribals in the state.
Citing a couple of incidents of violence against locals, in a memorandum addressed to Baghel, the party stated that ‘extensive’ damage had been done to homes, churches and people’s belongings. However, no family or individual had been compensated.
“We were surprised to learn that no Minister or any senior leader deputed by the Government has visited the area to meet the victims and affected people. We raise this with you because it reflects an approach which we had noted in our interactions with various officials, which is a gross underestimation of the extent of the violence against the victims, particularly women and children and their suffering. There is extensive damage to homes, churches, belongings, livelihood and yet there is not a single family or individual victim who has received any compensation nor has there been any effort to assess the darmage caused,” read the memorandum, signed by Polit Bureau Member Brinda Karat and four other party functionaries including the state secretary, Adivasi Ekta Mahasabha.
The memo further stated that the propaganda of forcible conversions is not born out by facts.
It added that according to officials there is not a single case of forcible conversion reported.
“Clearly there is a political agenda behind these attacks, given the schedule for elections to the State Assembly later this year…In our meetings with different groups of adivasis, they told us that their main concern was that the Forest Rights Act was not being implemented. We had informed the oficials we met of these genuine complaints. There are two projects of iron ore mining in the Narayanpur district which is strongly being opposed by adivasis. Without taking the opinion of the gram sabhas the government is going ahead with the project,” read the memo.
The delegation of the CPIM visited district of North Bastar– Kanker, Kodagaon and Narayanpur, where there have been attacks on members of the christian community.
The three-day long visited ended on Sunday after which the memo was sent.
The purpose of the delegation was to express solidarity with the victims of the violence and also to understand how it was that such sharp divisions leading to violence could occur among.
The Party further added that around 1500 affected people who were forced to flee their villages or were forcibly driven out who were in relief camps run by the administration have now been “sent home.”
“Although assurances have been given for their safety by the administration, we met many families who have been forced to leave their homes again. They are staying with relatives or sheltering in churches….We hope that the government will take the required steps to address the issues,” the letter also stated.
