[Assam] From Outlook India

[Ram Sarangapani]

C'da,

Thanks for forwarding this. Yes, it is disturbing to say the least. I read
through the whole article, and it looks like this Salwa Judum and this other
group- Special Police Force(SPF) were basically committing all the rapes and
atrocities.

I had to look up these on the internet and basically found that many of the
Jodum and SPO were ex-Naxals themselves, but became anti Naxal  (possibly
much like the SULFA) in Assam. The Chattisgarh govt. took full advantage and
possibly gave them a free reign. Further, the 2 victims seem to recognize a
number of the perpetrators from their own or surrounding villages.

The police and the CRPF were not accused in this article, and they seem to
be underfunded and ill-equipped to even carry their own dead (killed by
Naxals), and were instead carrying the suspected Naxal woman. (please see
one of the comments from a reader) below:

Nandini needs to differentiate issues. One is the action of Salva Judum and
the SPOs, who are from the same community, where inter-tribal vengeance and
rivalry is rampant. Rape and torture reported in this article is clearly
attributed to SPOs and NOT to CRPF. The next issue is the action of the
CRPF. Here comes the difference.

The way the Naxals are laying ambushes and killing CRPF personnel is a clear
indication that the body carried by the troopers is that of a ruthless
killer, who unfortunately happens to be a woman. When the CRPF goes on
patrolling, search and destroy camps of these enemies of the state, they go
with barest minimum extra equipment, least of all stretchers or coffins even
for their own comrades. When these soldiers are killed, their bodies have to
rot in the jungle till reinforcements or rescue parties arrive. What Nandini
has not seen is the fact that instead of leaving the bodies of the dead
enemy in the jungle to be eaten by scavenger birds and animals, these
soldiers are bringing the bodies with whatever implements they harness in
jungles. You have not seen the efforts of these soldiers, but only seen the
way they are brought. And mind you, it is NOT a trophy they are bringing in.
If the author had investigated how these bodies are disposed, she would find
that the bodies brought back to the camp by jawans are sent for
identification and to inform their next of kins. If no kins are found, they
are given proper burial or cremation. I do not know what the writer has
achieved by portraying the picture that she has, except putting the lable
"inhuman villains taking delight in their trophies." That is totally unfair
to the soldiers who are putting their lives on line, fighting these inhuman
killers.

While I abhor the atrocities committed by Salva Judum, SPOs and their likes,
I cannot but feel sad about the negative portrayal of the brave soldiers who
have left their homes in UP, the South and such far away places to die in a
hostile jungle. I only wish you were fair to these men in uniform.
gypsycapt
Los Angeles, United States


But right or wrong, this sort of thing should never have happened. The
Naxals have been killing CRPs (some even yesterday), and the CRP also seem
to be killing the Naxals, and these Jodums and SPOs are also in the mix.

All in all, if the above commentator is right, the photo, then the photo is
for shock effect. If the CRP themselves did not have any equipment or
stretchers for anyone, how else would they carry a dead person?

If the commentator is wrong, then shame on the CRP in treating the remains
of a human being, when they had stretchers and other equipment.

In any case, serious investigations ought to be conducted.

I know you will blame the GOI for  this, but I tend to blame the Naxal
movement. All the Naxal movement wants to do is to destabilize the country
or parts of it for own political gains. The leaders of the movement give two
hoots about the poor woman (if she is a cadre) or any of the others killed
for their cause.

In the end very few of the Naxals will ever pay a price for planning or
sending many of their cadres to their deaths.

Articles like this are good, in that they make an errant government
hesitate, and make amends. I also wish that this same journalist gave some
coverage on the atrocities committed by Naxals & Maoists. I bet we won't see
that anytime soon - not that there aren't such incidents, but if she will
cover them?

--Ram




On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 9:56 PM, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at gmail.com> wrote:

> Caution!
>
> Very disturbing picture image included in the following article fro Outlook
> India.
>
>
> http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?265964
>
>
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