Five Left parties appeal to PM Modi to stop ‘extra-judicial killings' in Chhattisgarh
The General Secretaries of the five Left parties- CPI's D. Raja, CPI(M)'s M.A. Baby, CPI(ML)'s Dipankar Bhattacharya, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader Manoj Bhattacharya and All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) leader G. Devarajan, in the letter, said there are reports that several senior Maoist leaders are currently in the custody of the security forces. 'We demand that they should all be produced in court and dealt with as per the rule of law,' they said.
Also read: Seeking truth and reconciliation in Chhattisgarh
Issue of militarisation
The Adivasis in the region have long been complaining about the militarisation of the region. 'The Adivasi rights enshrined in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution are being systematically violated and the forests and minerals of Chhattisgarh are being subjected to indiscriminate corporate exploitation with disastrous implications for environmental stability and livelihood of the local people. We urge upon you to stop this militaristic approach that treats the Adivasis with unmitigated hostility,' the joint appeal said.
The leaders underlined that the government has been refusing to hand over the bodies to the families, denying them their right to give a dignified farewell to their family members. The repeated appeal from the Maoists for dialogue has also been ignored.
'The statements made by the Union Home Minister, reiterating the deadline and the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister's assertion that there is no need for talks, reflect a mindset unwilling to resolve issues through dialogue. The government should not be intransigent and celebrate the taking of human lives against the spirit of the law of the land and principles of democratic governance,' the leaders said.
The Left parties urged the government to respond to the Maoist declaration of unilateral ceasefire and initiate a dialogue to resolve all issues. 'We reiterate the appeal and urge upon you to stop the extra-judicial killings and violence with immediate effect and order an impartial judicial enquiry,' they said.
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