Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Governor Anusuiya Uikey have shown willingness to meet a delegation of villagers from Silger in Maoist-infested Sukma district where protests against setting up of a security forces’ camp have been raging for almost four weeks now.
The willingness by the CM and the governor were expressed when a delegation of social activists under the banner of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan met them separately on Tuesday. The meeting came after a separate 12-member delegation of the civil society organization was stopped from visiting Silger on Monday.
The activists submitted memorandums to the CM and the governor and urged them to meet the Silger villagers to resolve the issue. The protests in Silger against the security forces’ camp, allegedly set up by acquiring land through false resolution of gram sabha, intensified after three protesters were killed in firing by the forces on May 17.
The Silger villagers, supported by hundreds others, are demanding withdrawal of the camp and return of their land apart from action on those responsible for killing of the protesters and termination of Bastar Inspector General of Police Sunddarraj P., and Bijapur Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap.
An arbitration cum probe committee of Congress MLAs led by Bastar MP Deepak Baij had met the protesting locals earlier this month, assuring unbiased probe into the firing incident and asking the locals to withdraw the protests, but stalemate continued.
On Tuesday, the delegation including human rights activist Bela Bhatia, convener of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan Alok Shukla, Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha chief Sanjay Parate and trade union leader Brijendra Tiwari had about a 45 minutes-long meeting with the CM wherein the issue of Silger was discussed in details.
Bhatia told THE WEEK that the CM showed willingness to talk to Silger people and find a solution to the issue. Special director general (naxal operations) Ashok Juneja was also present during the meeting.
The CM told the delegation that a magisterial probe was already on into the firing incident. He added that the state government was committed to fulfill the developmental needs of the people of the area. He urged the civil society organizations to support the developmental works by the state government.
The activists on their part discussed the entire Silger issue and the problems faced by locals in general in Bastar region and urged the CM to look into them and take suitable action. Similar request was made to the governor Anusuiya Uikey, too.
Separate memorandums of same demands were submitted to Baghel and Uikey with focus on withdrawal of Silger camp and returning of land to the locals to bring to an end the protests by the villagers.
The demands also include permission for the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan delegation to visit Silger after June 14, effective implementation of the provisions of Forest Rights Act, PESA Act and fifth schedule of the constitution, high-level probe into all the incidents of atrocities, suppression and genocide against the common tribal people during the BJP rule as well as the current Congress rule and strong action against responsible officials.
Among other demands are stopping the eviction of villagers from their land and if required complete the entire process of consent of gram sabha, not using the COVID-19 protocols to suppress the democratic rights of the people, bringing police stations out of the ambit of the paramilitary camps and ensuring the reach of common people wanting to lodge complaints and holding an all-party meet to development holistic view of towards the tribals.