India: Actions in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, news on Saibaba’s case
Picture of banners of CPI (Maoist) in Odisha. Source: New Indian Express.
The Indian Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 19, revoked the order of the Bombay High Court that discharged former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba and others accused in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act from October 2022. Apart from Saibaba, the High Court then acquitted Mahesh Kariman Tirki, Pandu Pora Narote, Hem Keshavdatta Mishra and Prashant Sanglikar, who were sentenced to life imprisonment, and Vijay Tirki who was awarded 10 years in jail. This decision is now revoked and the judicial terror against Saibaba and the others continue.
In the last days several actions have taken place in India. On April 16, two banners were found in the area of Jashipur, Mayurbhanj district, in the Odisha state. They were hanging on the main gate of the Jhadbeda tribal institute. Local media writes as follows: “While one poster read that the Maoists wanted the government to provide basic facilities to all the villages and make positive changes in the society, it also warned that in case the government fails to do so, they will take things to their hand and start the facilities.”. Another banner denounced the religious crimes committed by Hinduist nationalism against those who convert to other religions.
On the other hand, on Monday there was a firefight and an explosion of an Improvised Explosive Device [IED] in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh state. This IED injured a policeman. A police officer describes the incident to the local press: “The incident took place at around 5:35 pm near Bade Tungali village following an encounter between a District Reserve Guard [DRG] team and Naxalites.
When security personnel were cordoning the area, a gun fight broke out between the two sides. After the exchange of fire stopped, security personnel recovered an IED. Jawan Shankar Paret was injured when the IED exploded while he was defusing it.”
On Tuesday two more actions happened in the state of Chhattisgarh: the first is the shooting of CPI(Maoist) guerrillas at the vehicles of a Congressman from the state of Chhattisgarh. Local media detail the action: “On Tuesday, Maoists shot at the convoy of Congress leader Vikram Mandavi who is a legislator from Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur. There were no casualties or injuries, according to latest reports. The incident took place when the Congress leader was returning from a meeting in the Gangalur Haat market, an area affected by Naxalism”. Another action took place in the same day: “Meanwhile, there were reports of heavy exchange of fire between the police and Naxalites in the Kachalawari area of Bijapur district on Tuesday morning.”
The guerrilla warfare actions are concentrated in Chhattisgarh, specifically at district of Bijapur. And also the actions of the Indian State, for example the bombing attacks we wrote about. Local media linked popular resistance with the terror policy suffered by the people on this area. This media analyzes the following: “This latest attack on the Adivasis is part of an ongoing operation called Operation SAMADHAN-Prahar, a genocidal military policy to break the people’s democratic resistance against corporate looting. This operation, started in 2017, is follow-up of its predecessor, the infamous Operation Green Hunt carried out by the police and central paramilitary forces, coupled with SalwaJudum, a government funded vigilante mercenary organization set up against the Adivasi people.”
