India: The old State murders civilians again in Bastar
Featured image: villagers protest against the fake encounters in Chhattisgarh. Source: News18
In the afternoon of Monday 1st of January, a six months old baby was murdered and its mother was injured, allegedly in the middle of a gunfight between Maoist guerrillas and troops of the old Indian State in the region of Bastar, in Chhattisgarh. This happened just three days after that a police camp was build in the region. After the events, the Indian troops gave no more details, but accused the Maoists to be the murderers.
By its side, the west Bastar division committee secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), Mohan, clearly stated that the murder occurred when the Indian troops shoot against the civilian population who was protesting against the crimes committed by the old Indian State. Therefore, what occurred was another fake encounter. The population of the area is being displaced from their lands, forced to build police and paramilitary camps, the women are sexually harassed, and when there are protests, are violently repressed. The protests of the inhabitants of Bastar are constant since years ago and also the crimes against the people committed there. We reported months ago on the bombing made by the old Indian State against the civilian population of Bastar.
The way of acting of the old Indian State it is not new either: after committing the murder of those who protest against the abuses of the repressive forces, these ones state that the killing has been committed by the Maoists or because an armed encounter. The fake encounters are well-known in Chhattisgarh and there the Indian people has protested many times against the lies of the old Indian State and the murders perpetrated by it.
From another side, on Tuesday 2nd of January numerous democratic organizations have written an open letter to the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of India, who has the highest judicial authority in the country. In this letter, the activists denounced that the freedom of expression is being suppressed, the peaceful demonstrations and rallies are being repressed, and the letter made reference to the fake encounters: “Even when some of the most oppressed and exploited sections of the country, the Adivasis of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra etc., engaged in prolonged peaceful mass movements against mining-based displacement and rapid militarisation of their lands, the people are met with fake encounters, abductions and uprooting of their homes for exercising their democratic rights”.
