India, Facam: Condemn the intensified intimidation of Maad Bachao Manch activists

Press Statement of Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization (FACAM)

Condemn the intensified intimidation of Maad Bachao Manch activists

10th September, 2024

On 3rd September 2024, NIA conducted multiple raids in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh under the pretext of attempting to conspire to kill police parties and cease their weapons in March 2023. The NIA had named 35 adivasis as accused in this case and revealed that in further investigation they found names of multiple CPI(Maoist) supporters and workers.

They have slapped UAPA and charge-sheeted Lakma Korram, the leader of the Maad Bachao Manch as a Maoist and have declared Maad Bachao Manch a frontal organization of the Maoists, which is a democratic organization sitting on peaceful protest across Chhattisgarh demanding to stop building military camps in their villages and forests. No contact can be established with Maad Bachao Manch at this time. Due to this, there is suspicion of multiple arrests and raids on the adivasis protesting under the banner of Maad Bachao Manch. Thousands of Adivasis were practicing their democratic right to protest against the setting up of camps and fake encounters in Bastar by the CRPF and police forces, for a long time under the banner of Maad Bachao Manch. These raids and tagging of an organization peacefully protesting against state repression and corporate loot in Bastar is another way for the state to make inroads for corporates into Bastar and its untapped resources. The information blackout in Bastar is one of the biggest reasons that democratic organizations and Adivasis peacefully protesting for their rights to land and resources, and against militarization and corporatization can be thwarted and labeled as Maoist which makes it easier for the state to curb any resistance by the Adivasi peasants of Bastar.

The red-tagging of Maad Bachao Manch and other Adivasi peasants is a continuation of the state’s McCarthyian policies of equating anyone struggling for the democratic rights of the people as a Maoist and manufacturing a picture of any resistance by Adivasi peasants as an act of terrorism. Using draconian laws like UAPA the Indian state is trying to red tag and curb any act of resistance that it sees speaking against the genocidal war and corporate loot in Bastar, this is a practice that has been seen with the Jews in Germany where being a jew equated with communism and used as a way to curb dissent and further genocidal war by the state.

FACAM condemns the red-tagging of Maad Bachao Manch and Adivasi peasants in Bastar, 

We demand an end to the undemocratic anti-terrorist and anti-communist laws being used to target Adivasi peasantry. 

We also demand the release of all political prisoners and an end to red-tagging in Bastar.

We request all democratically-minded people to raise their voices for the release of political prisoners and an end to the Operation Kagar and Surajkund scheme.

Regards,

FORUM AGAINST CORPORATIZATION AND MILITARIZATION
FACAM

Constituents: All India Revolutionary Students Organization (AIRSO), All India Students Association (AISA), All India Revolutionary Women’s Organization (AIRWO), Ambedkar Student Association- DU (ASA-DU), Bhim Army Student Federation (BASF), Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students Organization (BASO), Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM), Collective, Common Teachers Forum (CTF), Democratic Students Union (DSU), Fraternity Movement, Nazariya Magazine, Progressive Lawyers Association (PLA), Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS), Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), Vishwavidyalaya Chhatra Federation (VCF)