Public Meeting on
Operation Greenhunt: The Indian State Declares War on Democracy

Speakers:
Prof. Nandini Sundar (Delhi School of Economics)
Himanshu Kumar (Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, Chattisgarh)
Gautam Nanvlakha (Human Rights activist and journalist)
Dr. G. Ajay (JNU / Citizens’ Initiative for Peace)

Screening of Gopal Menon’s When a State Declares War on its People
(A 15-minute trailer on gross human rights violations by the army in the name of fighting the Maoists)

20th November 2009 / Seminar Room, Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Jamia Millia Islamia)

The Jamia Teacher’s Solidarity Association organized a Public Meeting on ‘Operation Green Hunt: The State Declares War on Democracy’ at the Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Jamia Millia Islamia, on the 20th November, 2009. The meeting was attended by a large number of students and faculty members from Jamia Millia Islamia, JNU and Delhi University as well as by human rights activists. The four speakers meeting who addressed the meeting spoke about the wide-spread state atrocities on villagers, the ineffectiveness of institutions of governance, the Maoist movement and the Salwa Judum. Himanshu Kumar of the Vanavasi Chetna Ashram spoke about the absence of systems of governance, including courts and schools, in large parts of Chattisgarh. He questioned the idea of the Maoist movement opposing development, citing a recent RTI filed by him which proved that there were no instances of health workers or anganwadi teachers being targeted by the Maoists. Himanshu Kumar spoke at length about his efforts to rehabilitate several villages only to be repeatedly displaced by the state. He pointed out that this strategy of evacuating villagers helped to clear the land for the setting up of mining industries. Like Himanshu Kumar, the next speaker, Nandini Sundar, too drew upon her long experience of work among the Chattisgarh villages to speak about state atrocities on civilians. She read out from the testimonials of several villagers that she had presented before the Court over the past one year. The testimonials speak of several instances of rape, looting, and killing by the SPOs of Salwa Judum. Justice continues to be denied to these villagers however, as the Courts have either termed these testimonials as insufficient evidence or refused to grant dates for the hearing of these cases. Nandini also pointed to the ineffectiveness of the National Human Rights Commission and to the gross lapses in the investigation of these atrocities, such as the inclusion of police officers in the investigation committees. Gautam Navlakha who spoke next elaborated on the structured injustice in society and the failure of the state to provide justice of any kind to its citizens. This forms the context for the political violence that is being witnessed against the repressive state. Navlakha quoted at length from a recent report of the Ministry of Rural Development which accepted the growing inequality and large scale evacuation of tribals from their lands in Chattisgarh and Jharkhand. Ajay Gudavarthy who was the last speaker at the meeting, drew attention to the growing consent and consensus among the urban elite including the new professional classes, to the extra-judicial killings and the unaccountable violence of the state. He emphasized the changing character of the state with the growth of a new class of civil, liquor and mining contractors as witnessed in the ongoing case of the Reddy brothers. He argued that the very growth of this class was linked to the violation of norms and procedures which make it double difficult in either totally rejecting, undermining or accepting the state. It is in this context that peace becomes as much a responsibility of the revolutionary groups in making it a part of their political agenda.