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Check out the murderous rage on his face!

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Check out the strained forehead that explain his years committed to bloodshed!

 
Citizen's Interviews of S.P., Dantewada

Final Two Parts Of The Interview With SP Dantewada, Amresh Mishra on the 4th of Jan regarding the whereabouts of Sodi Sambo.

 
The tribal ‘Ruchikas’ of Dantewada

Operation Green Hunt to flush out the Maoist rebels from central India may have begun only last November, but the hapless tribals of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region have been at the receiving end of official hostility for years before that.

 
Police State, Visitors, Anthropology

Ujjwal Kumar Singh, Professor of Political Science, Delhi University and I have just returned  (January 1st) from a visit to the police state of Chhattisgarh.

 
Talking with S.P. Dantewada

Priyanka: I am a journalist and I need to speak to you about Sodi Sambo? Where is she now? Why was she illegal detained last night?

 

Interviews

Home VCA Demolition
Demolition
Fact Finding Report on VCA Demolition PDF Print E-mail

29 May-1 June 2009

Vanvasi Chetna Ashram Demolition, Dantewada

May 17 2009

An all India fact-finding team visited from 29 May to 1 June 2009 in the wake of certain disturbing developments in the state plagued by Maoist violence, state terror, the Salwa Judum campaign and attacks on voluntary organizations by the powers that be. The team visited the site of the demolished Vanvasi Chetna Ashram at Kanwalnar and run by Himanshu Kumar, a noted Gandhian social activist working among tribals in Dantewada and Bijapur districts of Bastar region. Full report can be found here 

 

 
VCA demolition: NHRC directs Dantewada Collector to file comments & ATR in four weeks PDF Print E-mail

By Speed Post                    Case No. 86/33/3/09-10/OC/M-4
Assistant Registrar (LAW)            NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Tel. No. 011-2338 5368                (LAW DIVISION)
Fax No. 011-2338 6521                FARIDKOT HOUSE
Telegraphic Add: "HUMAN RIGHTS"            COPERNICUS MARG, NEW DELHI - 110001
Home Page: http://nhrc.nic.in
                        Dated: 28/05/2009
To,                                                   
THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE,                                
DANTEWADA, CHATTISGARH
Sub: Complaint from MEDHA PATKAR & OTHERS                                 
NATIONAL ALLAINCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS                     
A WING, FIRST FLOOR, HAJI HABI BUILDING,                             
NAIGAON CROSS ROAD , DADAR (E),                         
MUMBAI-400 014, MAHARASHTRA

Sir,
The complaint dated 25/05/2009, was placed before the Commission on 28/05/2009. Upon perusing the complaint, the Commission directed as follows.

Sanjay Parikh, an Advocate has forwarded to the Commission, a complaint from Medha Patkar and others on behalf of National Alliance of People's Movements, Mumbai. It is alleged in the complaint that one social activist Himanshu Kumar has been victimized by the administration since he has raised the issue of resettlement of the displaced persons due to the Salwa Judum. It is alleged that on 17-05-2009, the entire premises of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram of Himanshu Kumar was demolished by the Dantewada Administration.

Let a copy of the complaint be transmitted to the District Magistrate, Dantewada, for his comments, within four weeks.

Accordingly, I am forwarding herewith a copy of the complaint for taking appropriate action in the matter as per the directions of the Commission. It is requested that an Action Taken Report be sent to the Commission within four weeks from the date of the receipt of this letter.
                                Your's faithfully                                                                      

ASSISTANT REGISTRAR
(LAW)Encl: As above
CC to:
The Principal Secretary (General Administration)
GOVT. OF CHATTISGARH, RAIPUR

MEDHA PATKAR & OTHERS                                                   
NATIONAL ALLAINCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS,                                   
A WING, FIRST FLOOR, HAJI HABI BUILDING, NAIGAON CROSS ROAD                                       
DADAR (E), MUMBAI-400 014, MAHARASHTRA
ASSISTANT REGISTRAR (LAW)

 
VCA Premises Demolished PDF Print E-mail

Himanshu Kumar from Vanvasi Chetna Ashram(VCA) (which is being continually harassed by the government for standing up against the Salwa Judum)  just informed us (at 10:30 am Indian Standard Time, May 17 2009) that the authorities have demolished the VCA premises. He also said they were in the middle of breaking the only handpump in the area. He said, in a very matter of fact manner, that he is back where he was 17 years ago-under a tree, and he and the VCA have to start over from square one. He also said that two students from Indian Institute of Science Banglaore, Prathamesh and Aravind; photo-journalist Javed Iqbal; journalist-intern Veronica (one of the key VCA volunteers);  Himanshu Kumar's nephew Abhay and another VCA volunteer Lakshmiyya Puja have been taken to a nearby Police Station and detained. Of the six, Aravind and Javed Iqbal were also badly beaten.

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Notice to VCA and VCA's reply PDF Print E-mail

Notice to VCA dated May 13th, 2009, but hand-delivered to them on May 16th, 2009. The notice warns VCA that the VCA premises which it calls 'encroachment'  would be bulldozed on May 17th 2009.

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