Aerial attacks in peacetime, governments should explain: CSG on alleged airstrikes in Bastar
RAIPUR: The civil society groups (CGS) and eminent citizens from across the country expressed their serious concerns over the alleged recent aerial strikes in the Bastar forests and asked the authorities to let the facts about the incident be known to all.
Over thirty human rights organisations and prominent activists citing the news reports about the ground situation strongly felt that the Centre and the Chhattisgarh government should explain and clarify the existence of craters and bomb remnants in the forests of Bijapur and Sukma—the two worst Maoist-affected districts in south Chhattisgarh.
“The images from the ground as reported show remnants of ordinance explosives and crater-like structure in Bastar jungles besides the destroyed forest cover. It’s a known fact that the forests are not uninhabited where tribal villagers usually go out to collect non-timber forest produce or graze their cattle during the wee hours of the day. So such aerial attacks on forests amount to direct hostilities against the civilians”, said the organisations and activists in the statement jointly signed under ‘National Campaign to Defend Democracy”.
The local Adivasis in Bijapur contended the alleged aerial attacks around their villages during the intervening night of April 14-15 purportedly intended to target Maoists in different areas of Bastar jungle.
Maoists had earlier issued statements alleging the airstrikes, which were denied as “totally baseless” by both the Chhattisgarh police and the paramilitary forces.
“If not carried out by the forces, the authorities then need to explain the existence of craters and remnants of wires, other ordinance materials in the forest. Why were such air raids carried out in peacetime? If the government suspects the aerial reports are Maoist propaganda then they should order an independent probe. Such actions potentially targeting civilians need to be stopped”, said Shalini Gera, a human rights lawyer and co-founder of the Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group.
The activists demanded to ensure there shouldn't be any aerial attack in Chhattisgarh or in tribal areas and let there be peace talks initiated with the outlawed CPI (Maoist).
“Both the Centre and the State should also enter into a dialogue process with the villagers protesting against security camps, fake encounters and mass arrests. Address the issues of human rights violations by security forces and stop militarising Bastar with additional battalions”, stated the joint statement.