ANANTAPUR: Award-winning journalist Malini Subramaniam highlighted the widespread human rights violations in Bastar, which have been normalised by both the media and society.
Subramaniam, who has been reporting from Chhattisgarh for over a decade, emphasised the complete suspension of law and rights in the region affected by the Maoist movement. She described how Aadivasis, dependent on forests for their livelihood, face restrictions on their freedom of movement, as the police curb their activities under the pretext of combating Maoists. Subramaniam expressed concern that brutal incidents of violence, illegal detentions, and extrajudicial killings of Aadivasis are rarely reported in the media.
“Local journalists are pressured to remain silent. To the outside world, Chhattisgarh seems fine due to developmental projects, but the real question is: Who benefits from them?,” she remarked, urging for greater attention to the plight of indigenous people.
SN Sahu, Officer on Special Duty to former President KR Narayanan, discussed the pervasive caste discrimination that even reaches the highest levels of government. He pointed out that even the former President Narayanan, faced caste-based discrimination.
“Caste is a disease. A caste census is essential to measure the extent of its spread. If we conduct censuses for animals, is it too much to ask for one to understand the marginalisation of certain groups?” he questioned.
Kopparthi Venkata Ramana Murthy, a retired history professor and writer, also spoke on the impact of NEP 2020, warning that it is steering towards the corporatisation of education, which could make it inaccessible for marginalised communities.
The conference, chaired by S Jeevan Kumar of the HRF, attracted more than 300 people.