By IANS,
New Delhi: Rights activists Saturday called for an end to the offensive against Maoist guerrillas, accusing the government of emulating the US’ “Afghanistan strategy of occupation” to “deprive people of their right to livelihood” in tribal dominated central India.
“The government is unleashing a serious onslaught on certain areas of the country. Armed forces are being pressed into this attack. The government is obfuscating the role of the army in this offensive. The Air Force has been given permission to fire in ‘self-defence’,” said Pankaj Singh of Jan Hastakshep, a pro-Maoist rights group.
Jan Hastakshep, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) organised the meeting condemning the use of force against the leftwing guerrillas who are active in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Maharashtra.
The demand from the rights groups comes as the government is set to launch its biggest coordinated offensive against Maoist guerrillas, codenamed Operation Green Hunt.
Some 75,000 federal paramilitary forces along with personnel drawn from the state police are expected to carry out the offensive against the rebels, likely to be launched in November, according to home ministry officials.
Six districts in the worst hit states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Maharashtra will be the focus initially.
The operation has already attracted criticism from rights groups, who say that the use of “military” power will further alienate the people in these areas. The rebels allege that common people are being exploited and deprived of natural resources.
The government is using “the strategy of capture, hold, develop against areas where Naxalites (Maoists) are strong”, a resolution passed by the groups said.
“Home Minister P. Chidambaram is echoing US Gen McChrystal’s Afghanistan strategy, essentially a strategy of occupation. It is being used to camouflage what is essentially a move to deprive the people of their right to livelihood,” the resolution said.
“The government wants to kill the people who are for transparency in governance. And they are using the phrase of self defence. Nothing can be more ridiculous than this. You are sending your army, air force to kill your own people, the people who are struggling to get their two meals, who are struggling for their rights,” human rights activist Gautam Navlakha told IANS.
The resolution called for an unconditional dialogue with the rebels and rehabilitation of the people affected by the violence.