PRESS RELEASE
2nd February2023
CDRO condemns the harassment and restriction of the movement of its fact-finding team by the Chhattisgarh police and the CRPF
A fact-finding team of the Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations (CDRO), comprising 18 members from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Delhi, Haryanaand Chhattisgarh, was detailed and sent backby the Chhattisgarh police andthe CRPF. It is pertinent to mention that this team was on a fact-finding missionto investigate the recent cases of aerial bombings in the region as well as severalinstances of state repression ofthe Anti-Camp Movement and matters of illegal forceful land acquisition to build roads and camps.
As per the plan, the fact-finding team was to visit the affected areas from the 1st to the 5thof February. In the morning hours of February 1st, the team hired three Scorpio vehicles to visit the places. But the local police sent back the vehicles by threatening the drivers. Again after speaking with the Civil Administration, the fact-finding team started from Sukma in the afternoon. Later, the fact-finding team was stopped at various places between Sukma and Dornapal. Finally, in the evening, at a small town of Dubbathota, the team was prevented fromgoing further and the CRPF forced the drivers to return leaving the team members at Dubbathota. Despite meeting and informing the Superintendent of Police, Sukma and DSP, Burkapal, they were detained in a tin shed under a heavy cordon of CRPF, DRG and Chhattisgarh police. To prevent them from getting any relief, the police administration shut down the town. The team members did not receive even proper food since midday. They have even been prevented to take shelter in the ‘Dubbathota’ Panchayat office at night and they were constrained to take shelter in a roadside tribal house.
This morning, i.e., on the 2nd morning, the team again hired vehicles from Dornapal and started the journey for continuing with the fact-finding. Again, the CRPF stopped and sent back vehicles, citing security reasons. Further, they have fined Rs.1000/- to a two-wheeler belonging to a person from a local tribal organisation who came forward to show the way to reach the affected arias. In this way, the fact-finding team was prevented to go further and complete its mission. The team, therefore, had to suspend its fact-findingmission and was forced to return.
The obstructions caused by the Chhattisgarh police and the Central police forces are illegal. It isan attack on the freedom of movement, which is a fundamental right under the constitution. It shows that the authorities are hell-bentonhiding the truth of the aerial bombing of the tribal villages by the security forces as well as their persistent attack on the people protesting against the illegal occupation of the land and the camps created by the security forces. There is no civil administration control in Chhattisgarh. The lives of the people, particularly those of the tribal are under the control of police and central forces.
CDRO member organisations vow to take this forcible obstruction of the fact-finding and restriction of the movement of the democratic rights activists to the people in their respective states. CDRO urges all like-minded people and democratic organisations to take up similar programs at their respective places and highlight the plight of the common people in the affected areas.
CDRO demands
1. The Chhattisgarh government and the central security forces must allow free movement of the fact-finding team to visit the affected areas of air bombing on tribal habitations.
2. Immediate withdrawal of the police and CRPF camps which have become a serious threat to the existence and peaceful life of the local tribal population.
Asish Gupta
Tapas Chakraborty
Kranthi Chaitanya
Coordinators, CDRO
Constituent Organisations of CDRO:
Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR, Punjab); Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR, Haryana), Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR, West Bengal); Asansol Civil Rights Association(West Bengal); Bandi Mukti Committee(West Bengal); Civil Liberties Committee (Andhra Pradesh); Civil Liberties Committee (Telangana); Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (Maharashtra); Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR TamilNadu); Coordination for Human Rights (Manipur); ManabAdhikar Sangram Samiti (Assam); Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights; Peoples’Committee for Human Rights (Jammu and Kashmir); Peoples Democratic Forum(Karnataka); Jharkhand Council for Democratic Rights (Jharkhand); Peoples Union For Democratic Rights (Delhi); Peoples Union for Civil Rights (Haryana), Campaign for Peace & Democracy in Manipur, Delhi; Janakeeya Manushyaavakasha Prasthanam, Kerala.
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