Salwa Judum Terror drives 50,000 adivasi's into Andhra Pradesh

Salwa Judum excesses drives more than 50,000 tribals into AP
Wednesday June 6 2007 15:11 IST

KHAMMAM: The tribals of villages bordering Chattisgarh in Bhadrachalam division are living in constant fear.

Thousands of Adivasis have either migrated to Andhra or fled to forests in Chattisgarh due to the excesses committed by the Salwa Judum, a private army created by the Chattisgarh government to suppress the Naxal movement.

According to former MLA of Kunta in Chattisgarh Maneesh Kunja, about 50,000 Adivasis crossed the borders to save their skins. So far the activists of Salwa Judum killed 500 innocent Girijans on the pretext that they were assisting Naxalites, he added.

The Adivasis are sandwiched between Naxalites and Salwa Judum. About 2,000 houses of Adivasis have been reduced to ashes and they were robbed of their cattle, sheep and pigs, Maneesh said.

The exodus of Adivasis has become an headache for the Girijans this side of the border as Salwa Judum activists indulge in frequent raids pursuing their targets and forcibly take away their hens and sheep.

A public meeting held at Charla in Bhadrachalam division on June 2 denouncing the excesses of Salwa Judum was attended by 50,000 Adivasis speaks volumes about the intensity of the problem they are facing.

The Communist Party of India extended its support to the Adivasis and vowed to protect them from the Salwa Judum. CPI State secretary K Narayana and Maneesh demanded that the BJP government led by Raman Singh ban the Salwa Judum and file criminal cases against the activists of the latter.

The Salwa Judum was formed on June 4, 2005 under the leadership of opposition leader Mahendra Karma to wipe out the Naxalites.

But the Salwa Judum instead of killing the Naxalites were targetting the Adivasis, said All India Adivasi Mahasabha leader R Sankar Naik.

Thousands of Adivasis were leading a pathetic life in the camps run by Salwa Judum, he added. The Adivasis have been deprived of essential commodities as the Salwa Judum activists forced the closure of their weekly shandies, Sankar Naik said and demanded the withdrawal of Mizo and Naga forces from the Chhatisgarh, probe into the murders and lootings committed by the Salwa Judum, recall of migrated Adivasis and provide succour to them.

Otherwise he said the Adivasi Mahasabha would intensify its agitation in South Bastar in Chhattisgarh.