|
India Thinkers Net Archives Index
|
Subscribe
|
|
| << July31, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]To hang or not to hang |
August02, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net] News update >> |
|
#1 From: "chro chro chro" <chro@rediffmail.com> Date: Fri Jul 30, 2004 0:44pm Subject: Gadar, Varavara Rao, Kalyan Rao Booked For 'Offensive' Speeches New Indian Express, July 30, 2004, Friday Gadar, Varavara Rao, Kalyan Rao booked for ???offensive??™ speeches WARANGAL/HYDERABAD: A slew of cases have been registered by the Warangal police against the People??™s War Group (PWG) emissaries Gadar, Varavara Rao and G Kalyan Rao for their ???offensive??™ speeches at a public meeting in the town on Wednesday night. (RELATED ITEMS BOTTOM) This surprise development might affect the congenial atmosphere that the Government has assiduously built up over the last two months to hold peace talks with various Naxalite groups in the State and end the violence. Only recently, the Government directed the CID officials to remove the name of PWG leader Ramakrishna as ???Most wanted person??™ from their website. The cases were registered under IPC Sections -143, 120 (B), 153 (A) and 506 (read with 149). The charges include hatching a criminal conspiracy to overthrow the lawfully established Government, promoting disharmony among people and intimidating Government officials. Though the Intezargunj Police station in Warangal town booked the cases, senior police officials are understood to have discussed the pros and cons of the decision. Earlier, they went through the videotapes of the on Wednesday night??™s public meeting. Home Minister K Jana Reddy was not available for comments on the development. The three PWG Emissaries, who reached Visakhapatnam late tonight for another meeting, reacted sharply to the Police action. Gadar said booking the cases against them amounted to infringement of freedom of speech while Varavara Rao regretted that the Rajasekhar Reddy Government was following in the footsteps of the previous TDP regime. Rao, however, hoped that the on-going talks would not be derailed because of the police measure. Stating that they were yet to ascertain the facts, top police officials in Hyderabad said the Local Police only did their duty and that it was for the Government to take a decision. ------------------------------------------------------------ IANS, July 29, 2004, Thursday AP police register cases against PWG emissaries HYDERABAD: In a development that could mar the Andhra Pradesh government's peace talks with the People's War Group (PWG), police on Thursday registered cases of treason and conspiracy against the rebel group's emissaries for the dialogue. Police said the cases were registered for making provocative speeches against the state and for threatening to seize power through an armed struggle at a public meeting Wednesday. Home Minister K. Jana Reddy declined to comment on the development or to react to the speeches delivered at the meeting, which was attended by tens of thousands of people. Sources, however, said the police registered the cases with the permission of the government. The PWG emissaries - balladeer Gadar and writers Varvara Rao and Kalyan Rao - addressed the meeting at Warangal, 150 km from here, which was the organisation's first show of strength after the government lifted a 12-year ban to prepare grounds for the talks. The emissaries had said at the meeting that the Maoist outfit had no plans to lay down arms while it talked peace with the government. They announced the PWG had no identity without weapons. Reacting sharply to the police action, Gadar said freedom of expression was being curbed. He said such measures would vitiate the atmosphere for talks. Gadar said the action had proved the Maoist charge that the police were trying to subvert the peace process. He pointed out that police stopped vehicles bringing people to the public meeting and hired cameramen to record the event in the guise of press reporters. They said the government was concerned over the future of the peace process in the light of PWG emissaries ruling out the end of the armed struggle. ------------------------------------------------------------ Deccan Chronicle, July 30, 2004, Friday Naxalite frontmen booked for revolt talk Warangal, July 29: The Intejargunj police has registered police cases against poet Vara Vara Rao, balladeer Gaddar and Naxal emissary Kalyan Rao under IPC Sections 143, 120B, 153A, 506 read with 149 and Criminal Law Amend-ment Act Section 7. The charges framed against them include, publicly claiming that an armed struggle alone could create a separate Telangana State, threatening the State administration and trying to flare up regional passions at a public meeting. The police action came close on the heels of the statement issued by Home Minister K Jana Reddy that the law would take its own course. The above statements by the PWG sympathisers were made during the first public meeting held in Warangal on Wednesday. It has been learnt that the police had registered these cases on Wednesday itself. Vara Vara Rao was not available for comment. The imposition of cases against these leaders will have serious repercussions over the ensuing talks betw-een the Naxals and the State. ------------------------------------------------------------ #2 The HIndu, July 30, 2004, Friday PW remembers its heroes By Our Staff Reporter CUDDAPAH, JULY 29. The People's War Dalam commander, Lakshmi, on Wednesday inaugurated a Marytrs' Memorial (stupam) in Madhavaram Kaspa in Rayachoti mandal, and the PW People's Guerilla Army (PGA) conducted a `praja durbar' to mark the Martyrs' Commemoration Week. PW cadre paid tributes to the naxalites - Diwakar, Sandhya, Sankar and Lathakka - and a two-minute silence was observed in their memory. The stupam, built in the memory of Diwakar, the deputy commander of the Papaghni Dalam, Lakshmi, and cowherds Kadirappa Naidu and Ramanappa Naidu, who were killed in the Sakibanda encounter, was inaugurated on the occasion. Cadre vows to fulfil goals The cadre raised slogans in support of the PGA and vowed to fulfil the goals of the deceased naxals. About 10 dalam members, and several sympathisers and people, including women and children, participated. Speaking on the occasion, the PW leader, Rajasekhar, said the sacrifices made by the "martyrs" to weaken "dictatorial and capitalist forces" and realise a rule that prioritises the poor and the oppressed, would be not be without meaning. He said the naxals had gotten closer to the oppressed by studying their problems, adding that Sandhya underwent "untold suffering" before she joined the dalam. Commemoration Week till August 3 The Papaghni Dalam Commander, Lakshmi, recalled that Sandhya had formed women's organisations and involved people in movements against dowry and in land struggles. She alleged that the two "poverty-stricken" cowherds were shot dead by police, adding that a TDP leader, Saikam Basi Reddy, who had "perpetrated atrocities" against the people of Madhavaram village, had been killed by the PGA. The Commemoration Week was being observed to recall the martyrs of the 35-year movement, she said, reeling out names of several naxalites killed in the district. The PW has put up posters all over, stating that the commemoration week would go on till August 3. ------------------------------------------------------------ Deccan Chronicle, July 30, 2004, Friday Naxalite groups to wage united struggle Karimnagar, July 29: Focussing on the reunification of revolutionary groups as mooted by the speakers at the PWG memorial meeting in Warangal, the Naxal groups including the PWG and Janasakti have been reportedly pursuing the option to consolidate the strength of the revolutionary forces vigorously. Taking cue from the fervent call made by the revolutionary balladeer and PWG emissary Gaddar and the Janasakti representative Srinivas Rao who shared the dais at the martyrs memorial meeting held in Warangal on Wednesday, the district-based revolutionary groups are understood to be working on strategies to strengthen the bond between various revolutionary groups to work cohesively. According to sources, the strategy envisages strengthening of the internal organisations as well as forging effective coordination bet-ween the the revolutionary groups for effectively spearheading revolutionary struggle. Taking initiative in this direction soon after the cessation of ban on PWG, some of the top brass of the Janasakti reportedly organised meetings with the party cadres and sympathisers in several villages in Konaraopet, Chandurthi, Yellareddypet, Illanthakunta and Gambh-iraopet mandals in Sircilla division, which were hitherto considered the stronghold of Janasakti, in the last one week. Meanwhile, a handwritten poster surfaced on the wall of a roadside shop opposite the district court building in the heart of Karimnagar town on Thursday in the name of Janasakti district committee. In the poster, the Naxals denounced the ???fake encounters??? and sought action against the errant police officers responsible for the incidents. On the other hand, the PWG Naxalites organised memorial meetings at Garjanapally and Veernapally village in Yellareddypet mandal on Wednesday night and paid tributes to the revolutionary martyrs on the occasion. The PWG reportedly took out a torch rally in Muttaram on Thursday and erected a martyrs memorial. ----------------------------------------- #3 Anti-Naxal Operation Scam : Centre Stops 6 IPS Medals In AP Deccan Chronicle, July 30, 2004, Friday Centre stops 6 IPS medals Hyderabad, July 29: In a move that could cause immense embarrassment to the State police force, the Union Home Ministry has cancelled the prestigious Antrik Suraksha Patak awarded to six IPS officials from the State including former Intelligence chief A Shiv Shankar after finding them ???ineligible???. Consequent to the Home Ministry decision, Chief Secretary Mohan Kanda has written to Director-General of Police S R Sukumara to initiate disciplinary action against Shiv Shankar, now Additional DG (Railways), who, besides staking claim for himself, also reportedly recommended the names of two other IPS officers. The six officers, recommended for the award by the Telugu Desam government, include besides Shiv Shankar, Hyderabad Joint Commissioner of Police R Eswar Reddy and Krishna district Superintendent of Police Laxman Mohan, police sources told Deccan Chronicle. The names of the other officials could not be confirmed. The Union government announced the awards for the officials in June. The awards were to be presented to the police officers during Republic Day celebrations next year. The Antrik Suraksha award is given to police officers who serve as Superintendent of Police in any of the eight Naxal-affected districts for at least two years. The districts specifically identified are Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Adilabad, Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda and Visakapatnam (Rural). None of the six officers recommended for the medals had served in any of these districts. According to police sources, the Congress government replied to a communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 26 clarifying that the six IPS officials had not served in any naxal-affected area. The Ministry had sought the clarification after receiving petitions from police officers associations in the State on the anomaly in the recommendation. The award was instituted in 1989. So far, no IPS officer from the State has won the award though the names of at least 20 IPS officials had been recommended in the past. ???The award should be given only to those who perform duties courageously in the Naxal-affected districts. We have worked for several years in extremist-affected areas but our names have not been recommended. This is a major blow to the department,??? said a police official. When contacted, Director-General S R Sukumara said he had no idea about the development. ???So many letters come to me. I don??™t remember the contents of the letter,??? the DGP said. ---------------------------------------------------------- #4 A.P. Not To Counter People's War Challenge The Hindu, July 30, 2004, Friday A.P. not to counter People's War challenge By N. Rahul HYDERABAD, JULY 29. The Andhra Pradesh Government is guarded in its reaction to the reiteration of the People's War that it would not give up arms. The reiteration came at a PW meeting at Warangal on Wednesday. The speakers at the meeting were reacting to the Government's demand that the naxalites lay down arms to create a "cordial atmosphere" for talks. Speaking to The Hindu , the State Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy, said today that the issue would be raised during the direct talks with the PW. The talks would be held on issue-by-issue basis and it would be then that the question of disarming would crop up. Mr. Reddy said the challenge thrown by the naxalite outfit was a distant one. The Government's immediate appeal to the extremists was to abjure violence for facilitating smooth conduct of talks. They should not propagate their ideology in villages with weapons. They should also help in the peace process without causing hindrance to statutes. He said the people were the best judges of any violation of the peace accord between the Government and the PW. Both sides should observe restraint. He said it was not the Government's intention to counter the PW's challenge. There should be no scope for an emotional warfare. "It was a sincere appeal to the organisation to give up arms and join the mainstream. Since it said `no', the matter would be examined in depth." ------------------------------------------------------------ The HIndu, July 30, 2004, Friday Union Minister flays naxals' argument on keeping arms By Our Staff Reporter ANANTAPUR, JULY 29. The Union Home Minister, Shivraj V. Patil, has complimented the efforts of the State Government in finding a solution to the naxalite problem. He hailed the State's decision for choosing the path of dialogue for resolving the long-pending problem. Talking to newspersons at Puttaparthi in the district today he said though there were two ways for ending the menace -- talks and arms -- the path of talks chosen by the State Government was wiser. He hoped for a fruitful outcome from the exercise though it was only in the beginning stage. On the naxalites' assertion that they would not leave the arms the Union Minister said it was not encouraging to the congenial atmosphere being created now as the process of dialogue was only in the primary stage. He assured the naxalites that the Centre would help them if they would join the mainstream by leaving the arms. Promise on POTA Mr. Patil reiterated the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's commitment to repeal the POTA. He also stated that the places of worship belonging to all religions would be protected by the Centre, if they had any threat. The Union Minister arrived at Puttaparthi late on Wednesday night and stayed overnight there. After having the darshan of Satya Saibaba, Mr. Patil left for Bangalore today morning. ------------------------------------------------------------ Deccan Chronicle, July 29, 2004, Friday Patil decries PW bravado on arms struggle Anantapur, July 29: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil took exception to the PWG statement that the outfit would stick to its armed struggle under all circumstances. Talking to mediapersons at the Shanti Bhavan guest house in Prashanthi Nilayam on Thursday, the Union Minister said the outfit should not resort to such bravado at a time when the talks between the Naxalites and the State were at a preliminary stage. He, however, firmly stated that the issue could be resolved only through talks. ???There are two ways of solving the problem. While one was through talks, the other is through arms. It is a good sign that the State government opted to talk over the matter,??? he said. Patil, however, reiterated his plea to the Naxalites to shed arms to join the mainstream. ???The Centre would try to solve the problems of the PWG in a democratic manner. We will be the first to address the issues that they would raise,??? Patil said. ------------------------------------------------------------ New Indian Express, July 30, 2004, Friday CMs of Naxal-hit States to meet next week NEW DELHI: The Government will convene a meeting next week of the Chief Ministers of all Naxalite-affected States to assess the developments following lifting of ban on People??™s War Group (PWG) in Andhra Pradesh. ??????We are going to call a meeting next week to assess the situation,??™??™ Home Ministry officials said here on Thursday. Asked about the agenda, the officials said the recent developments including the public rally and the statements made by PWG leaders after lifting of the ban would be deliberated upon. The Meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of lifting of ban and fresh initiatives taken by the Andhra Pradesh Government to start peace negotiations with the Insurgent group. Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (CHRO) 3, Rams' Cottage Ambalathumukku, Pettah Thiruvananthapuram-695 024 (Ph.: 0471-2476262) Web: www.humanrightsindia.com www.humanrightskerala.com |
|
| << July31, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]To hang or not to hang |
August02, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net] News update >> |
|
India Thinkers Net Archives Index
|
Subscribe
|
|
|
Archives powered by Zinester's Mailing List Service
Details on India Thinkers Net |
Browse for more newsletters at Zinester's Ezine Directory
Managed by Zinester's Mailing List Management |