The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) has strongly condemned the aerial attacks on them allegedly carried out by the security forces.
The Maoists claimed that the Chhattisgarh police, CRPF (COBRA), STF, DRG and Greyhounds, supported by the Indian Army and the Air Force officials and technicians in the Pamed guerilla base area of South Bastar carried out several attacks on the CPI(Maoists) installations for several days in April.
“On 15th April at 1.00 am they were targeting People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) and the local tribal people very suddenly. More than 50 drones were used in this aerial bombing and more than 50 high explosive bombs were dropped hitting some huts made by villagers in jungles to store their forest produces,” said the statement of the central committee signed by its spokesperson Abhay.
He said that PLGA and the people were alert enough and escaped narrowly from the bombing.
“This was an attack in the model of Modi’s surgical strike executed by the police and the Army personnel following the guidelines of Home Minister Amit Shah, Ajit Dowal, Vijay Kumar and Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel and is nothing but aerial terrorism,” said the release.
In April alone, it said, such attacks were carried out two times with the second one taking place on April 19.
This the first time that the Maoists have accused the chief minister of Chattishgarh, who came to power largely banking on tribal votes, of helping the central security forces.
Maoists said that deployment of the Army in the 5th Scheduled Areas of tribal people is not only unconstitutional but also “against the UNO’s indigenous people’s chapter”.
“Aerial bombing is not only inhumane but also a gross violation of international laws. The Central and the state governments are establishing police, para-Military camps in tribal areas of Bastar (CG), Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra without taking consent of Gram Sabhas as per the provisions of the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA),” said the central committee spokesman of the banned outfit. The committee said that the tribal people have been agitating against these camps since November 2019, on which heavy repression is going on.
“In fact, Modi is handing over public wealth and resources to the Indian and foreign corporates and to fulfil the purpose of unleashing the present onslaught on farmers, workers, small traders, tribals, Muslims and other oppressed people. The attacks are also targeted to wipe out the people’s political power organs, the RPCs in Bastar,” said the note.
The CC asked all the cadres, leaders and commanders of the party, PLGA and Revolutionary People’s Committees and people to give stiff resistance to the ongoing offensive.
“CC appeals to all the democrats, progressive forces, human rights organisations, workers, peasants, students, youth, journalists, left parties and forces, anti-Hindutva forces to raise high pitched voice against the drone attacks on Bastar people,” said the statement.
