Chhatisgarh Peace Marchers Mobbed, Abused In Bastar
By Nachiketa Desai
06 May, 2010
Countercurrents.org
Jagdalpur: Peace march by eminent citizens advocating a just and long lasting solution to the problems of the adivasis of Bastar, abjuring violence by both the Maoists and state forces, met with ugly protest demonstration by a mob of lumpen elements representing upper caste traders of this district town of Bastar who shouted filthy abuses at the country's top space scientist Prof Yashpal describing him as a sympathiser of the Naxalites. The hooliganism lasted for more than three hours, during which the peace marchers remained locked inside the conference hall of the Jagdalpur Press Club.
The demonstrators, numbering over 200 arrived on motorcycles outside the press club carrying sugar cane sticks, soon after the participants of the peace march began addressing a press conference. The hooligans, whom the police identified as local traders. "We will beat these so-called intellectuals with these sticks. They have come to stop the 'Green Hunt' and in support of the naxalites," their leaders were heard shouting.
When this correspondent started shooting their photographs, a group of about 4-5 from amongst the hooligans, menacingly advanced towards the journalist and pushed him away saying,"You cannot take our photographs."
Apprehending violence, the correspondent sent an SMS to Chhattisgarh director general of police Vishwa Ranjan apprising of the situation. Within five minutes a posse of policemen led by the superintendent of police arrived and controlled the mob. In the meantime, the hooligans deflated the tyres of the vehicles by which the peace marchers had come to Jagdalpur from Raipur and forced the driver of their bus to take it far away.
However, when the peace marchers emerged from the press conference hall, the hooligans started raising slogans like "Naxalvadi vaapas jao, vaapas jao," "Green Hunt Ho kar rahega". Some of the hooligans were also shouting unprintable epithets interspersed with the slogan of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai".
"You intellectuals only wake up and come here advocating peace only at a time when the government is launching its 'Green Hunt' to eliminate the Naxalites," their leaders were heard shouting amid the bedlam.
This was exactly what Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh had said yesterday at Raipur.
Peace marchers were compelled to return to the conference hall of the Press Club. Peace Marchers invited representatives of the demonstrators to come inside the conference hall for a meaningful discussion. About two dozen demonstrators were allowed by the police to the discussion table. After about an hour-long discussion, the demonstrators allowed the peace marchers to leave. However, as soon as the peace marchers emerged from the hall, the crowd outside again started shouting, "Naxalite sympathisers, go back."
Nachiketa Desai is a journalist who is travelling with the peace march
