The banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) has warned journalists working in Chhattisgarh against helping the police in carrying out surrender of Maoist cadres. “We appeal to the journalist brothers to condemn the fake surrenders and stop encouraging those who have deceived the people’s movement. The journalists who support the surrendered Maoists will be termed as ‘anti-people’ by the party,” said Ganesh Uike, secretary of the South Regional Committee (SRC) of the CPI(Maoist), in a press statement.
The Maoist leader criticised senior journalist and president of Bastar press club Karrimuddin for giving “financial assistance” to a surrendered Maoist cadre a few days ago.
“Karrimuddin is a senior journalist. It does not behove him to encourage those (surrendered Maoists) who have deceived the people’s movement. He should not repeat this,” said the Maoist leader.
The banned outfit had killed two journalists working Bastar last year accusing them of being “police informers”.
The SRC secretary termed the spate of Maoist surrenders in Bastar in the past few months as “fake and engineered”.
“The new surrender policy is acting as a tool for corrupt police and paramilitary officers to loot money. The police and administration is misleading the media about surrenders. Common people and activists working in Bastar are threatened with arrest and are asked to pose as surrendered Maoists. In many cases, former Maoists, who quit the party many years ago, are being re-arrested,” claimed Ganesh Uike, whose name has figured in almost all the major incidents of violence against police in the last five to 10 years.
Mr. Uike alleged that in the past few months Bastar police and paramilitary forces had killed many civilians and branded them as Maoists.
“Three women members of the PLGA were caught and tortured before being killed. Bastar IG S.R.P. Kalluri is misleading the media. The journalists should not believe the police version on surrenders and encounters. We appeal our journalist brothers to come to the spot and verify facts before writing,” added the press statement.
The Maoists party secretary also appealed the journalists to stop “defaming” the CPI(Maoist) for “red terror”.
“We are not terrorists, but we are patriots and we are fighting for the people. We are standing against many multinational companies, preventing them from snatching land from tribal people. The media should support us rather than supporting the ‘exploiter’ government,” said the Maoist leader calling for “Dandakaranya bandh” on November 8 against the Narendra Modi government’s “ Brahmnic and fascist policies”.
Mr. Karrimuddin has denied the allegations and said that he was just giving reward money to a surrendered Maoist at a ceremony.
