The Hindu : Rights groups ask Govt. to stop arrests

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 12, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Rights groups ask Govt. to stop arrests

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM March 11. Three Bangalore-based human rights organisations have asked the Kerala Government to stop unlawful arrests and torture of innocent Adivasis and order a judicial probe into the firing at Muthanga.

They also wanted the Government to immediately begin negotiations with the Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha led by C. K. Janu and take steps to implement the agreement signed with it in 2001.

A fact-finding team jointly sponsored by the three organisations -- Vigil India Movement, South Indian Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) and People's Union for Civil Liberties -- which visited Muthanga and other places in Wayanad last week, noted in its report that though the police had fired 18 rounds against the Adivasis, very few persons with bullet injuries had reached the hospitals. The organisations urged the Government to trace the missing persons with the help of civil groups.

The report also said the Government should publish the list of Adivasis who were in Muthanga at the time of the police action. This list is now in the Government's possession. None should be falsely implicated in the cases connected with the Muthanga incident.

The Government is duty-bound to ensure that all Adivasis who had gone to settle at Muthanga returned safely to their hamlets. The police action had destroyed the livelihood of about 1,000 Adivasi families who had gathered there. The Government must immediately provide them free ration, medical aid and other livelihood assistance to ensure their survival. Otherwise, there was every chance of hunger deaths in the Adivasi hamlets, the report warned. Stating that the Government must not discriminate between policemen and civilians killed or injured in an ``unjustifiable, avoidable and indiscriminate firing'', the report demanded that the Adivasis who were killed or injured in the police action be compensated on the same basis as the police personnel.

The team consisted of Mathews Philip, executive director of SICHREM, R. Monohar, vice-president of PUCL-Karnataka, Joseph Bernad, a media activist and Saji Thomas, coordinator of Vigil India Movement. Its report was forwarded to the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, today by the Vigil India Movement.

The Vigil India Movement, in a press release, said if the State Government refused to concede the demand for a judicial inquiry, the demand would be raised before the Centre, which too was competent to order such a probe, invoking its special responsibility under the Constitution to protect the Scheduled Tribes.

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