NHRC seeks report from MHA, six States regarding Salwa Judum displacement

Human rights lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy had submitted that tribals, once part of Salwa Judum, are deprived of social welfare schemes following displacement

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed Union Ministry of Home Affairs and six State governments to furnish information on victims of Salwa Judum and their plights.

Human rights lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy had moved NHRC seeking intervention of the Commission on issues concerning large number of tribals, mostly Scheduled Tribes, who were alleged to have been internally displaced from Chhattisgarh due to Salwa Judum.

Salwa Judum is group of tribal persons mobilised for resistance against outlawed armed CPI (Maoist). While the group was reportedly backed by government machinery in Chhattisgarh, it faced backlash from left wing extremists.

“These internally displaced tribals are living in forest area of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha and have been deprived of benefits of social welfare schemes like job cards, ration cards, health insurance cards and potable drinking water even after more than 17 years of displacement,” Mr. Tripathy had submitted.

These internally displaced tribal population lost their land rights and status of tribal, which was impacting their lives, he said, adding that failure on the part of authorities to issue them ST certificates emerged as a huge hindrance in availing benefits of various social welfare schemes of the States or even of the Central government. Moreover, the majority of them were deprived of benefits under Forest Rights Act, said the lawyer.

Mr. Tripathy had sought survey of victims of ‘Salwa Judum’ and visit of NHRC’s Special Rapporteur to get the first hand information on them.

Acting on the petition, the Commission issued direction for Chief Secretaries of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Secretary of Union Ministry of Home Affairs calling for an action taken report within a period of four weeks.

As per Mr. Tripathy, on July 5, 2011, the Supreme Court of India banned Salwa-Judum and directed Chhattisgarh government to disband any militia force founded to combat Maoist guerrillas. He urged the NHRC to ensure basic amenities are ensured for the victims.