Himanshu’s statement over the phone from Bhadrachallam
as told over the Phone to Kavita Srivastava
Dear friends,
As many of you are aware Himanshu and Kopa of VCA managed to escape Lingagiri in the early hours today through the forest area of that region and got into Bhadrachallam AP more than a hundred kilometres away. The distance between Bhadrachallam and Dantewada is a good two hundred and fifty kilometres.
The moment he got into range he called up his family, his colleagues and friends and supporters and said that he had escaped to Bhadrachallam and would be soon getting back to Dantewada. This is great news and we are glad that Himanshu and Kopa managed to escape the wrath of the local police and Salwa Judum although there are many concerns that still remain. He has addressed the press in Bhadrachallam with Bal Gopalji of HRF who reached late afternoon.
Himanashu gave me a long dictation over the phone of what happened and wanted people to know about what happened in the last four days. I think there are some facts that we need to act upon urgently.
Related posts
Take Action: The lives of HIMANSHU and KOPA KUNJAM in Danger In Salwa Judum captivity at Lingagiri Village
Update : himanshu has managed to reach AP, and established contact with family and vca. he should be back safely, we hope, today.
- Police force about to reach Lingagiri to save the two from Salwa Judum captivity
- Appeal to Maoists to release the two Panchayat Secretary and Dy Sarpanch at the earliest.
Jaipur,
6th June, 2009
Dear friends,
There is some very disturbing news from Dantewada.
On the 2nd of June at about 10 pm I received a message from Himanshu of Van Chetna Ashram, Dantewada in Chhattisgarh that said “a Panchayat Secretary of a newly rehabilitated village had been kidnapped by Maoists an hour ago in front of a VCA volunteer”.
Then came a second extremely worrying message on the 5th of June from Himanshu “Trapped in Lingiri village. Kopa and me will be either jailed or or killed by Salwa judum if both those abducetd are not released. Rehabiliated villagers too in panic. Whole rehabilitation process in Danger, May revert. Himanshu”
Himanshu’s phone is not available since this last SMS.
I have tried to piece the story together by talking to Rajendra Sail Sahab and Sudha Bharadwaj. This is what has happened.
On the 2nd of June evening Kopa Kunjam the rehabilitation coordinator of the VCA was returning from Basoguda camp on his motorbike. He had as pillion Nagesh Jhari, Panchayat Secretary of Dharmapur village who had with him Rs 40,000 cash collected from the sale of rice of the cooperative. The Deputy Sarpanch Punem Honga also of Dharmapur village was riding pillion too. They were both abducted by the Maoists in front of Kopa and who was allowed to go free.
Himanshu then lodged a report with the local police station on the 3rd June 6, 2009. He told his family and colleagues and also called Rajendra Sail that he was proceeding to Lingagiri. Perhaps the abduction happened around Lingagiri. Then came this sms on the 5th that Salwa Judum had made them captive and that their life was in danger.
We learnt that the Panchayat Secretary and the Deputy Sarpanch have both been members of the Salwa Judum.
There is no doubt that the act of abduction needs to be condemned and also we should lose no time to appeal to the Maoists that they must release the two at the earliest. However, it is completely ridiculous for the Salwa Judum members to hold Himanshu and Kopa responsible for the actions of maoists who are outlawed people. Several people since yesterday have been calling the District Collector and SP that they should send forces to Lingagiri and rescue Himanshu and Kopa from the clutches of the Salwa Judum, the response has been that we are doing. But nothing happened.
LATEST NEWS: 10 am
We have just learnt that Sh. Sumit Chakravorty called the Governor of Chhattisgarh today morning and read Himanshu’s message to him and also told him to urgently send police to Lingagiri so that Himanshu and Kopa could be saved. The Governor assured that he would try helping although he was out of the State. Sumit Da was a member of the national team that visited Dantewada from 29th May to 1st June and investigated the Government’s illegal act of demolition of Van Chetna Ashram building in Kanwalnar. They had also met the Governor then and also met the SP and the Collector.
At around 10a m I just called up DG police Mr. Vishwaranjan, who told me that they had send two companies of police forces to Lingagiri. He also told me that although this area was pretty close to Dantewada but since it was controlled by Maoists the police would take some to reach. He was confident that some news would be available in an hour.
Just learnt that Sumit Da also spoke to the SP who told him that they were/had sending teams and that the DG police himself was monitoring this release.
We will keep you updated.
Please keep in touch with Mr. Rajendra Sail PUCL Chhattisgarh for latest developments. Phone number: 09826804519.
Please send urgent messages to the Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh and the State Home Minster Mr. Nanki.
I am also drafting an Appeal for the Maoists to release the Dy. Sarpanch and Panchayat Secretary. Since we donot know who they are. That is why it is important to post it on every website incase some do access mails. Shall be sending that shortly.
Kavita Srivastava
(PUCL, National Secretary)
Contact Immediately
1. SP Bijapur: Ankit Garg 09425277770
2. DGP Viswaranjan of Chattisgarh: 0771- 4240077 (office phone), 094252 07025 prodgpcg@gmail.com
3. District Collector, Bijapur (R. Prashanna?) 09406202722 (Email? bijapur.cg@nic.in?)
4. Police Station, Basaguda, 07853-200344
5. Chief Secretary Joy Ommen at 098266 22633, office phone: 0771-2221207, fax: 0771-2221206, Residence phone: 0771-2521007, email: joyoommen@nic.in
6. Home secretary RP Jain (home ph: 0771-2883327)
7. Sh. B.K.S Ray, Additional Chief Secretary (Home, Civil Aviation & Transport Commissioner) bksray@nic.in,
8.Sh.Vivek Dhand, Additional Chief Secraty (Secretary to CM), E-mail : vivekdhand@nic.in
0771-2221308 (Off.), 0771-2242466 (Res.)
9.Sh. M.K. Raut, Secretary (Tribal, S.C.& S.T. Development)
E-mail : mkraut@nic.in, 0771-2234110 (Off.), 0771-2331067 (Res.)
10. Governor, H.E. Shri E.S.L. Narsimhan, E-mail: governor.cg@nic.in, Phone Nos.
+ 91 – 771 – 2331101, + 91 – 771 – 2331106, + 91 – 771 – 2331104
11. Sh.B.L.Thakur, Coordinator, Rehabilitation, Development & Monitoring of Naxalite Area, Bastar Secy., D/o Mining blthakur@nic.in +91-771-408 0522, +91-771- 233 1466
12. Rahul Sharma, SP Dantewada: Office: 07856-252224, Residence: 07856-252225
Related posts
Press Release on Lingagiri Incidents from pettitioners of supreme court case
Nandini Sundar, Ramachandra Guha, EAS Sarma
As petitioners to the Supreme Court on Salwa Judum we are deeply disturbed by the events in Lingagiri village, Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. Himanshu Kumar of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram and his workers have been rehabilitating villagers of Lingagiri and Basaguda, in addition to other villagers. This is an activity that the Chhattisgarh government should have been doing themselves as per their affidavit to the Supreme Court. Instead the Chhattisgarh government has been placing obstacles in the way of Himanshu and his workers, and trying to force people returning from AP into camps.
Yesterday, the Maoists abducted two people, a panchayat sachiv and a former resident of Basaguda camp, Punem Unga and Jhadi Nagesh, who were engaged in rehabilitation work at the request of VCA. We demand their immediate release and strongly condemn this irresponsible behaviour which has seriously damaged the possibility of return and rehabilitation. The Maoists cannot have the interests of the people at heart when they behave like this.
We also demand that the state should intervene immediately to release Himanshu Kumar and Kopa Kunjam from the custody of the Salwa Judum, who are threatening to kill them in exchange for the men abducted by the Maoists.? This is not only vigilante justice but irrational since Himanshu and VCA are not connected to the Maoists in any way. The Salwa Judum has become a law unto itself and the state must bring it under control.
We appeal to both sides to put the interests of the villagers first and to stop any activities that might harm the rehabilitation and return process.
Related posts
SOS : Himanshu Kumar and other VCA volunteers trapped between Maoists and Salwa Judum
From: Shubhranshu Choudhary
Date: Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 10:29 PM
Dear friends,
As you know Punem Unga and Jhadi Nagesh who were visiting with VCA team to deliver ration and restart of NREGA work in Lingagiri and Basaguda were abducted by Maoists on 2nd June. Mr Punem and Jhadi are ex-sarpanch and sachiv from Mallepalli and Dharmapur villages in the area.
There is no news about both of them yet.
Himanshu Kumar and 3 other VCA activists have reached Lingagiri and it seems are trapped. Salwa Judum has put up barriers and will not allow any of them to come out unless both the abducted people are released.
An FIR has also been filed by the family members of the abducted against Kopa Kunjam of VCA who was with the abducteds at the time of abduction. Abdusctors had released Kopa and had asked him to leave
Salwa Judum people have sent messages in Basaguda and Lingagiri that if anything happens to ex- Sarpanch and Sachiv they/villages will be attacked.
People in Lingagiri and Basaguda are packing their bags in fear and may head to Andhra if they do not get any assurance of help
There is an apprehension that Himanshu Ji and Kopa may get arrested.
We request all of you to intervene and request both sides to act responsibly. The maoists must release the ex-sarpanch and sachiv immedaitely and Salwa Judum/administration must restrain from any further violence/arrests.
regards
Shubhranshu Choudhary
Related posts
Ashram demolition linked to founder’s stand: team
Siddhesh Inamdar
The Hindu
“It is another vindictive act of Chhattisgarh government”
Mumbai: The demolition of the Vanvasi Chetna Ashram in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh is linked to its founder’s stand against the State-sponsored Salwa Judum campaign, an all-India fact-finding team told journalists at the Press Club here on Wednesday.
The press conference was organised by the Committee for the Release of Binayak Sen, as it saw the demolition of the ashram run by Gandhian Himanshu Kumar as another ‘vindictive act’ of the Chhattisgarh government against those who opposed the Salwa Judum campaign.
