Christian group condemns attack on social activist in Chhattisgarh

A Christian advocacy group has condemned the attack on social activist Swami Agnivesh in Chhattisgarh last week.

Agnivesh was on March 26 assaulted and prevented from visiting three villages in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada where security forces had allegedly attacked and burnt down homes of villagers earlier this month.

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) condemned the attack and said it was alarming that perpetrators were suspected to be special police offers (SPOs).

"GCIC is alarmed to learn that SPOs, the cadres of Salwa Judum - a civil militia movement launched in 2005 to counter leftist insurgency - were brought from various areas to Dornapal to stop Agnivesh reaching the tribal villages hit by the police rampage," the advocacy group said in a statement.

GCIC appealed to the Chhattisgarh chief minister to "stop efforts that stifle sane voices and aggravate the miseries of the victims".

According to reports, local villagers and SPOs stopped the official vehicle carrying Agnivesh along with few journalists and took away laptops and other valuables, demanding that they abandon plans to visit Dantewada.

The assault on Agnivesh has come as a surprise as the activist had given prior notice to Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh about the visit.

Agnivesh said the chief minister must take moral responsibility for the attack on him as well as the torture on tribals in villages there.

Earlier this month, police forces reportedly attacked tribals in three villages near Chintalnar in Dantewada, burning dozens of houses and raping several women.

The tribals alleged that personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force torched more than 200 tribal homes and sexually assaulted women during anti-Maoist operations.

The National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued notices to the Chhattisgarh and Central governments, seeking their reports within two weeks in the matter of alleged killing and destruction of property by security personnel.

The Commission in an official statement said it has "taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that the Koya commandos of Chhattisgarh police and COBRA battalion of CRPF, while conducting an operation to destroy an arms factory reportedly being run by Maoists at Morpalli in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, torched 37 houses, sexually assaulted several women and killed three persons."

The NHRC observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human right to life of the tribal communities in Chhattisgarh.

The Commission has directed the Chhattisgarh government to inform on "what steps have been taken for rehabilitation of those families whose houses have been burnt" and whether any "monetary relief is being considered for the victims whose human rights have been violated."