“Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” Government, Vigilante, and Naxalite Abuses in India’s Chhattisgarh State Copyright © 2008 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-356-0 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org July 2008 1-56432-356-0 “Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” Government, Vigilante, and Naxalite Abuses in India’s Chhattisgarh State Maps........................................................................................................................ 1 Glossary/ Abbreviations ..........................................................................................3 I. Summary.............................................................................................................5 Government and Salwa Judum abuses ................................................................7 Abuses by Naxalites..........................................................................................10 Key Recommendations: The need for protection and accountability................... 12 II. Methodology.................................................................................................... 15 Terminology...................................................................................................... 17 III. Background......................................................................................................19 Naxalism in India ..............................................................................................19 Salwa Judum: Vigilantes to oust Naxalites.........................................................23 Deployment of government security forces........................................................25 Civil society challenges to a failed policy...........................................................27 IV. Abuses by Salwa Judum................................................................................... 29 A. Salwa Judum raids on villages coercing civilian participation......................... 31 B. Coercing camp residents’ participation in Salwa Judum................................39 C. Salwa Judum reprisals against villagers who leave camps ............................ 41 D. Salwa Judum reprisals against villagers who have fled to Andhra Pradesh....43 V. Abuses by the State ..........................................................................................46 A. Killings, beatings, burnings, and pillage........................................................46 B. Arbitrary detention, torture, and “disappearances” .......................................54 C. Failure of the government to investigate abuses............................................58 D. Government intimidation of NGOs, journalists, and lawyers ..........................61 VI. Plight of Persons Displaced by the Conflict ...................................................... 69 A. Failure of the Chhattisgarh government to provide adequate assistance to displaced persons ............................................................................................ 71 B. “Double jeopardy”: Abuses against displaced persons by Andhra Pradesh authorities ........................................................................................................82 VII. Abuses by Naxalites.........................................................................................97 A. Threats, extortions, and killings ....................................................................97 B. Use of landmines and IEDs.......................................................................... 104 C. Reprisals against Salwa Judum camp residents ...........................................106 D. Reprisals against Naxalite deserters ............................................................111 E. CPI (Maoist) Party statements...................................................................... 112 VIII. Recruitment and Use of Children ....................................................................115 A. Government recruitment and use of children as special police officers .........117 B. Recruitment and use of children by Naxalites .............................................. 129 IX. Impact of the Conflict on Education ................................................................. 142 A. Disruption of schooling in Dantewada and Bijapur districts ......................... 142 B. Displaced children’s access to education in Andhra Pradesh....................... 145 X. Recommendations ........................................................................................... 147 To the Indian central government .................................................................... 147 To the Chhattisgarh state government............................................................. 150 To the Andhra Pradesh government................................................................. 152 To the CPI (Maoist) Party ................................................................................. 153 To Foreign governments, Intergovernmental Bodies, and International Financial Institutions ..................................................................................................... 154 Appendix I............................................................................................................ 155 Appendix II........................................................................................................... 156 Acknowledgments................................................................................................ 167 Maps © 2008 John Emerson 1 Human Rights Watch July 2008 © 2008 John Emerson “Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” 2 Glossary/ Abbreviations Abhiyan Campaign Adivasi Literally meaning “original habitant,” a term used to refer to indigenous tribal communities in India Anganwadi Government-run early childhood care and education center under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme Ashram school Government-run residential school in rural areas Bal sangam Village-level Naxalite children’s association Block Administrative division. Several blocks make a district CAF Chhattisgarh Armed Force, under the control of the Chhattisgarh state government CNM Chaitanya Natya Manch, a street theater troupe organized and managed by Naxalites CPI (Maoist) Communist Party of India (Maoist), a prominent Naxalite political party CRPF Central Reserve Police Force, paramilitary police under the control of the Indian central government Dalam Armed squad of Naxalites Dalit Literally meaning “broken” people, a term for so-called “untouchables” DGP Director general of police District Administrative division. Many districts make a state District collector Highest district-level administrative officer Director general of police Highest police official in the state 3 Human Rights Watch July 2008 Gram Panchayat/ Literally meaning “assembly of five,” a term used to Panchayat refer to the village-level councils of elected government representatives ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights IED Improvised explosive device IRB Indian Reserve Battalion, paramilitary police under the control of the Indian central government ITDA Integrated Tribal Development Agency Jan adalats “People’s courts” organized by Naxalites Jan militia Armed informers who travel with dalams MHA Ministry of Home Affairs NCPCR National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights NHRC National Human Rights Commission Patel Village headman PLGA People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army, standing army of CPI (Maoist) party Sangam Village-level Naxalite association Sarpanch Village official—head of the gram panchayat SHRC State Human Rights Commission SP Superintendent of Police SPOs Special police officers, auxiliary police force Superintendent of police Highest district-level police officer (SP) Tribe/tribal Term used to refer to indigenous people in India “Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” 4 I. Summary We often wonder what sins we committed to be born at this time. Our lives are impossible. Naxalites come and threaten us. They demand food and ask us to help them with information about police movements. Then the police come. They beat us and ask us for information. We are caught between these people. There is no way out. — A resident of Errabore, a government-run camp, January 2008 In Chhattisgarh state in central India, a dramatic escalation of a little-known conflict since June 2005 has destroyed hundreds of villages and uprooted tens of thousands of people from their homes. Caught in a deadly tug-of-war between an armed Maoist movement on one side, and government security forces and a vigilante