“Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” - Global Coalition to Protect ...

Similarly, Naxalites beat and harassed Himesh Karan’s family because he joined the
police. He had worked with the police as an informer since 2002 and was accepted
into the police force in 2006. He said,
On May 27, 2002, Naxalites first attacked my house. They took away
our grain, cattle, clothes, and jewelry. I was absorbed into the police
force in 2006. I take part in police patrols in our area where I know the
terrain. Naxalites have been attacking my house and taking away all
our harvest. They threatened my brothers and beat them. They told my
younger brother that he should come to [name withheld] and kill me.
“Go kill your brother or we will kill you,” they told him. “Your brother is
bringing the police here to attack us. We want him dead.” My brother
said he could not kill me. So they beat him. 329
As recently as late January 2008, Naxalites held a meeting in Himesh Karan’s village
and attacked his brothers again:
They beat up my brothers in front of the whole village. They said that
my brothers had become informers and were giving me information
about Naxalites. 330
Naxalites also threaten villagers and enlist their support in different ways. Dhula
Janak, for instance, said that he was forced to provide assistance to Naxalites:
In 2005 when I was at the wholesale market, Naxalites abducted me
and some others. They took us into the jungle and said they would kill
us unless we helped them. I started helping Naxalites, giving them
money and purchasing wire, medicines, and other equipment for them.
In 2006 I was picked up by the police. They brought me to the police
station for questioning and said that I was helping Naxalites. 331
329 Human Rights Watch interview with Himesh Karan (pseudonym), location withheld, January 27, 2008.
330 Ibid.
331 Human Rights Watch interview with Dhula Janak (pseudonym), location and other details withheld.
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