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

electricity, adult literacy centres, training, daily employment at employment centres,”
are being provided to displaced persons. 197
Living conditions in camps
Contrary to government claims that a host of free facilities are being provided to
camp residents, Human Rights Watch’s visits to camps and interviews with camp
residents reveal that many camps are lacking in basic facilities and services. 198
The 2007 memorandum of the district collector of Dantewada (undivided) states that
“[t]he government is providing housing free to the camp residents [who wish to stay
permanently] … at the rate of Rs. 12,000 [roughly US$300] for each beneficiary,” 199
and “temporary tin sheds” to those who want to “return home once the situation is
normalized.” 200
Human Rights Watch found that camps typically consist of individual huts
constructed by villagers themselves. Many residents from different camps in Bijapur
and Dantewada districts maintained that Salwa Judum members and government
security forces first drove them out of their villages, brought them to large vacant
tracts, and told them to make their own huts. 201 People cut trees, gathered wood,
and constructed their own huts, and in the interim, lived under plastic or tarpaulin
197 District Collector, “Brief Memorandum [Dantewada (undivided)],” 2007.
198 Human Rights Watch visited seven camps and one permanent housing site. Human Rights Watch group interview GR8 with
volunteers working in camps (name and details withheld). Accounts from these volunteers working in other camps suggest
that similar or worse conditions prevail there.
199 District Collector, “Brief Memorandum [Dantewada (undivided)],” 2007. The 32 sites of permanent housing that have been
listed in the collector’s memorandum are: Bijapur–75 houses, Cherpal–60 houses, Gangalur–200 houses, Nelasnar–173
houses, Bhairamgarh–583 houses, Jangla–288 houses, Kutru– 436 houses, Pharsegarh–61 houses, Mirtur–142 houses,
Patarpara.–147 houses, Matwada–145 houses, Bedre–165 houses, Phulgatta–161 houses, Uskapatnam–120 houses, Karkeli–
17 houses, Kompalli–80 houses, Eramangi–50 houses, Ketanpal–35 houses, Tumla–10 houses, Ranibodli–25 houses,
Pinkonda–180 houses, Basaguda–40 houses, Awapalli–100 houses, Usur–50 houses, Kasoli–148 houses, Hiranar–168
houses, Bangapal–59 houses, Bodli–15 houses, Talnar– 150 houses, Konta–200 houses, Injeram–100 houses, Errabore–177
houses, and Dornapal– 640 houses.
200 Ibid.
201 Human Rights Watch interviews with Poosam Kanya and Pottem Satish (pseudonyms), former residents of Errabore camp,
location withheld, December 5 and 6, 2007 respectively; Madkam Dhairya (pseudonym), camp resident, Jailbada camp,
December 13, 2007; group interview GR6 with camp residents (who chose to remain anonymous), Jayanagar (Nayapara) camp,
December 13, 2007; group interview GR3 with former residents of Mirtur camp (who chose to remain anonymous), other
details withheld; group interview GR7 with women camp residents (who chose to remain anonymous), Dornapal camp,
December 12, 2007.
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