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

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Salwa Judum [members] come <strong>to</strong> Andhra Pradesh but only for meeting<br />

their daily needs—groceries, markets, and medical ass<strong>is</strong>tance. Salwa<br />

Judum <strong>is</strong> with the [Chhatt<strong>is</strong>garh] government and therefore doesn’t<br />

cause any problems <strong>to</strong> the public, and there are no complaints against<br />

them. Salwa Judum [members] are law abiding people who are with<br />

the government. They are the people who rebelled against the Mao<strong>is</strong>ts.<br />

They are welcome anywhere at any time. 300<br />

As described earlier, villagers from Warangal d<strong>is</strong>trict <strong>to</strong>ld Human Rights Watch that<br />

persons d<strong>is</strong>placed from Chhatt<strong>is</strong>garh were abducted as recently as November 2007—<br />

Salwa Judum members and police abducted two villagers who had fled Chhatt<strong>is</strong>garh<br />

and settled in Andhra Pradesh. 301 Despite police claims that Salwa Judum poses no<br />

threat in Andhra Pradesh, d<strong>is</strong>placed persons from Chhatt<strong>is</strong>garh are understandably<br />

fearful of harassment, abduction, or other repr<strong>is</strong>als.<br />

Government failure <strong>to</strong> provide humanitarian ass<strong>is</strong>tance <strong>to</strong> d<strong>is</strong>placed persons<br />

Having been forced <strong>to</strong> abandon their homes, fields, and lives<strong>to</strong>ck in Chhatt<strong>is</strong>garh,<br />

d<strong>is</strong>placed persons are largely dependent on the Andhra Pradesh government for<br />

income and food. But the Andhra Pradesh government has refused <strong>to</strong> extend the<br />

benefit of government welfare schemes such as the employment guarantee and food<br />

subsidy schemes <strong>to</strong> d<strong>is</strong>placed persons who are not “local residents.”<br />

The government practice <strong>is</strong> d<strong>is</strong>crimina<strong>to</strong>ry because “local residence” <strong>is</strong> not an<br />

eligibility criterion under these schemes. Under the employment guarantee scheme,<br />

the Indian central government seeks <strong>to</strong> provide employment security for rural<br />

households. 302 The law calls upon all state governments (including the Andhra<br />

Pradesh government) <strong>to</strong> provide <strong>to</strong> every rural household whose adult members<br />

volunteer <strong>to</strong> perform manual labor “job cards” that will guarantee wage employment<br />

300 Human Rights Watch interview with a senior police official S4 (who requested anonymity), location withheld, December 5,<br />

2007.<br />

301 See above, section IV D, Salwa Judum repr<strong>is</strong>als against villagers who have fled <strong>to</strong> Andhra Pradesh.<br />

302 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Act 42 of 2005, http://www.commonlii.org/in/leg<strong>is</strong>/num_act/nrega2005375/<br />

(accessed May 13, 2008).<br />

93<br />

Human Rights Watch July 2008

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