âBeing Neutral is Our Biggest Crimeâ - Global Coalition to Protect ...
âBeing Neutral is Our Biggest Crimeâ - Global Coalition to Protect ...
âBeing Neutral is Our Biggest Crimeâ - 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