NAXAL/ MAOISTS- 2010 - Indian Social Institute

to life imprisonment in the case relating to the murder of Naxalite leader A Varghese over forty years ago.
Lakshmana, now in his mid-70s, was also slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000. Awarding the punishment,
Judge S Vijayakumar, who had the other day convicted Lakshmana, second accused in the case, said
that Varghese was shot to death by the police after capture and that he was not killed in encounter.
Varghese was killed on February 18, 1970 in the forests of Thirunelli, Wayanad. The judge had acquitted
the third accused, former DGP P Vijayan, giving him the benefit of doubt. The first accused, former CRPF
constable Ramachandran Nair who had shot Varghese to death on the orders of his superiors including
Lakshmana, died in 2006. The CBI took over the probe into the killing in 1998 on a Kerala High Court
directive. “No more evidence is needed. It is proved beyond any shadow of reasonable doubt that
Varghese, who was caught hold of live, was brutally killed by the first accused who was a stooge at the
hands of Lakshmana who on his order brought about his plan,” the judge said in the verdict. The public
prosecutor had requested the court to give the accused the maximum punishment as it was one of the
rarest of the rare cases, an argument with which the judge disagreed. However, he agreed that it was a
case of brutality and therefore was awarding punishment in that consideration. . The judge said that no
investigation agency, including the police, had the authority to award punishment to people. Their duty
was to investigate cases and bring the culprits before the courts, he said. What had happened in the case
of Varghese was a violation of democratic principles, he pointed out. Lakshmana had pleaded before the
court for maximum leniency as he was in his seventies and had requested that he be sent to Central
Prison, Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram. The killing of Varghese was seen as an “encounter death” till
1998 when Ramachandran Nair came out with the revelation that he had shot Varghese dead at point
blank on the orders of his superiors. Nair had also submitted an affidavit stating this. Rights organizations
and political activists had sought reopening of the case and a detailed investigation by the CBI after the
revelations by Nair, who had said that he revealed the truth to clear his conscience. Nair had written an
autobiography giving the details of the circumstances under which he had shot Varghese to death.
Varghese, hailing from Ernakulam district, had migrated to Wayanad in his childhood along with his
family. After school, he became active in the CPI(M). However, during Kerala’s Naxalite years of late
1960s, he left the CPI(M) to become a campaigner of the Naxalite outfit, CPI(ML). (Pioneer, 29/10/2010)
Central scheme for youth in Naxal-hit districts
In an attempt to prevent adolescents and youth from picking up guns, the Centre will soon announce a
special initiative to protect children's rights and mobilise communities through local youth volunteers or
child defenders in the areas affected by armed conflict, particularly the Naxal districts. The “Bal Bandhu
Scheme for Protection of Children's Rights in Areas of Civil Unrest” is aimed at bringing stability in the
lives of children and, in the process, ensure their entitlements to protection, health, nutrition, sanitation,
education and safety are fulfilled. This scheme is expected to enhance democracy through community
participation and action, and renew hope in harmonising society and stabilising lives while a child's wellbeing
becomes the focus of all action in the areas. First phase In the first phase, the scheme will be
implemented in Kokrajhar, Chirang, North Cachar Hills (Assam), Khammam (Andhra Pradesh), Gadchiroli
(Maharashtra), Jamui, Rohtas, East Champaran and Sheohar (Bihar) and Dantewada (Chhattisgarh).
While the scheme has been drafted by the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, it will be implemented
by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Child defenders The mandate of
the child defenders will be to trace all adolescent boys and girls who are usually missing in these areas
and creating an atmosphere to bring them back, community participation in repairing and reviving
schools, enrolling children, and petitions to block and district for teachers and infrastructure. They will also
monitor children's nutrition and health needs through anganwadi centres. Resource persons An advisory
committee at the NCPCR will identify resource persons who would start interaction with local youths,
official, community and gram panchayats and involve them in discussions and some do-able local
actions. In about a month, they will be expected to have inspired 20-30 local youths who would volunteer
to take part in the programme. From these volunteers, youths with leadership qualities and community
acceptance will be selected as ‘Bal Bandhus'. No formal academic qualification would be necessary for
the purpose. The Bal Bandhus will be given an honorarium that would be credited into their bank or post
office account. Funds for the scheme will come from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
(The Hindu, 01/11/2010)
Abducted SPO killed, 5 Maoists arrested in Chhattisgarh
An abducted Special Police Officer (SPO) was killed by Maoists while five ultras arrested in two incidents
in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said. "Irpa Dinesh (the SPO) was strangulated to death by the
Maoists at Basaguda busti in the district," Additional Superintendent of Police (Bijapur) B P S Rajbhanu
told PTI over the phone. The wounded body of the officer, who was abducted by the Maoists on October