APC demands an end to Operation Green Hunt in India

MEDIA RELEASE
5 February 2010

The Asia-wide peasant group Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) lambasted the Indian government’s massive war against its own people under the code name "Operation Green Hunt" which started in 2009. It involves the deployment of 70,000 military and paramilitary troops in the so-called "Red Corridor" that runs through parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal states.
Biplab Halim APC Chairperson, based in India said, “this is the latest in a series of efforts by the Indian government to impose "military solutions" on social, political and economic problems we are facing. It also aims to clear the way for local and trans-national corporations to plunder our resources."
“As a result of Operation Green Hunt and renewed aggressions in Lalgarh, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and the number of burnt villages, persons displaced, injured, arrested or "disappeared" has skyrocketed. Many have been placed in so-called "security camps" similar to the practice in Sri-Lanka, where the government in Colombo, bloodily attacked the Tamil population in early 2009” added Halim.
“The focus of Operation Green Hunt is the Maoist or "Red Corridor" which stretches from West Bengal in India's northeast through the states of Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra in the west. They have a long history of rebellion and militant uprisings against British colonial rule starting in the 19th Century and have been a major base for communist organizing,” remarked P. Chennaiah, APC deputy secretary general who is also based in India.
“The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has been active in this area since the 1970s, following the Naxalbari rebellion. The Maoists have helped lead the tribals in their struggles for just demands for land and opposition to police and military repression. They have helped organize the people to improve subsistence agricultural methods, build wells and schools and struggle against backward feudal practices,” added P. Chennaiah.
The military offensive has been accompanied by illegal arrests and detainment of progressive leaders in the area, such as Raja Sarkhel and Prasun Chatterjjee, by the reactionary forces, under the CPI (Marxist), an organization apparently Communist in name only, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Activists have been heavily tortured to try to force them to give false testimonies against fellow activists.
“We can relate to the suffering of the Indian peasants as we, Filipino farmers are also victims of the Arroyo government’s counter-insurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya (Oplan Guard Freedom), that is composed mainly of extra-judicial killings (EJK), enforced disappearances and accusations of fabricated charges. Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya resulted 561 peasant victims of extra-judicial killings, where 119 were KMP leaders, 129 peasant victims of enforced disappearances and scores are being held for crimes they did not commit,” said Danilo Ramos, secretary general of APC and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) who is baed in the Philippines.
“The APC support and uphold the Indian people’s struggle for genuine land reform, mainly advanced by the Naxalites and Indian peasants. We call on our members in Asia to expose the brutality of the Indian government. Let us hold protest actions at the Indian embassy in our respective countries to pressure the Indian government to immediately end its Operation Green Hunt, massive militarization and human rights abuses on Indian peasants and people”, ended Ramos.

This morning, the KMP joined the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS)-Philippines in a picket in front of the Indian embassy in Makati City. The protesters shouted “End Operation Green Hunt in India! Justice to victims of human rights violations in India! Struggle for genuine land reform in India! Down with U.S. imperialism and puppetry of the Indian government! ###

Link to Photos of this morning's picket in front of the Indian embassy in Manila, Philippines:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lakbayan.lupa.katarungan/IndianEmbassyFeb52010#