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From
Tehelka Magazine, Vol 9, Issue 18, Dated 05 May 2012 |
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‘Kidnapping innocent people and using them as pawns is not correct and moral’
Prashant Bhushan, Supreme Court Advocate
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Prashant Bhushan |
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While decrying the violent methods, you have a complex understanding of what constitutes Maoist discontent, why did you refuse to mediate?
I feel that kidnapping innocent people and using them as pawn is not correct and moral and therefore I can’t negotiate on their behalf. I appealed to them to release the collector first and thereafter if any problem needs to be negotiated and if the government is willing to negotiate, I would be happy to take a go for the long term solution of the problem.
You have said Alex Menon should be released without negotiation. What mistakes do you think Maoists are making?
I think this policy of kidnapping officials or otherwise is not a good thing. This is going to alienate whatever little public opinion they have. Apart from being immoral, it is also unwise as a part of strategy because, eventually, a lot will depend on public opinion.
What mistakes do you think the government has been making when it comes to dealing with Maoists? This is not the first time such a situation has arisen. What is fundamentally wrong with the State’s approach?
The government policy in general is flawed when it comes to dealing with Maoists. Honestly, they are not willing to recognise the root cause, which is land alienation. Moreover, putting them in jail, attacking innocent adivasis, forcibly taking their land—they might have become Maoist sympathisers by allowing them into their villages. If you victimise the villagers in this manner, you further are going to alienate them. Then if you start an operation like Green Hunt which is bound to largely affect innocent tribals rather than Maoists, this is further going to escalate the problem. This is what is happening. Thereafter you start to negotiate on hostages, and make Maoists feel that this is an easy way of getting the government to concede their demands. Civilians and officials become soft targets.
You have earlier said there are few legitimate demands that the Maoists are making…
Certainly their demand for releasing innocent adivasis who have been put in jail is legitimate. Stopping operation Green Hunt is a legitimate demand. Stopping land alienation in favour of mining corporations and other large companies is also a legitimate demand.
After every negotiation, the term used in popular media is government has bowed to the Maoists. Is it a correct term?
To some extent it is correct when they negotiate on basis of hostages and concede. Actually they should themselves release these innocent tribals and stop operation Green Hunt. If they remove the legitimate causes and grievances of the tribals and the Maoists, then the government can negotiate with far greater strength.
Kunal Majumder is a Senior Correspondent with Tehelka.
kunal@tehelka.com
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