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february 28, 2015 vol l no 9 EPW Economic & Political
Weekly4
LETTERS
Ever since the fi rst issue in 1966,EPW has been Indias premier
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Separate JNU Hostel for North-East Students?
I was disturbed to read a news item (Hindu, Delhi edition, 10
February 2015) that the Jawaharlal Nehru Univer-sity (JNU) was
going to have a hostel speci fi cally meant for students from
North-East India. Nothing will hit the ethos of JNU harder. The
university is known for its inclusive culture which is refl ected
through its vibrant hostel life. Jawaharlal Nehru, in whose name
JNU was established in 1969, had always stood for intercommunal and
inter-regional harmony for which, he thought, a university was the
most important instrument. The university insignia quotes his
words: A University stands for humanism. For tolerance, for reason,
for the adventure of ideas and for the search of truth. It stands
for the onward march of the human race towards ever higher
objectives. Both as a JNU student in its early days, and as a
teacher later, I think whatever I am today I owe it to this student
culture called JNU. I beseech upon the university authorities to
reconsider its decision even if it may be late in the day. One is
never late for any course correction. Incidentally, in the past a
similar decision was taken to dedicate one hostel to SC/ST students
but student protests prevented the university to proceed further in
this direction.Partha S GhoshNew Delhi
Communal Violence in Kozhikode Village
We strongly condemn the unprece-dented communal violence at the
end of January 2015, in Tuneri, Vellur and Kodanjeri villages,
Nadapuram in Kozhikode, Kerala, in which more than a hundred Muslim
families and homes were singled out, attacked, and crores worth of
property destroyed. We are utterly horrifi ed and outraged that
vio-lence of this extent has received scant attention from the
media electronic, print or even social.
On 22 January 2015, a local murder was instantly transformed
into a communal
confl ict. Shibin Bhaskaran, a 19-year-old DYFI activist,
resident of Vellur, a village dominated by the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) CPI(M) was stabbed to death by an Indian Union
Muslim League (IUML) activist Teyyampadi Ismayil. Ismayil, who
openly claimed responsibility for the murder on that very night, is
known to have criminal antecedents and was once jailed for six
months in accordance with the Kerala A nti-Social Activities
(Prevention) Act, 34/2007. The aftermath of this cold-blooded
murder, a personal settling of scores between two individuals, was
instantly communalised, and in a manner that is reminiscent of
communal violence in other parts of the country, especially in
Muzaffarnagar 2013.
In the three days following Shibins death, Muslim houses in
Vellur and surrounding villages were singled out, marked by black
fl ags and sheets and were systematically attacked with
ex-plosives, chemicals and other infl am-mable materials. Anecdotal
evidence suggests that approximately 150 wells in this region have
been made unusable by stuffi ng them with chemicals and burnt
furniture, making long-term in-habitation of these homes, and
culti-vation, impossible.
Women, some of whom are pregnant, were intimidated at knife
points and threatened with Gujarat like conse-quences of stabbing
and burning when they resisted the attackers attempting to loot
their houses. These are homes where Muslim men are largely absent
and away in the Gulf. What is equally chilling and distressing is
that all Muslims in this region have fl ed their homes and are
seeking shelter in the homes of relatives in nearby areas.
These are villages that have historically had a strong presence
of the left, and it is deeply distressing to see the same region
now witnessing such intense
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Economic & Political Weekly EPW february 28, 2015 vol l no 9
5
LETTERS
Web Exclusives
The following articles have been published in the past week in
the Web Exclusives section of the EPW website.
They have not been published in the print edition.
(1) Reports from the States: Challenging Make in India
Industrial Strikes in Gurgaon and Manesar
Akash Bhattacharya
(2) Reports from the States: Then They Came for Comrade
Pansare... Shruti Tambe
(3) Reports from the States: Railways and the Issue of Inner
Line Permit in Arunachal Pradesh Can the Two
Function Together? David Gao
Articles posted before 21 February 2015 remain available in the
Web Exclusives section.
sectarianism. North Kerala, in the decades following
independence, has witnessed sustained violence an issue that has
been inadequately addressed by political parties or citizens
groups. In the past, this has been identifi ed as inter-party
strife, or clashes between the CPI(M) and RSS or between the CPI(M)
and Mus-lim League workers, and their sympa-thisers. However, local
knowledge has attested to the fact that party affi liations mask
underlying, and changing, confi g-urations of caste and community.
The present violence points to the frightening manner in which
local relationships have been vitiated, and communalised, and is
now taking an anti-Muslim turn.
Given the intensity and urgency of the situation, we demand that
an independent and fair enquiry be made immediately into the
violence of January 2015 in Nadapuram. This must make explicit
thenature, and degree, of involvement of every group or political
party in this incident. It is equally imperative that the culprits,
irrespective of their party affi liations, be clearly identifi ed,
and brought to justice. In a climate of in-creasing communal
polarisation in the country, it is essential that everyone who
cares about Indias future, its secular fabric and social justice
condemn such despicable violence. We also demand that speedy action
be taken, and ade-quate compensation be paid to the fami-lies of
the affected. Most importantly, we demand that peace be restored so
that the Muslims of these villages who have fl ed their homes and
fear for their lives can return, and live in safety, and with
dignity.G Arunima, P K Yasser Arafath, K Satchidanandan, Kavita
Krishnan, Jairus Banaji, G Haragopal, Shabnam Hashmi, J Devika,
Trupti Shah, Jyotirmay Sharma, Upinder Singh, B Rajeevan, C R
Neelakandan, Kumkum Roy, A K Ramakrishnan and others
War and the Lightness of Being Adivasi
Between 26 and 31 December 2014, a Peoples Union for Democratic
Rights (PUDR) fact-fi nding team visited nine villages of Bijapur
District, Chhattisgarh to ascertain reports of arrests,
intimidation
and harassment, including sexual abuse by security forces who
are stationed there to fi ght the Maoists. Predominantly Adi-vasi
villages, the residents of Basaguda, Kottaguda, Pusbaka, Lingagiri,
Rajpeta, Timmapur, Kottagudem, Korsaguda and Sarkeguda, narrated
the daily acts of violence and violations committed by armed
personnel residing in security camps. Apart from documenting the
continuance of area domination by the security forces, the report
draws parti-cular attention to:(1) The large number of permanent
warrants issued against the populace, of which a signifi cant
number are declared as absconders. A rough estimate indi-cates that
as many as 15,000 to 35,000 people live under the threat and fear
of these warrants in Bijapur alone.(2) The lawless conduct of the
armed personnel and special police offi cers (SPOs) who routinely
raid, beat, loot, detain and compel the Adivasi villagers to
perform beggar (free labour) at the security camps. Instances of
sexual torture were also noted.(3) The impossibility of lodging
FIRs against the security forces as against the rising number of
arrests of villagers who languish in jails.(4) The intensifi cation
of armed presence on account of increased road-building activity by
the army for securing supply lines to the camps. Roads are opened
only after road-opening exercises by the forces followed by routine
interception of passengers at frequent check-posts and road
barriers.(5) The further harassment faced by villagers during
travel on account of armed personnel in civilian buses plying
between Bijapur and Basaguda. In fl agrant
disregard of international covenants, the security forces
deliberately regard passengers as human shields against possible
encounters. (6) The impact of camps on the living conditions of the
Adivasi villagers which have been severely affected. The decrease
in agricultural activity is a defi nite con-sequence of harassment
as is the fall in family income and wages. Besides poor health
facilities, the existing school sys-tem which utilised local
village helpers is being intentionally replaced by ashram schools
which aim to wrench the Adivasi children from their homes and
village environment.(7) The intensity of the present situation is
comparable to and a continuance of the Salwa Judum activities
eviction and mass displacement of villagers between 2005 and 2009.
The present brutality has only underlined the earlier misery of
displacement and attempted rehabilita-tion which the villagers were
compelled to undergo.(8) Despite recurrent incidences of bomb
explosions and targeting of the roads by the Maoists, the villagers
fear the secu-rity camps as it is the armed personnel who punish
and brutalise them.(9) In tandem with periodic massacres, the daily
harassment is part of the dual strategy of the states war in the
region.(10) The intention behind the present military initiative is
to cleanse the area for redoubled mining activity. The effort is
directed towards eroding the Adivasi will in resisting the state
and in compel-ling them to be receptive towards offi cial
overtures.
Sharmila Purkayastha, Megha BahlSecretaries, PUDR, Delhi
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LETTERS
february 28, 2015 vol l no 9 EPW Economic & Political
Weekly6
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