Chhattisgarh: 24 displaced families return after a decade

RAIPUR: More than a decade after hundreds of families were forced to migrate to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh after a wave of violence hit Bastar, around 24 families have finally returned to their long lost homes on Thursday.
With the launch of the Salwa Judum militia, which was very much active in 2006, these families were forced to migrate. Now, they are back in their native Errabore region of Sukma district in Bastar as part of their resettlement plan.
It is claimed that their homes were burned in the violence and they were forced to flee for safety to erstwhile AP and present day Telangana, where they were deprived of basic facilities such as voter ID cards and were not able to get benefits from the Forest Rights Act.
Talking to TOI, activist Shubhranshu Choudhary said that civil right groups have been trying to have a dialogue with the state government to get these internally displaced persons (IDPs) land for building houses, employment and ensure their security.
Choudhary, who was the chief coordinator of the 'Peace Process of Bastar Dialogue 1-3' said, "We met the displaced tribals of Bastar in Telangana during a peace march carried out in October and they shared their plight with us. They were deprived of basic facilities there since they had no permanent residence, were not eligible for benefits under the Forest Rights Act nor were they counted among tribal population. They sought emergency help".
Choudhary further said a few of these displaced people put forth their demand forcefully and he consulted with their relatives in various villages and agreed to bring 24 families to Maraiguda village of Errabore in Sukma.
When contacted, Sukma collector Chandan Kumar said, "Though there was no intervention from the administration, the displaced people have returned on their own and the local police stations have been alerted about their arrival. I was informed about 24 families coming to Sukma and the administration has asked the village head to hold gram sabhas so that the community in mutual agreement with the displaced people can decide their resettlement. We would intervene once the gram sabha passes resolutions for letting these families stay".
Choudhary, however, said that there are over 5,000 families, including 30,000 people who had migrated from Bastar in 2005-06 due to the violence unleashed by the Salwa Judum and they feared returning to their homes due to Maoist terror. He added that it was a courageous step to return after all these years and they would need assistance from local residents, administration, government and NGOs to settle down.
The activist said that he will work with the district administration in Bastar and help these displaced people get land deeds. ""Many cannot go back to their original villages since they are still under the control of Maoists and they do not want to risk their lives", Choudhary said. While it is still not verified whether the 24 families are IDPs, the Chhattisgarh government is yet to introduce a rehabilitation policy for displaced people, who were victimized due to the presence of Salwa Judum.
The displaced people are said to be supporters of the Salwa Judum campaign in 2005 and they took refuge at Kannapuram village in Telangana, about 75 kilometres from their native place, after Maosits had allegedly burned down their houses. They managed to get petty work such as picking chillies, while some worked at construction sites.
Earlier, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had said that the government was preparing to facilitate the return of tribals who had migrated to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh due to the violence by Salwa Judum. Minister for industry, commerce and excise Kawasi Lakhma also said that he had met the tribals who expressed their deep desire to return.
Salwa Judum was a militia that was mobilized and deployed as part of anti-insurgency operations in Chhattisgarh, aimed at countering Naxalite violence in the region. The militia that consisted mostly of local tribal youths, also received support and training from the Chhattisgarh state government. In 2011, following a petition, the militia was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.