Eggs, Muck, Tomatoes welcome NAPM activists at Dantewada.

Medha Patkar, Sandeep Pande and other activists of National Alliance for People’s Movements reached Dantewada on the morning of 6 January 2010. They had gone with the intention of attending the ‘Jan Sunwai’ or public hearing that Himanshu Kumar of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram had organized the next day. Reaching there they learnt of the attack that took place the previous afternoon on 4 young journalists, documentary maker, activist and the confiscation of their audio and video equipment by the local police. They were also alarmed by the news that some 25 Adivasis who had come for the Jan Sunvai were rounded up by Salwa Judum & police, and forcibly taken to unknown destination. In the afternoon they decided to walk to SP – Dantewada’ office for making enquiries in the matter and to protest the police action of falsely implicating these four courageous youngsters (and two others) under section 395 of IPC that stipulates punishment for dacoity. The actual crime of dacoity is actually defined under section 391 and stipulates a minimum of 5 persons (that’s why 2 others were added) to be involved in the crime for pressing this charge.  But then strange are the ways of our law enforcers when using IPC or CrPC.

When the activists reached the Pharaspal market square all the drama begins. See the following footage shot by Ashutosh Pathak.

Towards the end in the footage, Amresh Mishra, SP, smugly asks the activists squatting at the entrance to the police station to protest all this orchestrated show of ‘tribal discontent’ against Vanvasi Chetan Ashram and the ‘outsiders’; “whether he should order lathi charge to disperse the crowd in minutes?” Activists reply that this is your show you can end it without violence. That is what happens next.

The Hitavada describes that thousands of irate villagers/ tribals demonstrated by pelting eggs, tomatoes, muck at the activists. It also says that crowd  was restive and unmanageable. Police had great difficulty in brining the activists safely to the police station.

But if one sees the earlier footage and the photographs in Nai Dunia and Hitavada closely; it is quite clear that for all its ferocity and belligerence the crowd is under instructions not to cause any serious harm or bodily injury. Number of protesters seen too is couple of hundreds, not the thousands Hitavada imagines.  The motorcycle on which Sandeep Pande and Medha Patkar are travelling is pushed and stopped, possibly the only physical contact made. The aim appears to be to intimidate & frighten; and also to create the required impression for media to cover that tribals of Dantewada are against the interference of NGO’s and Human Rights Activists. Once this objective is met the protesters just melt away at the flick of an invisible button.

Next day, Thursady – 7 January, some NAPM activist visit the Kasoli camp of Salwa Judum only to find people they could recognise as participating in previous day’s protest.

Unfortunately this entire story does’t figure anywhere in the reporting by national media. One may find some bits and pieces here or there. But no concerted attempt to find out the truth and report the findings to the people.

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