Maoists encounter: Rights activists face local ire

MALAPPURAM: A group of rights activists from South Indian states were  stopped from entering the forest  near Padukka  forest station at  Edakkara on Saturday.  The activists representing the Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations (CDRO) reached the station seeking permission to enter the forest as part of a fact-finding mission to probe the alleged encounter killing of two Maoists leaders deep inside the forests. The fifteen- member team consisting leaders of various rights organisations of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh did not have  permission to enter the  jungle and was first blocked by the range officer.

While they were coming out of the forest office  around 11 a.m., a group of local residents, including BJP workers, marched into the station protesting against the team’s visit to the encounter spot where the leaders of CPI Maoist, Kuppu Deverajan and Ajitha, were gunned down by the police on November 24. Some of the members were also assaulted by the local residents which caused a ruckus on the station premises.   Earlier,  Mr K. Saji,  divisional forest officer of  Nilambur south, had denied permission to the team. As many as 60 local residents  gathered on the premises of the station to stop the team from entering forests.

“No permission was given to the team to enter the forest because of the ongoing combing operation and other security reasons. Allowing them into the deep forest would be harmful as they are not aware of the interiors of Nilambur forests, especially in the wake of the recent incidents,” he said.   Mr  Suresh Kumar, head of the Indian chapter of International Association of People’s Lawyers, Dr. P.G Hari of Janakeeya Manushyavakasha Prasthanam and Kozhikode- based activist Gro Vasu were also among the  team. The local men  also prevented  the team from speaking to the media and alleged  that the activities of such groups had disrupted  the peace in the area. Gro Vasu  later alleged that the crowd was suspected to be members of a ruling party. “We had  sought permission five days prior to the visit. But the forest authorities  neither rejected it nor allowed our application,” Vasu said.