Gladson Dungdung, an activist based in Jharkhand, a State bang in the middle of the “Red Coridor”, appeared on CNN-IBN on Tuesday night to discuss the Naxal issue.
Dungdung, who says his parents were murdered and their 20 acres of land taken away for a dam without being compensated, says the government is essentially batting for the multinational corporations (MNCs) who want forest land cleared for their projects.
To address the issue of Naxalites, the government, he says, has to first address the economic, social and cultural injustice which has been done to the adivasis and address the developmental issues.
Dungdung: See the problem is that two decades ago what Rajiv Gandhi used to say that only 15 per cent of the money used to reach the poor is the same thing that Rahul Gandhi is saying now. That means they have not done anything.
CNN-IBN: You are saying that the democratic process has remained unchanged in this country for the last 25 years.
Dungdung: Yes. Another thing when Priyanka Gandhi meets the killer of Rajiv Gandhi, she becomes the messiah for the people—or is at least projected like that. When someone like Binayak Sen treats an adivasi, he becomes a Naxal supporter. How is this fair?
Photographs: courtesy CNN-IBN, Revolution in South Asia
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Tags: Binayak Sen, Churumuri, CNN-IBN, Jharkhand, Maoists, MNCs, Nalini, Naxalism, Naxals, Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Rajdeep Sardesai, Rajiv Gandhi, Sans Serif, TNCs
21 October 2009 at 5:30 pm
I read the interview – dint see it – and i think Arundati Roy comments made eminent sense and infact she seemed to have provided a possible platform to address the problem:
Here is that question and answer:
CNN-IBN: So then we are in a zero sum game. One form of violence is going to be responded to by another form of violence.
Arundhati Roy: I think these people need to be promised that there will be no displacement, that all these MoUs will be made public, get a clear idea of the development planned for this area, have people at public forums discuss these issues and take up the opinion of those of Ground Zero and then you can talk.
…
Reasonable and do-able, right ?
21 October 2009 at 10:09 pm
Doable provided that decision makers are not avaricious.
21 October 2009 at 10:42 pm
If the adivasi , that Vinayak Sen was treating, had blown up his father, then surely the nation would also call Sen a messiah.
While the urban romanticism around Naxalites refuses to die out, one wonders why people like Sen prefer to run away to the jungles to practise their skills? Is it because the adivasis desperately want him to come there or is it because people like Sen are misfits in the fast paced urban world? Isn’t Naxalism more about people like Sen than about the tribals themselves?
Further, It just appears convenient for anthropologists & social scientists ( one wonders why its called “science”) to preserve traditional tribal ways of life in central indian jungles if only to help them get their Ph.Ds & book advances.
21 October 2009 at 11:18 pm
@Cynic
are you being cynical just to be cynical? I mean it is ok when ppl decide to fight and resort to violence under the name of religion and culture and tradition in metro towns, but ppl trying to address and bring to light the problems of tribals/adivasis are naxalites and terrorists?
And of course, your statement about the naxalites going away to jungles to practice their skills because they are misfits in an urban society may be true. But, do u propose to tell that the only place that everyone should showcase their talents is only in the “fast paced” urban setup (whose primary effect seems to be a wanton use of resources without any forethought as to where and how the resources will be secured in the future to sustain the development achieved. in otherwords, thoughtless consumerism at the expense of those who do not want to subscribe to consumerism)?
22 October 2009 at 2:14 am
Media is a spin doctor here. Thanks to the media houses ..All are owned by families with agenda of their own Beat the naxalites, so that they can reap riches through capitalism.
Hindu -Ram’s
TOI – Jains
Hindustan Times – Birlas
Asian Age – Reddy’s
Deccan Chronicle – Reddy’s
Sun TV – Maran’s
Indian Express – Goenkas
NDTV -Roy’s
The count is endless…..
That GOD IT’S INDIA…….TGII..ONLY CRONIES WILL WIN HERE.
22 October 2009 at 12:52 pm
cynic truly lives up to the name.
22 October 2009 at 7:01 pm
I hold no sympathies for naxals. I personally feel more than the naxals, their supporters in the cities should be shot first.
Having said that, I agree with one thing what Dungdung has said. In this country, the Gandhy Family has one set of rules and the others have another set.
When Sonia pardoned Nalini, was she taking into consideration the feelings of the families of scores of others who died along with her husband?
When Priyanka met Nalini in the jail the media tom tommed it as a matter of great humanitarian deed. Will the authorities allow a common citizen to meet Nalini in the same manner?
We know the answers.
22 October 2009 at 8:00 pm
ha ha..and arundhati roy thinks naxals will allow development works to start and put them out of biznes :))
let me ask one thing to all supporters and sympathisers of murderers, because that is what these ppl are. are u ready to be an accused in a naxal kangaroo court and be beheaded by these killers?
because im not ready for it and will kill to survive. pls don’t expect sympathy for killers. if u support then ur are an accessory to murder and worse you are a traitor to this country.
the naxals think they have support, let them fight elections. they don’t believe in democracy? fine, then they can deal with the security forces.
23 October 2009 at 9:34 pm
The problem is that the intellectuals backing naxals have not managed to understand what really poor people want. Look at what Arundathi Roy is saying:
“What Mr Chidambaram means by development is not what the people living in that area mean by development. I have been to Dantewada and I have seen the roads that are being built. Let me tell you those are not roads that are being built for adivasi (tribal) people to walk on. But I am against the mining of roads.”
Development means good roads, good drinking water, good sewage system, access to quality education, good quality of life. Simple. Development of western kind. That’s what poor people want. They don’t want some ism or other inner development.
Spiritual development, social development and other BS development will happen after material development. You can’t fight for what you don’t understand. First decide on the definition of development.
23 October 2009 at 9:42 pm
The whole assumption that Girijans, farmers and others like them were living a utopian life and corporates came and destroyed everything is flawed. They were always living like this, without basic quality of life. Died without medicine, burnt in summer frozen in winter.
What is needed for Girijans is to help them in becoming non-girijans, atleast the next generations. They need to be given a chance to adopt to 21st (or atleast 20th) century professions. Artificially keeping them unchanged, just so that we can get to see “human museums” is a cruel fantasy.
24 October 2009 at 1:07 am
@Curious Guru,
Democracy is for the Crorepathis, who embezzle money and live on corruption. Be it Ambani,NRN,REDDY Bros etc,….All are in the same cesspool….
Hamaam main sab nange hain…….
25 October 2009 at 5:31 pm
Tarlemaga avare, like i said. they can deal with the security forces now.