Even as the Damkondawahi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, which is leading the anti-mining protestors from Todgatta in Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district, is raising pitch for release of all the arrested protestors; the Maoists have come out in the open against the Wangeturi Police Station (PS) that was opened on November 20 -- the day of the clash between the cops and the protestors. A letter purportedly issued by Shriniwas, Spokesperson of West Sub-Zonal Bureau of CPI (Maoist), has come out. The Maoists have opposed the newly opened Wangeturi Police Station. The letter asks the tribals to start agitation in various villages of Gadchiroli district to press for release of the arrested protestors. The Red terrorists have also appealed to the people to support the demand for removal of Wangeturi Police Station. To press for both these demands -- release of protestors and removal of Wangeturi station -- the CPI (Maoist) has given a call for ‘Gadchiroli District Bandh’ on November 30.

 

In the letter, the Maoists’ Spokesperson has called the opening of Wangeturi police camp as a ‘part of the conspiracy’ to end anti-mining protests at Todgatta. “We appeal to the people to continue the agitation at Todgatta and also start agitation at other places,” the letter stated. Sandip Patil, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Gadchiroli Range, while responding to the Maoists’ letter, said that the letter exposed how Maoists were opposing the development of Gadchiroli district. “We have opened Wangeturi police station to further development of the district, in the larger interest of the people. Opening of police station, as well as erection of mobile phone connectivity towers, construction of roads are all for development of the area, and are not linked to mining,” he said. However, Patil added, the Maoists were disturbed with opening of Wangeturi police station because it would mean end of their domination in the area. “They are disturbed as now rule of law will be enforced, the Constitutional values will be enforced. This they are opposed to, as could be seen from the Maoists killing innocent tribals in the recent past. The frontal organisations of Maoists, who are crying hoarse now, are silent over killing of tribals by the Red outlaws. Hence, they are now resorting to misleading propaganda against Wangeturi police station,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, the Damkondawahi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti led by Adv Lalsu Nagoti alleged that 21 people had been arrested and slapped with Section 353 (assualt or use of criminal force to obstruct a public servant from discharging his duty). On November 21, a day after the clash between the police and the protestors at Todgatta, all 21 were placed in magisterial custody remand in Chandrapur. The cops had sought eight-day custody remand in Etapalli in Gadchiroli district. According to a statement of the Damkondawahi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, the custody remand request filed by the police claimed that the activists’ arrested ‘tried to hit and kill the police, had explosives in their possession, and were funded by Maoists’. “The police remand sheet says that the police intend to carry out intense interrogations in order to ‘uncover where and how they conspired in the related incident, capture the relevant evidence, expose the support being provided by Maoist organisations, and get information on future behaviour of the accused in connection with their severe crime of planting explosives and associating with Maoist organisations’. We refute all these false claim,” read the statement.