Salwa judum ‘atrocities’: Apex court seeks report
The SC on Friday asked Chhattisgarh Govt to come up with its stand on the remedial measures on atrocities committed by Salwa Judum movement in the state.
By Sanjay K Singh, ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over the National Human Rights Commission���s (NHRC) report over the ���atrocities��� committed by the counter-naxalite salwa judum movement in Chhattisgarh, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the state government to come up with its stand on the remedial measures. The court asked the government to file its response before elections in the state schedule to be held later this year.
A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justice P Sathasivam and Justice J M Panchal said: ���Part I of the report (filed by NHRC) speaks of various atrocities committed by salwa judum.��� ���When somebody is given arms he is bound to commit crime. It is a serious offence. Who is responsible for it��� ? asked Justice Balakrishnan speaking for the bench.
Perusing parts of the exhaustive report of NHRC, the court said, ���Salwa judum has committed serious offences. The people are subjected to serious problems���.
Further, the NHRC report has recommended remedial measures to be taken by the state government, said Justice Balakrishnan.
The court asked the state government to detail the remedial measures it has taken while posting the matter for further hearing on October 23.
Senior counsel K K Venugopal appearing for state said that the government will submits its objections to the NHRC report. When another senior counsel Ranjit Kumar appearing in the case sought more time saying that the elections in the state were scheduled to be held around November, the court said, ���It has nothing to do with elections���.
Earlier, the court had asked the NHRC to probe the allegations of human rights violations by the salwa judum (Peace Mission) in the state in response to the petitions filed by noted sociologist Nandini Sundar, historian Ramachandra Guha, E A S Sarma and activist Kartam Joga challenging the setting up of salwa judum.
The petitioners had alleged that in the guise of countering the naxal movement, the salwa judum was indulging in killings and committing atrocities against tribals. They had sought a direction to the state government to refrain from ���supporting and encouraging��� the salwa judum.
The government, however, had said that naxal menace in the state has reached alarming proportions and it cannot stifle any people���s initiative in the form of salwa judum movement to combat the violent illegal activities of the ultras. Centre also had backed the state government���s stand on the issue.
A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justice P Sathasivam and Justice J M Panchal said: ���Part I of the report (filed by NHRC) speaks of various atrocities committed by salwa judum.��� ���When somebody is given arms he is bound to commit crime. It is a serious offence. Who is responsible for it��� ? asked Justice Balakrishnan speaking for the bench.
Perusing parts of the exhaustive report of NHRC, the court said, ���Salwa judum has committed serious offences. The people are subjected to serious problems���.
Further, the NHRC report has recommended remedial measures to be taken by the state government, said Justice Balakrishnan.
The court asked the state government to detail the remedial measures it has taken while posting the matter for further hearing on October 23.
Senior counsel K K Venugopal appearing for state said that the government will submits its objections to the NHRC report. When another senior counsel Ranjit Kumar appearing in the case sought more time saying that the elections in the state were scheduled to be held around November, the court said, ���It has nothing to do with elections���.
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Earlier, the court had asked the NHRC to probe the allegations of human rights violations by the salwa judum (Peace Mission) in the state in response to the petitions filed by noted sociologist Nandini Sundar, historian Ramachandra Guha, E A S Sarma and activist Kartam Joga challenging the setting up of salwa judum.
The petitioners had alleged that in the guise of countering the naxal movement, the salwa judum was indulging in killings and committing atrocities against tribals. They had sought a direction to the state government to refrain from ���supporting and encouraging��� the salwa judum.
The government, however, had said that naxal menace in the state has reached alarming proportions and it cannot stifle any people���s initiative in the form of salwa judum movement to combat the violent illegal activities of the ultras. Centre also had backed the state government���s stand on the issue.
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