19 May,2010 07:11 AM IST | | Varun Singh
A news report in a weekly magazine shocked me. It read that an organisation called People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), which was once headed by Rajinder Sachar has been named by the Intelligence Bureau as a frontal organisation for Maoists in the country.
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The former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court is still said to be associated with PUCL and the report claims, which he is shocked hearing that the organisation that has been endlessly fighting for the human rights of the poor has been termed as a frontal organisation for the Maoists.
It's high time for us to get up and decide on how to stop the Naxal issue before we are engulfed in the war Shocking yet true, Sachar is not alone, there are other known people and organisations which have been listed as frontal organisations for Maoists.
This also includes famous author and social activist Mahasweta Devi. She has openly challenged P Chidambaram that he can arrest her, but has to prove her link with Maoists first.
This is, indeed, very strange that most of the organisations that have been fighting for the safety of villagers staying in forests are being targeted by reputed government institutions.
In today's age, the government has one of the best weapons with it call anyone au00a0 Naxal sympathiser, put him/her behind bars and keep the person so far from the public that he cannot be seen or heard.
Chattradhar Mahato, the man who went to meet the chief election officer in West Bengal, was termed as a Naxal supporter and has been put behind the bars.
At that point someone had said, "A Maoist would never go and meet the election officer, and if the government keeps on carrying on such atrocities against the people who are helping the poor and affected, then it would soon lose the support and the tribals would have no way except for moving towards the Naxal camps."
Meanwhile, we, the so-called middle class of the well-developed cities who have been shying away from the words like Naxals, still live in a world where Naxals only exist in the jungles.
But a recent report also mentioned that the Naxals have come as close as Thane and Nasik and are working hard to make it their base.
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If this report is to be believed then it's high time for us wake up and decide on how to stop such infiltration or soon we will be engulfed in the war between the state and Naxals.
We now need to think about the issue more seriously than ponder over IPL, cricket and Sania Mirza.
Varun Singh is Senior Correspondent, MiD DAY
