Tribals to hold peace meets despite PLFI attack

RANCHI: Following killing of three villagers by members of the People Liberation Front of India, a left-wing organisation, on Tuesday, a group of shanti sabha (peace meeting) members issued a press statement saying that holding peace meetings was their tradition and the allegations raised against them, including that the shanti sabha was state-sponsored, were wrong.

“There is system in the adivasi community of holding mass meetings to solve local problems. The system was dormant in the recent years but has been activated in the recent months,” the statement said.

“People are spending sleepless nights due to fear and confine themselves inside their houses even before the sun sets. Several people have been murdered. As people are distressed with the problems they are joining shanti sabhas in large numbers. The movement could spread in other districts as well,” it stated.

On Monday, the PLFI cadre resorted to indiscriminate firing at a gathering of villagers killing three and injuring four others in Raitonang village in Khunti district accusing them of holding a meeting against them. Even though the villagers told them the meeting was meant for a puja, the extremists alleged that it was a peace meeting against them.

The left-wing rebels have been putting up posters in Khunti and Ranchi, asking villagers to hold ‘jan adalats,’ punish people who are organising the peace meetings and urging them to oppose them.

Villagers are holding mass meetings in tribal-dominated areas including Ranchi, Khunti, West Singhbhum and Simdega against rising crimes like rape, murder, exploitation and collection of levy.

While the villagers are demanding that they should get mobile services, roads and other facilities, the Maoists want them to live in the dark ages by stopping development works and putting a ban on movement of passenger vehicles in areas like Pesrar block of West Sighbhum.

The police feel that the people’s movement has made the LWE organisation desperate as they are losing ground in their strongholds.

“A battle is on between the aspirations for development among the people and the vested interests of the LWE. There may be some incidents but people’s aspirations would win in the long run,” said inspector general (operation) and state police spokesman MS Bhatia.

He said the police would continue to conduct area domination operations in the extremist affected areas so that there is no violence.