The controversy surrounding the conduct of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) from Nagaland doing anti-Naxal duty in the jungles of Bastar in Chhattisgarh has now pitted civil liberty/human rights groups against the State establishment. It therefore comes as no surprise that such rights group are branded as nothing more than mere ‘propaganda tools’ working at the behest of the left-wing extremists. Continuing in this tradition, the latest mouthpiece is none other than the Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh who has once again conveniently portrayed the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Chhattisgarh as a larger propaganda campaign against the Salwa Judum (peace march), described by the DGP as a “social movement launched by the tribals of Bastar against the Naxalites/Maoists”.
But then credit must be given to the DGP for having suggested that the Government of Nagaland consider sending a team of journalists from Nagaland to Bastar where they can ‘visit freely and evaluate the ground realities and clearly differentiate between fact and fiction’. The only problem to such a noble gesture is firstly, whether the Nagaland government will be serious enough to even consider sending independent observers (journalists). For the manner in which the police establishment and the Home Ministry in Nagaland have been behaving ever since the deployment of the Naga battalion in Chhattisgarh i.e. hides information, sending journalists from Nagaland is certainly not a wise option for the establishment here.
The other problem with this offer by the Chhattisgarh DGP is simply put, his own diminishing credibility in the eyes of the public and judiciary. The DGP may keep announcing that such ‘propaganda’ is an old tactic that the Naxalites/Maoists have used against the Chhattisgarh police, CRPF, BSF, Naga IRB etc. But coming from an officer whose own record does not speak much of his credibility, the Naga public may well have to be cautious and separate the fact from fiction of what the DGP has recently stated. It is also disappointing that the DGP in his refutation to allegations of atrocities committed by Naga IRB jawans did not address the issue but rather went on extolling the jawan’s professionalism. The Naga public certainly does not need to know about the capability of its jawans as every one here knows that they are second to none when it comes to proving themselves as expert guerilla fighters. The statement from the DGP therefore appears to be nothing but a face saving public relation exercise and to ensure that he can keep the Naga IRB boys well grounded to fulfill his mission of defeating the Naxalite inside the deep, hitherto inaccessible jungles of Bastar, which obviously the non-Naga forces are not up to the task.
As for the response of the Nagaland government, both the Chief Minister and his Home Minister should have taken a more serious view of the allegations. In fact going by their statements made in the media, both appear to be nonchalant. Rather than run from the issue, the truth must be established. But this cannot be accomplished merely by swallowing what the DGP has to feed (the plenty of accolades for the Naga jawans). If the Nagaland government is so confident (as it has clearly stated) of the innocence of the Naga IRB jawans, it should have no reservation in appointing an independent fact finding team to clear this ‘air of controversy’ once and for all. Whether, the State government is up to the challenge will decide the truth or lie of the present establishment.
