I was part of the PUCL, Bangalore team that was visiting Raipur on a Free Binayak Sen Campaign at the time of VCA demolition. Some of the students from IISc, where I reside, proceeded to VCA, Dantewada and were present at the time of the demolition. Two of them were also badly beaten up. However, they were able to film their visit, part of the demolition, and aftermath of it. So VCA is definitely demolished. As to the State's version of why it needed to be demolished, maybe Himanshuji's activities speak out the loudest - he was, and is, actively involved in the rehabilitation of large displacements forced on adivasis by Salwa Judum. His activity is now backed a judicial order which the State refuses to comply with. The National Human Rights' Comission has acknowledged the widespread and largescale forced displacement of villagers in the region, and their conditions in SJ camps. Return to normalcy of civilian life in the region would adversely effect the corporatised agenda of State that seeks to clear the region for large scale development projects following MoUs already signed with large globalised industries.
Let me see if I can have the IISc film be put up on Youtube - please watch out for it.
On Dec 7, 2009 Arati wrote:
I was part of the PUCL, Bangalore team that was visiting Raipur on a Free Binayak Sen Campaign at the time of VCA demolition. Some of the students from IISc, where I reside, proceeded to VCA, Dantewada and were present at the time of the demolition. Two of them were also badly beaten up. However, they were able to film their visit, part of the demolition, and aftermath of it. So VCA is definitely demolished. As to the State's version of why it needed to be demolished, maybe Himanshuji's activities speak out the loudest - he was, and is, actively involved in the rehabilitation of large displacements forced on adivasis by Salwa Judum. His activity is now backed a judicial order which the State refuses to comply with. The National Human Rights' Comission has acknowledged the widespread and largescale forced displacement of villagers in the region, and their conditions in SJ camps. Return to normalcy of civilian life in the region would adversely effect the corporatised agenda of State that seeks to clear the region for large scale development projects following MoUs already signed with large globalised industries.
Let me see if I can have the IISc film be put up on Youtube - please watch out for it.