Imprisoned DU Professor GN Saibaba Fears Losing His Hand Due To Lack Of Treatment

In a four-page handwritten letter to the principal judge of the Gadchiroli district and sessions court, imprisoned Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba has sought special medical treatment and dietary provisions on the ground that his health is deteriorating fast. In the letter dated 5 January, and accessed by NDTV, the wheelchair-bound English professor who claims that he is 90 per cent disabled, wrote, “I have been suffering from multiple ailments of severe nature and have been taking regular treatment at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), New Delhi, for my left shoulder, which was damaged seriously in prison.” Saibaba, who was on bail till 31 December 2015, has been accused of having Maoist links.

He had surrendered before the Central Jail authorities as per the directive of the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. When the trial started on 27 October 2015 in the Gadchiroli Sessions Court, all the co-accused got bail except Saibaba. On 23 December, the Bench had rejected his regular bail application and directed him to surrender within 48 hours. “I need hot water to take bath and use it to control pain in my legs and back and damaged left hand. This was a facility which was extended to me earlier. Please continue with the same facility, without which I can’t survive,” wrote Saibaba, according to The Indian Express. Saibaba had developed severe problems in multiple organs, such as his heart, spinal cord, kidney, liver and gall bladder during his year-long stay at the jail. His left arm, which was functional before he went to prison, became completely paralysed due to gradual muscle death, Saibaba’s wife had claimed, according to a HuffPost India article.

Since he couldn’t use his legs, he is entirely dependent on his hands for his daily chores, she had added. “I have been continuously undergoing physiotherapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy and electro-magnetic therapy involving various instruments and devices,” Saibaba says in his letter. “My present incarceration has totally stopped this treatment, which is completely detrimental for my left hand. As I am 90% disabled owing to polio, both my legs don’t function. As a result; neither can I stand nor walk and I have been confined totally to a wheelchair. If I don’t get my damaged left hand treated, I will have to live with one hand, which will turn my life into an impossible task,” reported NDTV. Noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan has also called Saibaba’s case a “worst human rights violation”. Bhushan, along with lawyer and human rights activist Kamini Jaiswal have offered to argue the professor’s case.

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/01/14/saibaba-jail-treatment_n_8975794.html

CPI Maoists float another division

Visakhapatnam: The CPI Maoists have reportedly set up another division in the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) to regain their hold in the Srikakulam region in Andhra Pradesh, and Gunupur and Gudari forest areas and Rayagada in Odisha. The new division has been christened the Odisha-Srikakulam division, sources claimed. The banned outfit had formed a new division – Malkangiri-Koraput-Visakha (MKV) – last year with Venu as its chief. The MKV division is now involved in activities in Pedabayalu mandal and gumma area in Malkangiri and Koraput. Earlier, the Maoists had a Koraput-Srikakulam division committee after the Srikakulam district committee was wiped out in early 2000.

Now, the Koraput area has been merged with the MKV division and the remaining Srikakulam area has been included in the newly-formed Odisha-Srikakulam division, the sources said. However, this new division will not work in Sambalpur, Rourkela, Deogarh and other parts of Odisha which fall under the separate Odisha state committee led by Modem Balakrishna alias Bhaskar, the former AOBSZC secretary, they said. With the new division, the Reds are now concentrating on Palakonda and Bhamini forest areas which were once bastions of naxal activity.

“They plan to revive their old stronghold areas in north Andhra where they have been losing ground. Following the new force’s arrival in AOB from Chhattisgarh, naxals are now trying to use terror tactics to gain control,” a senior police officer involved in the anti-naxal operation in Visakha district said. Ever since a series of meetings were conducted by senior cadres including central committee leaders like Katakam Sudarsan alias Anand, Mallojula Venugopala Rao alias Sonu and CPI Maoists military commission chief Namballa Kesava Rao alais Basava Raju along with Akkiraju Haragopal alias RK in the beginning of last year in the Visakha Agency, the change in strategy of the Maoists is visible, the sources said.

They are now concentrating on setting up revolutionary people’s committees (RPCs) in the AOB areas, sources in intelligence agencies said. As part of this, commander Sunil, brother of Maoist Anand, has been visiting the Araku and Odisha border areas to strengthen the naxal movement. They are even focussing on Gurtedu area, which was also once a stronghold area of the Maoists, they added.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Visakhapatnam/CPI-Maoists-float-another-division/articleshow/50572756.cms

140 people killed in Bastar naxal violence in 2015

The Bastar region of Chhattisgarh continuous to be a hotbed of Maoist activities, with 47 security personnel losing their lives in 2015. Around 115 security men suffered serious injuries during the same time span. Forty-seven civilians were killed by the ultras in 2015, according to statistics released by Chhattisgarh police’s Anti-Naxal Operation (ANO) unit on Wednesday. The security forces managed to kill 46 Maoists and recovered 167 weapons, including an AK-47, an SLR, a 303 gun and four 9 mm pistols.

“Most of our men died in independent killings rather than during anti-Maoist operations,” R.K. Vij, the Additional Director-General (ADG) of Police, ANO told reporters here. Around 327 alleged Maoists surrendered before the police during 2015. This was the second consecutive year when a large number of Maoist surrenders were reported in Bastar. In 2014, Bastar police had claimed that 421 “Maoists” surrendered before police as compared the meagre 39 surrenders in 2013.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/140-people-killed-in-bastar-naxal-violence-in-2015/article8103681.ece

Maoist held in Palamau

Medininagar (Jharkhand), Jan 14 (PTI) A Maoist ‘sub-zonal commander’, carrying a reward of Rs five lakh on his head, was arrested during a special operation in Palamau district, a senior police officer today said. Jagnarayan Yadav alias Vishal ji, who had joined the ultra group following a land dispute, was arrested from Thekhi village in the extremist-hit district last night, Superintendent of Police, Mayur Patel told reporters. A self-loaded pistol and three rounds of ammunition were recovered from the possession of Yadav, who joined the ultra group 14 years ago, Patel said.

Over ten cases were pending against Yadav, who was also suspected to be involved in the blowing up of Harihargunj Block office in the district in December, 2011, Patel said, adding that several cases of extortion and Naxal-related cases were also pending against him in adjoining Bihar. Yadav, a native of Jangwal village under Chatarpur Police Station of Palamau, was arrested when he was in Pandu police station limits to expand his organization, he said. The Palamau district police had launched a special operation led by Additional Superintendent of Police, Kanhaiya Singh against the ultras.

http://www.ptinews.com/news/6972521_Maoist-held-in-Palamau-.html

..Meanwhile, a CPI-Maoist ‘area committee member’ identified as Vikas Parahiya who had actively worked for the Maoists for the past six years or so and was involved in several ambushes, was arrested from Chhipadohar area of Latehar District on January 12, reports The Telegraph. A rifle and cartridges were recovered from Vikas.

http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/detailed_news.asp?date1=1/14/2016&id=6#6

New strategy to deal with Maoists

Bhubaneswar: The state government has decided to chalk out a new strategy to check Left-wing extremism (LWE) in the state, particularly Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Boudh districts at the unified command meeting on Wednesday. Earlier, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said LWE continues to be a major concern for the state at the senior police officers’ conference. “To tackle the Maoist menace in the state, the meeting focused on two crucial issues – strengthening intelligence gathering network and proper coordination between local police and central paramilitary force,” a senior police officer, who attended the meeting, said requesting anonymity.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/New-strategy-to-deal-with-Maoists/articleshow/50571634.cms

527 Maoists arrested in 2015 in Bihar

Patna: Security forces arrested 527 Maoists in 2015, which was the highest in a year since 2010. However, no arms training camp of the Reds was busted in 2014 and 2015. The Maoists had established a ‘parallel administration’ in several villages until a few years back. Bihar government had notified setting up of 85 new police stations for the 23 left wing extremism (LWE)-hit districts in Bihar. Sources said construction work of 43 of these police stations has been completed so far and the rest would be completed by March 2016.

However, the state government has sent a proposal to the Centre for setting up 40 more new police stations in the six most LWE-hit districts. As it is, government officials face a tough time convincing the villagers of different districts to be wary of Maoists. Vikas Vaibhav, who was posted as Rohtas SP and conducted the assembly election for the first time at the Rohtas Fort atop a hill, said, “We have showed the villagers that we are working for their betterment. “I have camped on the hilly terrain of Kaimur hills, where the red rebels used to hold meetings and training camps. We worked for building confidence with the villagers. Maoists used to hold medical camps in remote villages. I took doctors to such places and provided medicine to people.”

Maoists violate child rights with impunity, by forcibly taking away children to their training camps. They force the children to join them. ASP (operations), Aurangabad, Rajesh Bharti, said, “Unemployment is a major reason behind the local youth joining the Maoists. We try to set up camps in the most affected villages to keep the local youth on the right track. We recruit physically fit youths of Maoist-hit areas during our recruitment drives. Many of them are recommended for jobs as security guards to various security agencies.” “During our growing up days, nobody told us that education is important, and we took up arms. Day in and day out, we fought against the security forces. I have seen my mother dying of starvation and I do not want the same to happen to my grandchildren. My son is a Maoist, he does not come home but the security forces never believe that. I took the initiative to help the officials to open a primary school at Deo Bigha in Aurangabad,” said Narayan Bhuiya (70).

“But on many occasions, Maoists come down from hills and force us to serve them meals. Often they take away foodgrains and other ration. We have no sympathy for them but have to comply with their wishes due to fear,” said Sunil Ranjan, a teacher at Ganjoi primary school in Aurangabad.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/527-Maoists-arrested-in-2015-in-Bihar/articleshow/50568562.cms