‘Talks are the only way’

Nandini Sundar’s

book, The Burning Forest: India’s War in Bastar, is an account of Bastar’s civil war. In her new book, Nandini exposes the brutal realities of the war and throws light on the nexus between the state government, corporate companies and villagers. She portrays the lives and communities caught in the crossfire of violence in Bastar. In her epilogue, Nandini paints a possible future and says that “peace talk is the only way” to solve the problem. In an interview, she opens up about her new book and the real situation prevailing at Bastar. Excerpts:

What is the real issue at Bastar The real issue is the exploitation of adivasis and local Bastariyas (SCs and OBCs) by outsiders — whether for forest resources or mining. This has been going on since the end of the 19th century in one way or the other and people have always resisted. The other major problem is the way people look down on adivasis and mistreat them.

Tell us about the Salwa Judum operation aimed at countering Naxalite violence in Chhattisgarh What was the response of the locals for this operation The Salwa Judum (purification hunt in Gondi) was a state sponsored counter-insurgency operation which the government tried to pass off as a spontaneous people’s movement. From 2005 to 2008, it led to massive displacement, burning of villages, large-scale migration and deaths. People still haven’t recovered from it. Operation Greenhunt, which started in 2009, is a long-drawn-out version of Salwa Judum with the same features, except that it is officially carried out by the paramilitary forces.

Explain the nexus between the state government, corporate companies and villagers I deal with this issue in my book and the way in which mining and industrialisation are being carried out to benefit mainly outsiders, big companies and officials. This is destroying the local economy, culture and the biodiversity.

Reports say that big corporations are exploiting the rich natural resources in Bastar. How is the exploitation affecting people As yet the mining has not fully started apart from Bailadilla, but the way the war is headed, we can expect much worse to come. Ordinary life is completely securitised — it is even dangerous to go into the forest for fuelwood, because you could be caught by the security forces.

What are local NGOs, people welfare associations and others doing in the region to safeguard the interests of the people Some parties like the Communist Party of India, and some human rights activists have been consistently raising the issue of violations. But they are being seriously threatened and intimidated by the police and administration.

In your opinion, why is the mainstream media not highlighting the conflict There are many reasons for this which I discuss in my chapter on the media. Pressure from the government not to report, co-optation of a section of journalists by the police, the fact that there are no adivasi journalists, or even journalists who can speak the local language are the main reasons.

What was the trigger that made you write The Burning Forest I had started writing on Bastar issue right from 2006 in the form of newspaper articles and conference papers. I wanted to write this book for several reasons: To reach out to a wide audience and make them aware of what is happening in Bastar and similar places, and to pull together in one place all the different kinds of forces that work during a civil war like this. This book is really an account of how Indian democracy relates to conflict.

How are women affected by this conflict They face a lot of sexual violence. Their nutrition and health has also suffered enormously because of the displacement and the constant tension.

What is the stand of political parties on Bastar issue Both the Congress and the BJP supported the Salwa Judum and Operation Greenhunt.

The only party which has consistently taken a stand against the human rights violations is the CPI. Now the Congress and sections of the AAP have also begun protesting against violations, but their support for adivasis is episodic and sometimes hypocritical.

As for the BJP, their main aim is to introduce Hindutva to the adivasis so that they can co-opt them and facilitate the takeover of their resources. The BJP government is responsible for terrible human rights violations.

Do you think peace can be restored in the region Have you offered any solutions in the book to the ongoing conflict in Bastar Peace talks are the only way. In my epilogue, I paint a possible future that we should act towards where the government works with and for people and not against them, a time when there will be schools and health centres every five km, instead of security camps as is currently the case.