Kolkata: Costs of an Unfair ‘War’ – India - Sanhati

 Reports from the Scorched Fields of South Chattisgarh, Oct 11

Costs of an Unfair ‘War’ – Reports from the Scorched Fields of South Chattisgarh

A presentation of photographs, footage and experiences from Bastar

Presenter: Suvojit Bagchi (Journalist, erstwhile state representative of The Hindu in Chattisgarh)

11th October, Sunday, at Boichitra, College Street, 4 pm – 7 pm

Organized by: Sanhati (www.sanhati.com)

Admittance by invitation only

Abstract:

Communist Party of India – Maoist [CPI-Maoist], the left-wing political party, is leading a guerrilla ‘war’ against the Indian State in south Chattisgarh in central India. The outlawed party partially controls the seven districts in south Chattisgarh, often referred as Dandakarnya, which is about 30,000 sq. km in size and nearly the as big as most of modern European states. The Maoists have entered the area in the early ’80s and set up a huge network of full time workers, like other Communist parties. The presentation will focus on the Maoist policy to empower the tribals in south Chattisgarh and to build a military base in the area. Following an increase in the activity of the rebels, the state geared up to restrict the rebels.

As it happens, in any country and at any point of time in history, the state adopted the ‘scorched earth policy’ or the policy to heat up everything on ground so much that the enemies, like ants, are forced to leave their bases. In pursuing  the policy – often also defined in counter-terrorism parlance as a process “to win hearts and the minds” of the locals – the state has annihilated many, ruining lives and destroying history, which hitherto has never been documented. In this 120 minute presentation journalist Suvojit Bagchi will focus on the state’s policy to decimate a people and their movement.

About the presenter:

Suvojit Bagchi has worked as a journalist, freelance and fulltime, since 1993 and worked in Ananda Bazar Patrika, Rainbow Productions & BBC World Service. Since 2014 he is posted in Kolkata as the Chief of Bureau of The Hindu newspaper. He has travelled in Chattisgarh between 2006/2007 and 2014 and documented lives of the people in southern Chattisgarh. In 2010 he spent 34 days in various Maoist camps in Bastar Division and wrote a long chapter on his stay in an anthology on south Asian Maoist movement, edited by Singapore University. He has produced several audio documentaries & video diaries for the BBC on the Maoists and was posted as the state correspondent of The Hindu in Chattisgarh between 2012 and 2014.

The presentation will be followed by an interaction. Please circulate among your friends/comrades

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