Arming villagers will not bring any solution to the situation rather it will lead to destruction. The state government’s recommendation of setting up Special Police Officers (SPOs) is obviously dangerous instead the state government should recruit villagers as regular police personnel, sociologist Nandini Sunder of Delhi School of Economics said while delivering a lecture on “Arming Villagers: The Chhatisgarh Experience” organized by the Centre for Manipur Studies, Manipur University at the University Recreation Hall in Imphal.
The talk programme was organised in the wake of the state government decision to set up SPOs in Heirok in Thoubal district and Lilong Chajing in Imphal West.
Prof Nandini pointed out that the outcome after some of Chhatisgarh villagers were armed against Naxalites by the government was the total breakdown of law and order and civil administrations. She said that atmosphere of terror with impunity to commit murders, rapes, and arsons are the results after arming them.
She also said that the use of Adivasis as human shields by the government forces against Maoist is another upshot Chhatisgarh had experienced after arming its villagers. Prof Nandini further said that dividing the fabrics of the society and destroying the traditional ways of life is also the essential effect on the social life of the Chhatisgarh villagers once they were provided arms by the government.
It may be mentioned that SPOs had been set up in Chhatisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir in an attempt to protect villagers from the rebels’ incursion. Each of the SPOs in Chhatisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir were enjoying Rs 1,500 per month as a token honorarium.
Prof Nandini Sunder pointed out that the SPOs in both the states have been complaining of irregularities in payment of their salaries.
She also opines that a mass based open discussion should have been organized before the arming of the villagers.
Prof Nandini Sunder, who had her education from the universities of Oxford and Columbia, serves at the sociology department of the Delhi School of Economics, was a part of the group of intellectuals who filed a case in the Supreme Court against arming of villagers in Chhatisgarh.
The talk programme was organised in the wake of the state government decision to set up SPOs in Heirok in Thoubal district and Lilong Chajing in Imphal West.
Prof Nandini pointed out that the outcome after some of Chhatisgarh villagers were armed against Naxalites by the government was the total breakdown of law and order and civil administrations. She said that atmosphere of terror with impunity to commit murders, rapes, and arsons are the results after arming them.
She also said that the use of Adivasis as human shields by the government forces against Maoist is another upshot Chhatisgarh had experienced after arming its villagers. Prof Nandini further said that dividing the fabrics of the society and destroying the traditional ways of life is also the essential effect on the social life of the Chhatisgarh villagers once they were provided arms by the government.
It may be mentioned that SPOs had been set up in Chhatisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir in an attempt to protect villagers from the rebels’ incursion. Each of the SPOs in Chhatisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir were enjoying Rs 1,500 per month as a token honorarium.
Prof Nandini Sunder pointed out that the SPOs in both the states have been complaining of irregularities in payment of their salaries.
She also opines that a mass based open discussion should have been organized before the arming of the villagers.
Prof Nandini Sunder, who had her education from the universities of Oxford and Columbia, serves at the sociology department of the Delhi School of Economics, was a part of the group of intellectuals who filed a case in the Supreme Court against arming of villagers in Chhatisgarh.
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