Frivolous conspiracy cases on Jharkhand's anti-displacement activists: FACAM

Bacha Singh, Damodar Turi leading protests

Counterview Desk 
Civil rights group Forum Against Corporatization And Militarization (FACAM), even as condemning the alleged harassment of Jharkhand activists by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has said that they are being intimidated because they have “opposed corporate loot of people’s resources.”
Those being harassed include NIA's raid at the residences of Damodar Turi, Baccha Singh, Rupesh Kumar Singh, Dinesh Tudu, Anil Hansda, Nageshwar Mahto and Sanjay Turi, FACAM said, demanding in a statement that “frivolous conspiracy case” against them be quashed, and independent journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh be released, and NIA should stop harassing Damodar Turi, Baccha Singh and other activists of Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Morcha.

Text:

It has come to our attention that Jharkhand based anti-displacement activist Damodar Turi is being continuously harassed by NIA by summoning him for interrogation in a frivolous and cooked up case. On 5th June, 2023, Damodar Turi was summoned for 3rd time in 3 months time. This comes in the aftermath of the raids conducted by NIA in the early morning of 2nd May, 2023, on residences of Damodar Turi, Baccha Singh, Jailed Journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, Dinesh Tudu, Anil Hansda, Nageshwar Mahto and Sanjay Turi. All these raids were done in the case RC-01/2022/ NIA/RNC under NIA Ranchi. In a press release, the NIA said that on May 2, raids were actually conducted at a total of 14 places in Jharkhand and Bihar. It has apparently seized “incriminating material, mobile phones, digital devices and bank accounts details.”
While Damodar Turi is the convenor of Visthapan Virodhi Janvikas Andolan (VVJA) which has opposed corporate loot of people’s resources and displacement of Adivasis, Baccha Singh is the leader of Mazdoor Sangathan Samiti, a working class organisation which has recently been absolved of charges of being a Maoist front by Ranchi High Court and ban was uplifted after wrongfully being targeted for 4 years. It is important to note that this working class organization has been active among industrial laborers including Bokaro Thermal, organized informal laborers and have been building solidarity among the working class and the adivasis facing corporate induced displacement. Furthermore, Jailed Journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh has been vocal against the corporate loot of people’s resources, militarization and environmental impact of mining and industries. As far as Dinesh Tudu, Anil Hansda, Nageshwar Mahto and Sanjay Turi are concerned, these all are active members of Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Morcha (JJSM) which was formed in the year 2021 to unite different organisations and individuals against displacement, corporate loot, violation of gram sabha autonomy, etc.

In a single glance on the list of persons raided and hounded by NIA, one can easily understand the malicious plot of the state machinery that is trying to suppress every democratic voice against corporate loot, displacement of people of the country, particularly adivasi farmers and militarization. It is yet another Bhima Koregaon Conspiracy like attempt to round up activists who oppose imperialist loot of resources, stand for democratic rights of struggling masses and criticise state excesses.

It is a malicious plot of the state machinery to suppress democratic voice against corporate loot and displacement of adivasis

Among Bhima Koregaon political prisoners, most were actively opposing the state-corporate expropriation of people’s resources, displacement and state repression. Father Stan Swamy himself played an instrumental in formation of Visthapan Virodhi Janvikas Andolan (VVJA) and was active in Pathalgadhi Movement to ensure the autonomy and sanctity of gram sabha. Father Stan was murdered in custody by deliberately denying him urgent medical attention. While we commemorate Father Stan and remember his struggles for the masses, we should also not forget that various activist, many who worked with him are being hounded so as to silence all the critical voices against militarization of mineral rich regions of Jharkhand like Parasnath Hills and nearby regions, where paramilitary camps are being built or established in schools/panchayat building as part of Operation SAMADHAN-Prahar and prepare a ground for extraction of mineral resources like coal, iron ore, Mica, limestone etc for mining giants like Adani and others.
Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization strongly condemns the malicious and nefarious design behind NIA's raid at the residences of Damodar Turi, Baccha Singh, Rupesh Kumar Singh, Dinesh Tudu, Anil Hansda, Nageshwar Mahto and Sanjay Turi. We also condemn the continuous harassment of Damodar Turi in the name of regular interrogations. We call upon all the democratic and progressive forces to oppose this blatant attack on people’s activists in Jharkhand and stand with the struggles of oppressed, exploited and disinherited masses of Jharkhand.
We demand:

1. Frivolous conspiracy case vide no. RC-01/2022/ NIA/RNC be quashed immediately.
2. Independent journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh should be released immediately and unconditionally.
3. NIA should stop harassing Damodar Turi, Baccha Singh and other activists of Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Morcha.