Palakkad MP slams ANF for Vittala arrest, atrocities on tribals

Mangalore, April 18: M B Rajesh, Palakkad MP, paid a visit to the Mangalore Jail on Wednesday and met Vittala Malekudiya, the MCJ student of Mangalore University who has been arrested by ANF for alleged naxal links.

Speaking to mediapersons later, the MP said that the allegations against Vittala are baseless. Terming the move of police as a gross human rights violation, Mr. Rajesh said that an attempt to suppress dissenting voices is being made by the authorities.

“This is not the first time it is happening. Earlier, Kerala journalist Shahina too was falsely arrested for alleged links with extremists. The proof that police claims to have got against Vittala is a book on Bhagat Singh and packets of sugar and rice in his house. If by merely reading a book on Bhagat Singh is a crime, we all should be put behind bars”, Mr. Rajesh said.

The CPI (M) leader, on the occasion, said that neither CPI nor DYFI that Vittala is a member of, supports naxalism. “Maoists and Naxals are killing our own people in Bengal. We are against naxalism”, he said.

Terming the Anti Naxal Force as 'anti-social', Mr. Rajesh alleged that the security forces are carrying out atrocities on tribals in the region. “I visited Vittala's village and spoke to his mother and the villagers. They are being tortured by the ANF. They take them away and torture them by keeping them in legal custody. This cannot be tolerated”, he said.

Accusing policemen of violating the court order, Mr. Rajesh said that the cops are not allowing Vittala to have access to his books in the jail. “When the court has permitted him to write the exams, it is their duty to allow him to have access to his books. By not doing so, they are violating the court order”, he said.

Vittala's detention will be made a national issue and a struggle at the national level will be initiated, the MP said. “I will bring this to the notice of the Chief Minister and raise the issue in the parliament. We will approach the National Human Rights Commission and the Commission for Scheduled Tribes too. Public opinion will be mobilized and a struggle will be carried out throughout the country”, he said.

Stating that the larger issue is of land grab, Mr. Rajesh said that the state government and police are working hand in glove in troubling the tribals. “They want to snatch the forest land legally owned by tribals. In Kodachadri too, tribals were made to evict. The package offered by the government is paltry. They want to offer Rs. 10 lakh when according to its own valuation, it comes up to about 25 to 50 lakhs. Even that amount of Rs 10 lakh does not reach the tribals in full. People are being forced to accept the amount and they receive mere 8 lakhs. The rest is consumed by NGO middlemen as commission. The government is also violating the Forest Rights Act”, he said.