Civil society organizations in Jharkhand meet with IG to discuss Maoist investigation

On Thursday, a number of civil society organizations (CSOs) met with Jharkhand inspector general (IG) special branch Prabhat Kumar to discuss the revelation that 64 CSOs were the subject of an investigation for allegedly having ties to Maoists.

The CSOs also provided a letter addressed to DGP Jharkhand Ajay Kumar Singh through the IG Special Branch regarding the Wednesday report that Jharkhand police had demanded an investigation against 64 organizations, accusing them of serving as fronts for outlawed Maoist groups.

According to the news source, the police have instructed the Jharkhand Special Branch to look into these 64 organizations. The departmental letter was issued in part to the Superintendents of Police and Heads of Special Branch during the past few days, and the list of these suspected organizations is currently making the rounds on social media, despite the fact that the source was not cited in this news item.

"Many CSOs who are on the list and who also signed the letter are shocked and upset. According to the letter, these organizations have been fighting tirelessly for the constitutional rights of tribal people, Dalits, members of the underprivileged classes, and other minorities.

It also states that these organizations have been fighting for rights to water, forests, and land as well as socioeconomic rights like MNREGA, food security, pensions, etc. They have also been raising their voices against eviction, communal violence, and raising the voices of farmers, as well as against violence like mob lynching, the filing of false cases, staging fake encounters, and other forms of violence.

Furthermore, it promises to assist victims in obtaining financial and legal support. These organizations have always conducted peaceful democratic agitations within the bounds of the law. Many of the issues brought up by these groups have been acknowledged by various ministers and chief ministers of various states, the letter continues.

The letter contests the assertion that "all these organizations are frontal organizations of the banned CPI (Maoist) without any evidence." The letter, which is signed by representatives of each organization, requests that DGP Jharkhand either validate the report or publicly deny the list.