BHUBANESWAR: It has been a long and agonised wait even for a response to talk to the abductors of MLA Jhina Hikaka. As the State Government keeps its fingers crossed, the ill-timed white paper with adverse remarks on CMAS (Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha) may complicate the issue further. The Maoists have made it clear that Hikaka would be a free man if tribals __ mainly activists of CMAS lodged in jail __ are released. The white paper, circulated by the Home department in the Assembly, has described CMAS as a frontal organisation of the CPI(Maoist). It maintained that the illegal activities of CMAS (Nachika Linga faction) were suppressed.The white paper has put the Government in a very embarrassing situation as the district unit of the BJD signed an agreement with the CMAS, non-fulfilment of which is said to have resulted in the abduction of the legislator.The Maoists also stepped up pressure by releasing another Press note last night. Circulated to all the MPs and MLAs of Koraput district and mediapersons, the Srikakulum-Koraput division the CPI(Maoist) has criticised the police raids in the villages of Bandhugaon block in which innocent tribal youths were allegedly tortured.“The world doesn’t know what the police, under the aegis of the Government, did to the members of CMAS in Bandhugaon and Narayanpatna in Koraput district,” the note, signed by Daya, secretary of the Srikakulum-Koraput division, said. The torture, atrocities and raids by police have been taking place and there is no sign that they would stop, it claimed.Just because one MLA was abducted, the whole State establishment is crying, but nobody bothers about the innumerable atrocities committed by the security forces and police on innocent tribals. What grave sin the tribals of Bandhugaon and Narayanpatna committed to undergo the torture, it asked.“Let the Government take its MLA after releasing the tribals in Malkangiri and Koraput jails,” the note said, and warned that if the Government does not stop combing operations, these things will continue. The Government has to take the responsibility for any untoward incident, it added. The note lists immediate halt to Operation Greenhunt and release of all tribals from jails as the two key demands for Hikaka’s release. Sources said out of the several demands placed by the Maoists, some like stopping the combing operation and release of jailed ultras have been met. “The State Government has already said there would be no coercive action as long as Maoists did not indulge in violence,” the Chief Minister had told the Assembly on Tuesday.
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