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'Theycannotsilenceme'
March16,201610:26IST

'Thepolicegointovillages,killvillagers,rapewomen,burnhomes,filefalsecases.'
'TheywanttoemptyBastarofthetribalssothatcorporatehousescanbegivenafreehandinourland.'
'MyfatherwaskilledbyNaxalites.ThisisveryironicalbecausethepoliceaccusemeofbeingaNaxalite.IfIhadbeen
aNaxalite,wouldInothavebeenabletopreventmyfather'sdeath?'

IMAGE:SoniSoriatademonstrationatJantarMantarinNewDelhi.Photograph:ShahbazKhan/PTI

ribalactivistSoniSorispent13daysattheApolloHospitalinNewDelhiwhereshewastreatedforsevereburnsafter
threementhrewacombinationofgreaseandacidonherface.
Havingbeenreleasedfromhospital,thisfierytriballeaderhasreturnedtoChhattisgarhtocontinueherstruggleagainstthe
statepolice.
The burn marks on her face have begun to heal, but the healing process is expected to take another few weeks. Sori
describesthescarsonherfaceasrepresentingtheconvulsionshappeninginChhattisgarh.ShespoketoRashmeSehgal.
Doctorswereapprehensivethatyoumayloseyoureyesightfollowingtheattack.Fortunately,thathasnothappened.
Despiteyourlifebeingindanger,youaredeterminedtogoback?
After what they have done to me, it would be prudent for me not to go back. But this attack has only strengthened my
determinationtogobackandfightonbehalfoftheAdivasisofBastar.
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YouhaveallegedthatInspectorGeneralofPoliceShivramKalluriisbehindtheattack.
Yes, my fight is directly against Kalluri. Even though the Supreme Court ordered a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)
inquiryagainsthim,hecontinuestoenjoyafreehand.
Hehasbeenallowedtodestroythehomesofvillagerswithnoactiontakenagainsthim.
Wehaveseenasubstantialincreaseinparamilitaryforces.Everytwokilometres,thestategovernmenthassetuppostsfor
paramilitaryforcesinChhattisgarh.
Whydoyoubelieveyouarebeingtargeted?
Theydonotwantanyinformationabouttheirmisdeedsandheinouscrimestocomeintothelimelight.Thatiswhytheyhave
resortedtotheirgoonstogetridofanindependentjournalistlikeMaliniSubramanianandlawyerswhowerespeakingout
onbehalfofthetribals.
Iwasaschoolteacherwhodidnothesitatetospeakoutagainsttheirmisdeeds.Thatiswhytheyresortedtoharassingand
torturingme.
WhenKalluriwasseniorsuperintendentofpoliceofDantewada,hehadmearrestedonchargesofbeingaNaxalite.Hedid
thesamewithmyhusbandArunKumar.Wewerebothjailed.
Myhusbandwasbeatenupsoseverelythathebecameparalysed.Thepolicereleasedhimfromjaillastmonth,buthewas
sofrailandsickthathecouldnotsurvive.Hediedamonthago.
Howlongwereyouinjailandwhatwerethecharges?
I was arrested on the trumped up charge that I was a Naxalite. The same trumped up charge was levied against my
husband.ItwasKalluriwhoorderedthesechargestobeleviedagainstus.
Iwasarrestedandtorturedformanymonths.Theyputcurrent(electricalcharges)upmyanus.Thatisastandardtorture
method.
Iwasnotabletowalkformanymonths.Duringinterrogation,thepoliceputstonesinmyuterus.Iusedtoberegularlybeaten
up.
IbecamesoillandwouldhavediedwereitnotformyactivistfriendsinDelhiwhoplacedapetitionbeforetheSupreme
Courttohavemereleasedonmedicalgrounds.
ItwasonthedirectionoftheSupremeCourtthatIwastakentoahospitalinKolkatawherethesestoneswereremoved.It'sa
miraclethatIcameoutofjailalive.
Itisshockingtohearthatthepolicecanactwithsuchimpunity.
ThereisnoruleoflawinChhattisgarh.
Twolocaljournalistswhospokeoutagainstpoliceviolencehavebeenarrestedandareinjail.
Thepolicegointovillages,killvillagers,rapewomen,burnhomes,filefalsecases.
Thekindofdepravitiesinwhichtheyindulgeareunimaginable.
Ihadajobasaprimaryschoolteacherandlookedafterstudentsinahostel.MynephewRamKedopicametoGhaziabadto
doacourseinjournalism.KallurigaveastatementthatheisaNaxaliteandwasthemastermindbehindtheApril6,2010
killingof70jawans.
Prashant Bhushan brought the terrified boy to SwamiAgnivesh and he went underground for some time. When he went
returnedtoChhattisgarh,hewasarrested.
Didyoureceivepriorwarningthatyouweregoingtobeattacked?
FromthetimeIamspeakingoutonbehalfoftheAdivasis,Ihavereceivedmanywarningsthattheywouldkillme.Ididnot
heedthesewarnings.
WhentheHidmaencounterincidentatMarmudtookplaceonFebruary15,inwhichatribalwhoisafatherofsevenchildren
waskilledongroundsofhisbeingaNaxalite,Itookuphiscase.
Yousee,onemonthbeforehedied,thepolicedidhisverificationandclearedhimandonthatbasishewasallowedtoopen
abankaccount.ThemanhadanAadharcard,arationcardandallotherdocuments.
Igothisfamilyandhischildrenandheldapressconferencetohighlighthowthepolicehadkilledaninnocentman.
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IalsowantedtogetanFIRfiledagainstKalluri.At6.12pmthatevening,Ireceivedaphonecallwarningmethatplanswere
afoottoattackme.ItoldthemIwasnotafraid.
At10pm,wewereatGeedamonourwaytoDantewadawhenthreemiscreantsstoppedthemotorcycleonwhichIwas
ridingandthrewthischemicalonmyface.Iknowthepeoplewhohavedoneit.Theiridentitiesareknowntome.
IwastakentoadoctorinGeedamfortreatmentandthentoDantewadafromwhereIwasbroughttotheApolloHospital.I
wasintheICUfor11daysandthenkeptinaroomforthreedays.Buttheycannotsilenceme.
Therearemanyactivistwomenfightinginmanystates.Weneedtocometogether.
Yourchildrenarelivingaloneinyourvillage.
IhavethreechildrenwhoarelivinginChhattisgarh.Ihavetwogirlsandoneboy.Myeldestdaughterispresentlyappearing
forherboardexam.
Ihavealreadybeenwarnedthat'Youmustnotforgetyouhaveasonwhoispresentlystudyinginschool.'
Areyousayingthereisnooneinthestategovernmentwhoissympathetictotribals?
Ofcoursenot.Theyknowwhatisgoingon.Thecollectorsnotallowedtospeak.Kallurisilencesthemiftheyobjecttowhatis
happening.
Thelowerrungpoliceofficersdonotapproveofwhatheisdoing,buttheyarenotallowedtospeak.
Youhavehadtopayahugepriceforspeakingout.
Thatisobvioustoeveryonewhoknowsme.Iampresentlyoutonbail.
Ihavelostmyjobasateacher.Ihadahome,ahusband,parents,children,everythingawomancouldhaveaskedfor.
Ilostmyhusbandinafalsecase.MyfatherwaskilledbyNaxalites.
ThisisveryironicalbecausethepoliceaccusemeofbeingaNaxalite.IfIhadbeenaNaxalite,wouldInothavebeenable
topreventmyfather'sdeath?
TheNaxalitescameandkilledhim.Thevillagersaroundhimsawwhatwashappening,buttheyweretooscaredtospeak
out.
MymotherdiedoutofsorrowwhenIwasarrestedandputinjail.Whenmyhusbandwasdying,Itoowasinjail.
IputinarequestinDantewadacourtifIcouldmeethimoncebeforehedied.Theyrefusedtogivepermission.
LookwhereIhavereached.LookatthestatetowhichIhavebeenreduced.Ihavenomoney,noassistanceofanykind.The
villagershelpmebygivingmericeanddal.Butwillthatbringbackmyfamily?
Despitealltheseadversities,youarereadytofight.
Someonehastospeakout.TheywanttoemptyBastarofthetribalssothatlargecorporatehousescanbegivenafreehand
inourlandinwhichweandourforefathershavelivedforthousandsofyears.
Howdoyourchildrencope?
Mychildrenhaveacceptedthesituation.ThetwoandahalfyearsIspentinjailhasmadethemstronger.
Theyseesomuchviolencearoundthem,butwhatcantheydo?
ThisisthefateofthetribalchildrenofChhattisgarh.
'Thewarisgoingtointensify'
The27yearoldlawyerfightingforAdivasis
Thefireshavebeenlit,andthemobsarestandingready
RashmeSehgal

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