After Bastar attack,’topless women’ and lassi share media space

The report quoted some unnamed policemen as having narrated such experiences to the Patrika reporter. These accounts came under a sub-headline,“Jawano ne kiya sansanikhej khulasa (Jawans made a sensational revelation)”. The report said,“The jawans said the Maoists of Sukma district are extremely stubborn. Women lead the morcha and make vulgar gestures… they also challenge jawans to fire at them…”

On May 29,the same newspaper had described another supposed detail of Maoist strategy. The headline translates as,“Maoists drink Rs 50-a-litre mineral water… lassi to beat dehydration”. In extreme heat,the report said,Maoists carry mineral water bottles and lassi in ice containers. The accompanying photographs were of a large ice container with a few packets of Amul lassi and a Qua mineral water bottle. “Around 500 empty bottles of Qua mineral water were found at the spot (of the Darbha attack)… this bottle costs Rs 50… empty lassi packets were also found in the container.” What the report did not mention was that these bottles and packets could possibly have been a part of the Congress convoy. A Congress leader The Indian Express spoke to,in fact,identified the pictured conatiner as his.

Another Hindi daily,Haribhoomi,on June 3 ran a report under the headline “Maoists have taken help from foreigners”. It named a “notorious French Maoist,Jan Myrdal”,who “according to intelligence sources,had given tips to Ganapathy a few months ago for a big attack”. Myrdal had reportedly visited Chhattisgarh last year with tips for Naxals about their movement. The report mentioned a recently seized letter written by senior Maiost Katkam Sudarshan with details of “foreign help”.

Myrdal,a known supporter of ultra-Left movements,is Swedish,not French. Son of Nobel Prize winners Gunnar and Alva Myrdal,he did visit Bastar a few years ago and interviewed CPI (Maoist) supreme commander Ganapathy. Last year,he was denied a visa by the Indian government to attend a book fair. He has never denied links with Maoists in India but has always denied providing them support. The Haribhoomi report,while saying Myrdal and Ganapathy met a few months ago,also quoted the Chhattisgarh DGP as denying having any knowledge of a letter that mentioned a foreign hand in the Darbha attack.

Dainik Bhaskar on June 3 had a front-page report,“NIA believes some insiders were involved in the attack”. “According to NIA officers,” it said,“these persons were in the Congress convoy… They were involved in the conspiracy to murder,informed Maoists about the route change and seating plan in vehicles.” It added,“Four such persons have been identified… Two were in the convoy and the other two in touch (with Maoists) through phone.”

Soon,local and some Delhi-based channels ran the report,attributing it to unnamed sources. Bansal News called the four alleged informers “Chaar Vibheeshan”.

Some channels reported that the NIA had “submitted its first report”. The NIA this week dismissed this. Its DIG Sajid Farid Shapoo said in a statement: “In a section of the media,it is being reported that NIA has submitted a report to the MHA regarding the progress in investigation…it is clarified that no such report has been submitted.” Besides,Congress leaders say the convoy’s route was never changed.