politics

So while I was out of town, wasn't me Sir, 100 soldiers were killed in an ambush by what they call Maoists in India. By Maoists they mean adivasi, dalits, especially those in villages. The PM considers them the greatest threat to national security. Taking out 100 armed soldiers is pretty impressive.

Problem is the squaddies want revenge now. So all the villages within 5 miles of the ambush have disappeared. They say the people have fled to the forests and if they have they mustn't come back ever. The only murder the army is denying is that of one man who didn't flee after the ambush. The story is the army took their evening meal at this village and then were ambushed the next day. They therefore argue that the village must have tipped off? the Maoists that there was a platoon strength force traipsing through the villages and since they were no match for the actual armed insurgents they beat this farmer to death.

They are claiming no they didn't beat nobody to death he must have been one of the Maoists the brave men of unquestionable integrity the soldiers of the whatever their acronym is bravely killed in self defence the day before. The SI local plod says no one has referred any incident to him. Given that all the villagers have disappeared and there is no one left alive to file a report well never mind. This too is India.

If the adivasi, the tribals whom I sometimes call gypsies given that foreigners tend not to know what I mean anyway these guys if they weren't maoists before doesn't look like they have much option now. If they try and return to their villages they will be killed. The army are looking for them. If the army killed them they tend not to worry about destroying evidence and people seem to believe the Indian army are clueless in the forests, the adivasi are the only ones who know their way around those parts of India. Whose side am I on. Oh there are sides are there.

I'll stick with the People's Liberation Army of Communist China then shall I. Qi Gong Jin you are the only one who can help us.