Active involvement of youth in politics sought

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 28

Renowned tribal area activist Himanshu Kumar has exhorted active involvement of the youth in politics to ensure that democratic values, freedom of speech and human rights of people of the nation are protected. He was speaking on the final day of People’s Literary Festival at Teachers’ Home here on Friday.

Himanshu shared his experience of working for the rights of tribals in the Bastar region that is considered a hotbed of Maoist insurgency.

He said, “In 1992, I shifted to Bastar to work and protect the rights of tribals who were tormented by the ruling dispensation and security forces. In the garb of development, successive governments and corporate houses have exploited the natural resources of the region without any dialogue with the area residents.

“After working actively in the region for 18 years, the government and vested interests of influential lot perpetrated torture forcing me to move out of the region. Land acquisitions citing development by the governments and business houses have done more harm to the region than anything else.”

Kumar has now shifted his base to Palampur in Himachal Pradesh.